At site of Auschwitz-Birkenau, WJC President Ronald S. Lauder thanks German Chancellor Angela Merkel for contribution toward camp’s preservation

WJC President Lauder accompanied Chancellor Merkel during her visit to the museum’s Conservation Laboratories, which preserve every shoe, every document, and every building that remain at the site. Amb. Lauder has been involved in the preservation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau site for decades, raising tens of millions of dollars internationally to fund conservation efforts, including the establishment in 2003 of the laboratories.
Read more...

WJC President Ronald S. Lauder welcomes decision by Germany to ban Hezbollah

“We trust that once the ban is in place, the Federal Government of Germany will immediately close down the infrastructure of Hezbollah in Germany and prosecute its leaders. The ban must not be the end of the process but must mark the beginning of a consistent anti-terrorism policy," said WJC President Lauder.
Read More...

World Jewish Congress welcomes French National Assembly's adoption of critical antisemitism definition

“I stand with the Jewish community of France in commending this critical decision by the French government and encourage all other nations who have not yet done so to follow suit,” said WJC President Ronald S. Lauder.
Read more...

More than 100 Jewish graves desecrated in the French town of Westhoffen

Francis Kalifat, president of WJC’s French affiliate the Conseil Représentatif des Institutions juives de France (CRIF), tweeted on Tuesday that he was, “Deeply shocked by the discovery of antisemitic tags on more than 100 graves in the Westhoffen Jewish Cemetery. This cowardly act is a terrible expression of daily antisemitism. The perpetrators must be punished in accordance with the gravity of their act.”
Read More...

Watch the video...

World Jewish Congress commemorates the forgotten Jewish refugees from Arab countries during event at United Nations

Commenting following the event, Evelyn Sommer, Chair of World Jewish Congress North America, said, “For too long, the world has ignored the plight of the Jewish refugees from Arab countries, who were persecuted and forcibly expelled from lands that had been their homes for hundreds and hundreds of years." 
Read More...

UNGA adopts five anti-Israel resolutions, but some countries change their voting pattern

While these above-mentioned texts are generally passed every year without much contestation, a welcome development came when several countries -- Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, Brazil, and Colombia – decided to alter their voting pattern and oppose a resolution calling for continued operation of the UN's 'Division for Palestinian Rights.'
Read More...

Antisemitism at a glance: Australia

According to a report by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, antisemitic incidents have increased 30% over the last year. The effect of antisemitic incidents on the quality of life of  members of the Australian Jewish community should not be minimized.
Watch Now...

Bergen-Belsen survivors petition court to halt camp ledger sale

The Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court has put a hold on the sale at auction of a ledger from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp following a petition by the Organization of Bergen-Belsen Survivors in Israel.
Read More...

IHRA unveils recommendations on teaching about the Holocaust — but only 12 U.S. states require it

Experts and political leaders from more than 30 countries gathered in Luxembourg on Wednesday to declare their commitment to adopt an updated set of recommendations for teaching and learning about the Holocaust. The resolution comes as there are increasingly fewer survivors of the genocide carried out by Germany’s Nazi regime and its collaborators, as Holocaust denial still flourishes.
Read More...

Nearly 90 pro-Israel groups call for US Secretary of Education to prevent federal funding of boycotts

The letter, which was spearheaded by the AMCHA Initiative and signed by WJC North America, states “more than half the directors of currently Title VI-funded Middle East Studies National Resource Centers (NRCs) have pledged support for an academic boycott of Israel or engaged in boycott-compliant behavior, including attempts to shut down their universities’ study abroad programs in Israel, as have these centers’ affiliated faculty.” 
Read More...

Preserving the history: Inside the Conservation Laboratories at Auschwitz-Birkenau

The Conservation Laboratories of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Museum work to preserve every shoe, every document, and every building on the site of the former concentration camp. WJC President Ronald S. Lauder has raised tens of millions of dollars to fund the conservation efforts at Auschwitz. On Friday, he visited the concentration camp with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.