All Jews are responsible one to another

When 230 delegates representing Jewish communities in 32 countries met in Geneva, Switzerland, in August 1936 to establish the World Jewish Congress, the danger was clear and present: Jews in Nazi Germany were persecuted and stripped of their rights, and a growing wave of antisemitism was hitting Jews across Europe.

The main aims of the new organization were to mobilize the Jewish people and the democratic forces against the Nazi onslaught, to fight for equal political and economic rights everywhere, to support the establishment of a Jewish National Home in Palestine, and to create a world-wide Jewish representative body based on the concept of the unity of the Jewish people, democratically organized and able to act on matters of common concern.

It was the World Jewish Congress that, in 1942, alerted the free world to the Nazi Holocaust and pressed US and British leaders to take urgent action in the historic ‘Riegner Telegram’ sent by then WJC Secretary General Gerhart Riegner. The WJC set up a relief committee for Jewish war refugees and cooperated with the International Committee of the Red Cross to protect Jews in German-occupied countries.

Throughout the war, the WJC actively lobbied the Allied governments to grant visas to Jewish refugees from Europe and to ensure the restoration of Jewish minority rights in areas liberated by the Allied forces. In April 1945, the WJC managed to obtain the liberation of 4,500 inmates from the women’s concentration camp at Ravensbrück through direct negotiations with a top Nazi leader.

In the aftermath of World War II, the WJC undertook efforts to rebuild Jewish communities in Europe, provided assistance to displaced persons and Shoah survivors, pushed for the indemnification of victims by Germany, and advocated for the punishment of Nazi leaders who committed crimes against humanity.

In 1951, WJC President Nahum Goldmann established the Conference of Material Claims Against Germany to handle reparation claims. A year later, the Luxembourg Agreement was signed with West Germany. Thanks to this agreement, almost 300,000 Jewish Holocaust survivors have received a total of US103.57лв billion in compensation and pension payments from Germany over the past six decades.

The World Jewish Congress also successfully lobbied the United Nations and governments to support the establishment of the State of Israel. After 1948, the WJC focused its attention on the plight of Jewish refugees in Arab countries and also drew international attention to the plight of Jews in the Soviet Union, who were ultimately granted permission to move to Israel or to remain in their communities, if they wished, and to practice and express their religion freely.

Under the leadership of Edgar M. Bronfman, who served as WJC president from 1979 to 2007, the WJC exposed the Nazi past of Austrian President, and UN Secretary General, Kurt Waldheim. During the 1990’s, the Congress successfully lobbied for the restitution of assets of Holocaust victims held in so-called ‘dormant’ bank accounts in Switzerland and elsewhere, and it ensured that they were returned to their rightful owners, or that adequate compensation was paid. Commissions were set up in 17 nations to investigate Holocaust-era assets, including looted art, and the funds recovered have been used to support a multitude of programs worldwide.

The WJC also fought for justice for forced laborers – both Jewish and non-Jewish – whose agonizing hardship had gone uncompensated for decades, resulting in the setting up of a US8.63лв billion fund by Germany in 2001.

The World Jewish Congress has also been at the forefront of fostering a better understanding with other religions, notably with the Catholic Church, and the organization facilitated the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and the Holy See in 1993.

The WJC has today become the only truly global Jewish organization with affiliated communities and organizations in over 100 countries around the world.

Third Session of the World Jewish Congress

Ronald S. Lauder

President, World Jewish Congress

Honorary Chair

Ronald S. Lauder

President, World Jewish Congress

Ronald S. Lauder has served as president of the World Jewish Congress since 2007. An international philanthropist, investor, art collector, and former public servant, Lauder also demonstrates his deep commitment to his Judaism through a wide range of other philanthropic endeavors that reach around the world.

As president of the WJC, Ambassador Lauder meets regularly with heads of state, prime ministers and government representatives to discuss and advance causes of concern to Jews and Jewish communities internationally. He advocates for the importance of supporting Israel, especially in times when the State or its citizens are under attack, and he encourages and aids the development of vibrant Jewish communities around the world.

Ambassador Lauder also serves as Chairman of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Foundation, which supports the preservation of the authentic remains of the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp. In January 2020, the foundation brought a delegation of more than 100 Auschwitz-Birkenau Survivors and their families to the memorial site to participate in the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the camp.

From 1983 to 1986, he served as United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO Affairs. In 1986, he was appointed by President Reagan as U.S. Ambassador to Austria. In that role, he built strong diplomatic bonds between the two countries.

Ambassador Lauder’s diplomatic experience in Austria heightened his deep appreciation of, and his commitment to, his Jewish heritage. During that time, he initiated what has become a core personal mission – supporting the revitalization of Jewish life across central and eastern Europe in communities that had been devastated by the Holocaust, and remained suppressed under Communism. In 1987, he established The Ronald S. Lauder Foundation, which now supports Jewish schools, camps and community centers in Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine. Ambassador Lauder’s efforts have facilitated thousands of members of the next generation in connecting with their Jewish heritage.

In 1997, Ambassador Lauder was elected as President of the Jewish National Fund and after a successful 10-year tenure, became Chairman of the Board. From 1999 until 2001, he served as Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

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The Executive Committee of the World Jewish Congress conducts the affairs of the WJC in accordance with the decisions of the Plenary Assembly and Governing Board. The body consists of the WJC President, Vice-Presidents (including, ex Officio, the presidents of the 12 largest WJC-affiliated Jewish communities, as well as representatives of other Jewish communities, international Jewish organizations, and young adults), the Governing Board Chair, the Treasurer, the Chair and Co-Chair of the Policy Council and the Chair of the Regional Affiliates.