Billionaire philanthropist Ron Lauder, 63, has been chosen to be the next President of the ailing World Jewish Congress (WJC). He replaces Edgar M. Bronfman, who led the organization since 1979 until his recent resignation following revelations of undocumented money transfers. His son Matthew Bronfman, who has chaired the WJC Budget and Finance Commission, was elected the Chairman of the Governing Board.
Lauder, a former US ambassador to Austria and ex-chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, said after his election, "This is such an important organization, so let's do everything we can to turn it into what it was - glorious!"
The WJC is an international organization dedicated to addressing the interests and needs of Jews and Jewish communities throughout the world. It was founded in Geneva in 1936 to unite the Jewish people and mobilize the world against the Nazi threat.
The WJC is headquartered in New York, with a research institute in Jerusalem, and offices in several cities around the world. Together with other organizations, it has helped secure millions of dollars for Holocaust victims and survivors in payments from Germany, Swiss banks, insurance companies and others.
In 1987, Lauder established the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation, a philanthropic organization dedicated to rebuild Jewish communities in Central and Eastern Europe. It is credited with creating Jewish educational institutions and schools throughout these areas, regenerating Jewish life there. He has also contributed to Israel, including to the Jewish National Fund and founding the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy and Strategy at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya.
Lauder, a former US ambassador to Austria and ex-chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, said after his election, "This is such an important organization, so let's do everything we can to turn it into what it was - glorious!"
The WJC is an international organization dedicated to addressing the interests and needs of Jews and Jewish communities throughout the world. It was founded in Geneva in 1936 to unite the Jewish people and mobilize the world against the Nazi threat.
The WJC is headquartered in New York, with a research institute in Jerusalem, and offices in several cities around the world. Together with other organizations, it has helped secure millions of dollars for Holocaust victims and survivors in payments from Germany, Swiss banks, insurance companies and others.
In 1987, Lauder established the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation, a philanthropic organization dedicated to rebuild Jewish communities in Central and Eastern Europe. It is credited with creating Jewish educational institutions and schools throughout these areas, regenerating Jewish life there. He has also contributed to Israel, including to the Jewish National Fund and founding the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy and Strategy at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya.