Jewish Agency for Israel
According to its own website:
- The Jewish Agency is a global partnership committed to the Jewish future that stands on a history-making track record... Together, our partnership has brought 3 million people to Israel; we have built a nation.
Activities
It has three 'Mission Areas'
- Aliyah: Bringing a substantial number of Jews to live in Israel and ensuring their successful integration.
- Jewish-Zionist Education: Connecting the next generation with Israel and Jewish peoplehood as a core part of Jewish identity.
- Partnerships with Israel: Involving world Jewry with Israelis in shaping the future character of Israeli society.[1]
Structure
The World Zionist Organization is allocated 50% of the votes on the governing bodies of the Jewish Agency. The JFNA/UIA has 30% of the votes and Keren Hayesod (which does not operate in the US, but covers the rest of the world) is allocated 20%.[2][3]
People
In June 2009 the Jewish Agency Board of Governors elected former Soviet refusenik and prisoner who became an Israeli minister Natan Sharansky to be Chairman of the Executive.[5]
Leadership
- Carole Solomon Chairperson Of The Board Of Governors
- Natan Sharansky Chairman Of Jewish Agency Executive
- Moshe Vigdor Jewish Agency Director General
- Hagai Meirom Jewish Agency Treasurer
Former
- Zeev Bielski former Chairman Of the Executive
Governors
- Carole Solomon, Chairperson of the Board
- Zeev Bielski, Chairman of the Executive
WORLD ZIONIST ORGANIZATION
Reuven Adler | Mark S. Anshan | Didi Arzi | Azari Meir | Gavri Bar-Gil | Nir Barkat | Oved Benozair | Harvey Blitz | David Breakstone | Meir Cohen | Danny Danon | Stanley Davids | Avraham Duvdevani | Paula Edelstein | Jerome Epstein | Miriam Feirberg | Sami Friedrich | Gai Ady | Helena Glaser | Gael Greenwald | Eitan Haber | Richard Heideman | Richard Hirsch | David Kolitz | Shlomo Kostiner | Gad Komeran | Avi Krampa | Yitzchak Krichevsky | Vernon Kurtz | Dov Lautman | Menachem Leibovic | Hagai Meirom | Joel Meyers | Shlomo Molla | Avi Naor | Ehud Naor | Yaakov Ne’eman | Arik Nudelman | Avi Pazner | Amir Peled | Leon Recanati | Uri Regev | Uriel Reichman | Steve Savitsky | Gabriela Shalev | Alan Silberman | Sondra Sokal | Efi Stenzler | Ofra Strauss | Sultanik Kalman | Moshe Theumim | Rani Trainin | June Walker | Yehiel Wasserman | Eitan Wertheimer | Eric Yoffie | Yaffa Zilbershatz
UJC/UIA
Arbit Bruce | Benstock Joan | Bernstein Richard | Blumenthal Marion | Breslauer Stephen | Erlbaum Gary | Farber Jake | Feinberg Dede | Gelman Michael | Gidwitz Betsy | Gimelstob Herb | Gill David | Goodman Charles, Honorary Member | Grass Alex, Honorary Member | Groveman Andrew | Horowitz Michael | Joseph Larry | Kanfer Joe | Kaufman Arlene | Laulicht Murray | Levy Mark | Lewinger Nathan | Moss Neil | Naboicheck Robert | Pearlstone Richard | Ratner Chuck | Reinhard Myra | Rosenberg Lester | Sarver Jay | Selig Stephen | Shay Scott | Sherman Jane | Sholk Bruce | Stern Susan | Wexler Richard | Toni Young | Fred Zimmerman
KEREN HAYESOD
Ronni Benatoff | Simi Bentata | Pierre Besnainou | Bollag Sami | Borot Laurence | Cohen David | De Bobrow Nelly | Eckstein Yechiel | Friedman Michel | Gold Marc | Kaplan Mendel, Honorary Member | Kaplan Robert | Kerner Brian | Koschitzky Julia | Leibler Mark | Liwerant Danny | Mionis Sabby | Nevzlin Leonid | Paktor Menno | Plotnick Stanley | Rubenzadeh Nava | Silver Shoel | Smorgon Jack | Wolfe Harvey
- Secretary of the Board: Josh Schwarcz
Supporting Israel Herzliya Conference 2008
In 2008, The Jewish Agency for Israel supported the 8th Herzliya Conference in Israel[6].
Funding
As of mid-2010, the Jewish Agency's reportedly had a budget of roughly $300 million.[7]
In September 2009 Natan Sharansky, secured $6 million from the Genesis Philanthropy Group, made up of 'several oligarchs from the former Soviet Union, who have committed to building a better Russian speaking Jewish diaspora', for 'educational projects' in the former Soviet Union. The money was pledged over three or four years to go towards schools, summer camps and other formal Jewish education projects and was described as 'Sharansky's baby'.[8]
Russian liquidation case (2022–23)
On 15 July 2022 the Moscow directorate of the Russian Ministry of Justice applied to the Basmanny District Court in Moscow to liquidate the agency's Russian arm, the autonomous non-profit organisation "Jewish Agency 'Sochnut'". The court's website gave no reason.[9] According to Kommersant, the ministry argued in court that the agency had scanned Russians' passports and visas without consent, placed the data on sites registered in Germany and Israel, and stored it insecurely. It cited 16 administrative cases over three years (13 fines totalling 735,500 roubles, and three warnings) and called the breaches "repeated, systematic and sufficient for liquidation". The agency's lawyers disputed the claims.[10] These were allegations in the ministry's application. The court has made no finding on them.
A preliminary hearing on 28 July 2022 heard no arguments.[11] On 19 August the judge refused the agency's request for mediation and adjourned.[12] Further adjournments followed in September, October and December 2022, while the agency submitted documents to correct the breaches.[13] The court heard the ministry's case on 17 February 2023.[10] On 30 March 2023 it adjourned without setting a date, giving the agency time "to remedy the violation" and inviting the ministry to submit a clarified claim.[14]
Prime Minister Yair Lapid warned that closure would be "grave, with ramifications for [bilateral] relations". Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said "There are issues from the point of view of complying with Russian law" and that the situation "should not be politicised".[15] An Israeli government legal delegation went to Moscow.[11] On 9 August Isaac Herzog and Vladimir Putin agreed by telephone that "the contacts on this matter will continue between the respective agencies of the two countries".[16]
Status: no ruling has been reported. In June 2025 the Russian-language Israeli press reported that the claim "has not been resumed since".[17] In February 2023 the Jerusalem Post reported that "almost all active steps towards connecting Jews in the former Soviet Union countries have been frozen". The agency said it "continues to carry out educational activities".[18] In June 2025 a Kazan court fined a Jewish school director, Rozaliya Kozlovskaya, 187,000 roubles for administrative offences ("discrediting" the army and inciting enmity) over a hyperlink to a Sochnut programme page.[19]
- Editor's note: the court's own case record has not been viewed. The status given here rests on press reports up to June 2025.
Affiliations
- Jewish People Policy Institute, (previously known as the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute), a think tank created by the Jewish Agency.
See also
- Jewish Agency For Israel - excerpt from Lee O'Brien, American Jewish Organizations and Israel, 1986
- Jewish Agency for Israel UK and Europe
Articles on the Jewish Agency
- Mahmoud Muhareb The Zionist Disinformation Campaign in Syria and Lebanon during the Palestinian Revolt, 1936–1939 Journal of Palestine Studies, Vol. 42 No. 2, Winter 2013; (pp. 6-25) DOI: 10.1525/jps.2013.42.2.6
Notes
- ↑ http://www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Home/About/Our+Mission
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Jewish Agency Jewish Agency Governance Structure. Accessed 16 February 2014.
- ↑ Jewish Agency Board of Governors, accessed 23 May 2008
- ↑ Jewish Agency Board of Governors: Global Jewish Partnership. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
- ↑ Natan Sharansky’s Acceptance Speech as Chairman of the Executive, Jewish Agency for Israel, accessed June 6, 2012
- ↑ The Annual Herzliya Conference Series: on the Balance of Israel's National Security (2008) Conference Conclusions. Accessed 12th August 2008
- ↑ Cnaan Liphshiz, Sharansky's new vision for Jewish Agency comes under fire, 25 June 2010, Haaretz, accessed 3 July 2012
- ↑ Genesis group gives Jewish Agency $6 million for education projects in FSU, 2 September 2009Jewish Telegraphic Agency, accessed 3 July 2012
- ↑ "Russia moves to dissolve Jewish Agency branch that promotes immigration to Israel", Reuters, 21 July 2022.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Тринадцать штрафов и три предупреждения" (Thirteen fines and three warnings), Kommersant, 18 February 2023 (in Russian).
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Judah Ari Gross, "First Moscow court hearing on Jewish Agency's fate ends without decision", Times of Israel, 28 July 2022.
- ↑ Report on the 19 August hearing, Times of Israel, 19 August 2022.
- ↑ "בישראל מעריכים: רוסיה מנסה לסיים את פרשת 'הסוכנות היהודית' בשקט" (Israel assesses that Russia is trying to end the Jewish Agency affair quietly), Ynet, September 2022 (in Hebrew).
- ↑ "Рассмотрение иска о ликвидации еврейского агентства «Сохнут» отложили без даты" (Liquidation claim against the Jewish Agency adjourned without a date), BFM.ru, 30 March 2023 (in Russian).
- ↑ "Russia seeks to play down closure of Israel migration agency", The Guardian, 26 July 2022.
- ↑ "Telephone conversation with President of Israel Isaac Herzog", Kremlin.ru, 9 August 2022.
- ↑ "Российский суд признал ссылку на сайт «Сохнута» «возбуждением ненависти либо вражды»", Israelinfo, June 2025 (in Russian).
- ↑ "Jewish Agency lowers profile in Russia, less activity in FSU countries", Jerusalem Post, February 2023.
- ↑ "Директора школы в Казани оштрафовали по делу о «дискредитации» армии из-за гиперссылки на «Сохнут»", Meduza, 11 June 2025 (in Russian, citing Idel.Realii).