World Jewish Congress

The World Jewish Congress (WJC) was founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in August 1936 as an international federation of Jewish communities and organizations. According to its mission statement, the World Jewish Congress' main purpose is to act as 'the diplomatic arm of the Jewish people.' Membership in the WJC is open to all representative Jewish groups or communities, irrespective of the social, political or economic ideology of the community's host country. The World Jewish Congress headquarters are in New York City, US, and the WJC has offices in Brussels, Belgium; Jerusalem, Israel; Paris, France; Moscow, Russia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Geneva, Switzerland.

Organizational WJC members

• Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
• B'nai B'rith International
• Conference of European Rabbis
• Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life
• International Council of Jewish Women (ICJW)
• International Jewish Committee on Inter-Religious Consultations (IJCIC)
• Women's International Zionist Organization (WIZO)
• World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS)
• World Zionist Organization/Jewish Agency for Israel

Affiliations

• UN Watch
• West European Public Relations Group for Information on Behalf of Israel

People

Ambassador Ronald S Lauder is President of the World Jewish Congress. Lauder is also Chairman of the International Public Committee of the World Jewish Restitution Organization and Chairman of the Jewish Heritage Council. He was formerly Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. He served as U.S. Ambassador to Austria and as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO Policy and was former President of the Jewish National Fund. He is also described as an international businessman..

In 2008, Lauder is listed as a supporter of the Herzliya Conference in Israel.