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www.worldjewishcongress.org

WJC PROGRAM DEPARTMENT

Sonia Gomes de Mesquita

Chief Program Officer

National Directors Forum

Prague, November 2014


World Jewish Congress

Yiddish Center

Auschwitz

70th Anniversary

The German Marshall Fund of the United States


• More than 130 young, sophisticated, Jewish professionals, known as JDs

• 30 countries

• Ages 27 – 40

• Unique global leadership development initiative

• Marc Pozniak, South Africa, Chairman

• Eli Novostern, Israel, Deputy

• Edna Weinstock-Gabay, Program Manager

• 2 Policy Analysts, Geneva & New York

• Engage in public diplomacy on behalf of the Jewish people and Israel.


• Engage with governments, religious organizations and other regional and international

bodies. (UNESCO, the Council of Europe, the OAS and the OSCE)

• Helps to build, strengthen and empower the next generation of Jewish leaders to work

effectively for positive change around the world.

• Give the “Next Generation” a voice within the existing structures

• Offering extraordinary events (i.e. participation in WJC events + ‘representation’

opportunities)

• The JDCorps would like to expand its global activities and active JDs in their local

political environments, with the goal of building strong political leaders who have the

capacity to act, react, and coordinate activities.


• Offering attractive opportunities, network & quality based programming

• Develop a global network for young adults

• Professional environment and development

• Build, strengthen & develop WJC ‘hubs’ in selected countries

• To use people as a pool of resources and ‘manpower’


http://www.eujc.org


• Online network of Jewish professionals, employed by WJC member organizations and

affiliated communities.

• Platform for sharing knowledge and best practices, build networks and generate joint

solutions to common challenges.

• Develop and strengthen professional skills.

• Enhance cooperation between communities and WJC.


• Online meetings and conferences

• Cyberhate and online anti-Semitism, Muslim-Jewish cooperation, social media strategies, media-training,

briefings on BDS and ant-Semitism.

• Professional development

• Closed Facebook Group


200+ Parliamentarians, 100 Members of Knesset

40+ Countries

Rep. Eliot L. Engel, USA, Chairman

MP Irwin Cotler, Canada, Deputy

Global network of Jewish elected officials in order to enable greater knowledge and understanding of the challenges facing Jewish communities in Israel and the diaspora.

Aims to promote dialogue, the principles of democracy, the cause of human rights and the rule of law, and to combat racism, anti-Semitism, terrorism and Holocaust denial.

The ICJP supports Israel and the cause of peace in the Middle East.


• A forum of ICJP members has been planned for December 15-16 of 2014 in

Washington, D.C. and New York.

• Conference calls, led by Congressman Engel, have been held over the past several

months. (Ukraine, The Rise of Right Wing Nationalism, Anti-Semitism in Europe)

• In December of 2013, letters and press statements were released by the ICJP to

protest the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe, to urge for the release of Jonathan Pollard,

and to mark the 69th anniversary International Holocaust Remembrance Day, among

others.


• ICFR Board/Leadership

• December: General meeting at which Dan Meridor (and new members of the board) is

formally welcomed and Avi Primor thanked

• Diplomatic Briefings

• The Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs

• ICFR Israeli–European Young Diplomats Forum

• ICFR Website and Social Media

• Fundraising


ICFR/IJFA International Editorial and Advisory Board

Dan Meridor (Chair)

Mr. Ya’akov Ahimeir

Amb. Moshe Arad

Amb. Mordechai Arbell

Prof. Shlomo Avineri

Amb. Colette Avital

Justice Gavriel Bach

Mr. Alessandro Benedetti

Dr. Benedetta Berti

MP Prof. Irwin Cotler

Dr. Yosef Govrin

Prof. Alexander J. Groth

Mr. Efraim Halevy

Ms. Orna Hozman-Bechor

Prof. Aharon Klieman

Prof. Joel Kotek

Prof. Ruth Lapidoth

Prof. David Menashri

Fiamma Nirenstein

Dr. Arye Oded

Amb. Mordechai Palzur

Prof. Sharon Pardo

Prof. Dina Porat

Mr. Shabtai Shavit

Mr. Robin Shepherd

Mr. Robert Singer

Prof. Alfred Tovias

Prof. Robert S. Wistrich

Mr. David Witzthum


World Jewish Congress Yiddish

Center

Vilnius, Lithuania


• Vilnius, Lithuania

• Yitzchak Averbuch, Project Director

• Mordehay Yushkovsky, Pedagogical Director

• Target Groups:

• Academics, teachers’ unions, students from accredited institutions, cultural tourists

• Activities:

• Seminars, academic courses, workshops, distance learning, teacher training


• The revival of the Yiddish language is instrumental in regenerating Jewish life in

Europe.

• A tool for the consolidation of Jewish communities throughout the diaspora For

centuries Vilnius, Lithuania (formerly Vilna) was considered as one of the major

centers of Jewish culture in Europe.

• Leading experts from centers such as the Bar Ilan University, the Hebrew University of

Jerusalem, New York University, Oxford University and the YIVO Institute of Jewish

Research will be invited to teach at the Institute, together with renowned

academicians from institutions in Poland, Lithuania and Russia.


2014 Activities

• June: Seminar for 26 teachers from the ORT network in the FSU. The lecturer was Dr. Mordechai Yushkovsky.

• September 12: Participation in Limmud conference in Vitebsk, Belarus. 80 people attended the lectures. The lecturer was Dr. Mordechai Yushkovsky.

• September 15–21: Seminar for 32 coordinators of Yiddish programs throughout the FSU in cooperation with the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress in Kyiv, Ukraine. Lecturers: Dr. Mordechai Yoshkovsky, Dr. Leah Gurfinkel, Ms. Penina Meller, and Ms. Marina Yakobovich.

• November 7–10: Participation in Limmud conference in Lviv, Ukraine. Approximately 100 people attended the lectures. Lecturers: Dr. Mordechai Yushkovsky and Ms. Marina Yakobovich.

• Planned activities until the end of 2014:

– November 14-16: Participation in local Limmud conference in Vilnius in cooperation with the Jewish communities of Lithuania. Approximately 300 people are expected to attend. Yitzhak Averbuch will deliver a lecture describing the new Yiddish Center in Vilnius, its conception, program for 2015, and method of operation and cooperation.

– December 7-11: Odessa, Ukraine: Seminar for 40 teachers of Jewish History and Tradition currently teaching in Jewish Community Centers throughout the FSU, in cooperation with the JDC. Lecturers: Dr. Moshe Lemster and Yitzhak Averbuch.

– December 18-23: Vilnius: Seminar for teachers and top management of the Israel Education Ministry. Approximately 20 participants are expected. Lecturers: Dr. Mordechai Yoshkovsky and Dr. Leah Gurfinkel.

– December: Participation in Limmud conference in St. Petersburg. Approximately 40 people are expected to attend. Lecturer: Mr. Mottel Gordon, coordinator of Yiddish Studies at the Jewish Community Center of St. Petersburg.

– December 11-13: Limmud Ceasaria, Israel. Approximately 60-80 participants expected. Lecturers: Dr. Mordechai Yushkovsky, Ms. Marina Yakobovich, Yitzhak Averbuch.


2015 Activities

• March 23–27: Seminar for 25 teachers from Jewish schools in Moscow.

• April: Pesach Holiday - 50 teachers from Israel to be divided into two groups for a one-week seminar in cooperation with the Teachers' Union of Israel.

• June. 25: Teachers and instructors from Yad Vashem.

• July – August: Summer school. 35 people from the Former Soviet Union.

• July – August: Summer school. Seminar for 50 students from around the world. Fully covered by the participants. 2 weeks.

• July – August: 3 groups of tourists from Israel. 75 people. A 3-day seminar will be organized for each group. Expenses are fully covered by the participants. In this program, we will charge participation fees to the tour operators.

• September: International conference celebrating 90 years of YIVO. 30 participants from various countries.

• October: Sukkot Holiday. 25 teachers from Israel in cooperation with the Teachers' Union of Israel. One-week seminar.

• October: Sukkot Holiday - Seminar for 25 teachers in cooperation with Beit Hatfutzot.

• December: Hanukkah - Yiddish family camp for 80 people from the Baltic States.

• Participation in the training sessions for teachers from Jewish schools and Jewish community centers in Europe and FSU, as well as the training of professionals in the ORT system, JDC, Limmud and others. All together: 12 seminars, 300 people.

• Distance learning in cooperation with ORT Kadima Mada. Will be available online for all of 2015.

• International Yiddish Klezmer Fest in Vilnius in cooperation with the Jewish community.

• We expect that approximately 650 people will participate in all of our seminars. However, if we include the distance learning participants, that total will be much greater.


Auschwitz 70th Anniversary The Past is Present

January 27, 2015

Krakow, Poland


• The World Jewish Congress and the USC Shoah Foundation - Institute for Visual

History and Education will be supporting the official observance of the 70th

anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz with Auschwitz: The Past is Present, a

global communication and education program.

• 100 survivors of Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp, will travel to Poland

to participate in the official observance of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of

Auschwitz on January 27, 2015.

• WJC is leading the recruitment effort.

• The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and the International Auschwitz Council are

the organizers of the official commemoration event.


18 Pillars

Commemoration Video and Template Program

Teachers of the World Seminar

Regeneration Program*

Teacher Innovation Network Curriculum

Testimony Pavilion

Schindler’s List Global Broadcast

David Zaslav (chair), Ronald Lauder, Steven Spielberg, Len Blavatnik, Jeffrey Katzenberg, David Geffen, Haim Saban, Howard Schultz, Harvey

Weinstein, Yuri Milner, Les Moonves, Lloyd Blankfein, Ron Pearlman, Barry Diller, Ari Emanuel, Ron Meyer, Rob Wiesenthal, Jeff Zucker.


The German Marshall Fund of

the United States


The German Marshall Fund of the

United States (GMF)

• Founded in 1982 to introduce a new generation of Europeans to

American institutions, politics and culture.

• The GMF is a non-partisan American public policy and grant making

institution, promoting better understanding and cooperation between

the U.S. and Europe.

• GMF supports individuals and institutions working in the

transatlantic sphere, by convincing leaders of and members of the

policy and business communities, by contributing research and

analysis on transatlantic topics, and by providing exchange

opportunities.


TILN

• The WJC will found a scholarship, from 2015-2017, within the TILN workshop for one

rising young Jewish leader to participate.

• Mutually agreed upon selection process.

• Will join TILN Brussels, March 2015.

• Candidates must meet the following criteria:

• 22-30 years of age

• European Citizen

• Proficient English Speaker

• Holding, or aspiring to elected office within 3 years, or leading social change movement.

• Possess a proven leadership capacity.

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