WORLD JEWISH CONGRESS AMERICAN SECTION INC

The World Jewish Congress’ Global Security Department began operating on April 1, 2015 to respond to the increasing levels of violence, hateful rhetoric and pervasive atmosphere of antisemitism that threatens a growing number of countries throughout the world. The Department was created to assess threats to individual Jewish communities, enhance the physical infrastructure of communal institutions and train corps of local volunteers to organize and respond effectively to a myriad of crises. Since its founding, the department has grown to have operational presence in Israel, Argentina, New York, Croatia and Moldova. The activities of the Security Department, in cooperation with the WJC’s affiliated Jewish communities, create a significant and unprecedented change in the way communities perceive their responsibility as well as their capabilities to significantly upgrade their security.

The Digital Advocacy Unit (DAU) is responsible for leading on WJC core issues in the fields of online activism and digital diplomacy. The DAU’s mandate is to lead global campaigns in support of WJC affiliated communities. The Unit also plays a role in confronting the BDS movement and supporting Israel’s efforts to counter the ongoing attempts at delegitimizing the only Jewish state. The Digital Advocacy Unit is responsible for managing and developing the Digital Ambassador Club, a network of 45,000 activist supporting WJC advocacy efforts. This interactive platform provides regular updates on issues regarding antisemitism and activities of the global delegitimization movement.

As the representative of over 100 Jewish communities worldwide, combating antisemitism is a core issue of the World Jewish Congress. The WJC is in a unique position to actively counter this phenomenon stemming from our thorough understanding of the situation on the ground and our extensive experience and strong ties with both international organizations and national authorities, as well as affiliated local Jewish communities. The WJC Counter Antisemitism Unit serves as the information base for the WJC on relevant matters, and as a specialized asset to coordinate both global and national initiatives through active monitoring, utilization of the WJC network to forge decisive movements and swiftly engage to reach desired results.

The International Council of Jewish Parliamentarians (ICJP) is a global network of Jewish legislators, government ministers, and other elected officials. Its aim is to promote an ongoing dialogue and a sense of fraternity among Jewish legislators and ministers; to promote the principles of democracy, the cause of human rights and the rule of law; and to combat racism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia, terrorism and Holocaust denial by all means available to parliamentarians and ministers. The ICJP also supports the State of Israel, contributes to the creation of enduring peace in the Middle East, and ensures the welfare, both material and spiritual, of Jews and Jewish communities worldwide.

The Israel Council on Foreign Relations (ICFR) is a non-partisan forum for the study and debate of foreign policy operating under the auspices of the World Jewish Congress. It is a multidisciplinary institution, established on the model of the New York Council on Foreign Relations and the British Chatham House. It aspires to stimulate public awareness of world events and insightful discussion of foreign policy issues, particularly regarding Israel, international Jewish affairs and the Middle East, and serves as a forum for the exchange of perspectives in the diplomatic, academic, and media communities.

The World Jewish Congress views the revival of the Yiddish language and culture as an instrument in regenerating of Jewish life in Europe after the Holocaust.
The Yiddish culture is an integral part of the spiritual heritage of the Jewish people. For most of the last millennium, Yiddish was the spoken language of the majority of European Jews and Jewish immigrants from the Ashkenazic lands to other countries. Until World War II, Yiddish culture thrived, producing a vibrant and world-class literature (now translated into dozens of languages), in addition to considerable achievements in music, art, theater, film, media and other realms of cultural creativity. Vilnius was chosen as the location for the WJC Yiddish Center, because for centuries it was considered as the major center of Jewish culture in Europe that would have a lasting impact on world Jewry. For this reason Vilnius came to be known as Yerusholáyim d’Líta (the Jerusalem of Lithuania) or the Jerusalem of the North, a title that uniquely applied to both the deeply religious and the modernistic secular achievements of one and the same civilization that was nearly destroyed completely in the Holocaust.