The Executive Committee of the World Jewish Congress meeting in Jerusalem this week will highlight the extraordinary turnabout of the organization since the election of Ronald Lauder as president. The WJC was founded in Geneva 80 years ago, as the stormy winds of Nazism were driving toward the Final Solution, to serve as the umbrella body representing Jewish communities throughout the free world. Successive WJC presidents had access to world leaders, and, after the creation of the Jewish state, usually acted in concert with the Israeli government. The WJC's most notable achievement was the German reparations agreement negotiated by Nahum Goldman with West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, which boosted the fledgling Israeli economy and enabled it to develop. Subsequently, in the 1980s, Edgar Bronfman successfully arranged a compensation package for Holocaust victims and their heirs -- in particular the Swiss banking settlement, which realized $1.25 billion of unclaimed assets of Jews murdered during the Holocaust. In addition to this and supporting the State of Israel, the WJC has played a major role in combating anti-Semitism, promoting Jewish rights at the United Nations, engaging in interfaith activities, assisting small communities, and campaigning to free Soviet Jewry and other Jews in difficulties. However, in 2004, when I was senior vice president of the WJC, I discovered serious financial irregularities in the organization. Although I tried to rectify the situation, those controlling the organization decided to cover up the scandal and, unable to silence me, had me censured and effectively expelled at the WJC Plenary Assembly in Brussels in 2005, in the presence of 500 delegates. I was ultimately vindicated, but, unfortunately, only after intervention of the New York state attorney general, resulting in the dismissal of the organization's senior executives. The negative media exposure of the scandal, not to mention the crude efforts to bury the fraud and the defamation proceedings against me, severely tarnished the reputation of the WJC. Its assets were significantly depleted, squandered to finance legal battles and investigations. Once donors were apprised of the facts, contributions ceased and the WJC effectively became bankrupt and almost collapsed. Ronald Lauder was elected president in June 2007, despite the fact that many of his advisers sought to dissuade him, arguing that the WJC was irreparable. He was to prove them wrong. Born in New York, Lauder is a son and heir of cosmetics empire founder Estee Lauder. Aside from his major business pursuits, Lauder was engaged in political activism. But he had scant Jewish upbringing and initially was somewhat remote from Jewish issues. A passionate art connoisseur, in New York he established the unique Neue Galerie art museum, dedicated to early 20th century German and Austrian art. He is reputed to own the world's largest private collection of medieval and Renaissance armor. When then-President Ronald Reagan appointed him ambassador to Austria in 1986, Lauder became conscious of his own central European Jewish origins, especially when he witnessed the mass migration of Soviet Jews via Vienna. This led to his launch of a massive project to fund educational institutions -- initially kindergartens and schools but ultimately even a rabbinical seminary -- to rebuild Jewish life for the remnants of the communities that had survived the Holocaust. Currently, the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation supports 62 projects in 16 central and eastern European countries. It is a historic philanthropic enterprise that contributes in a major manner to the renewal of the remnants of Jewish life in the region -- and one in which Lauder modestly tends to understate his dominant role. It was in Austria that Lauder confronted Austrian President Kurt Waldheim, whose Nazi involvement was subsequently exposed by the WJC, first witnessed the effects of anti-Semitism, and became passionately engaged in Israeli and Jewish affairs. Around this time, he met Benjamin Netanyahu, then the charismatic young Israeli ambassador to the U.N., and immediately identified him as a future leader and provided him with crucial support -- a significant factor during the early stages of Netanyahu's political career. In 1999, Lauder became chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. His financial support of Israel and Jewish causes massively expanded, yet with minimum publicity and coupled with an inclination to understate his philanthropic input. I can also personally testify to the compassionate manner with which he quietly supported bereaved families, especially those in his employ. When he was elected president of the ailing WJC, Lauder was obliged initially to personally contribute the bulk of the substantial global budget. He also faced the daunting challenge of reconstructing the organization, which necessitated the recruitment of an entirely new team of professional leaders. After confronting huge obstacles, he finally appointed Robert Singer as the chief executive officer. Singer was formerly attached to the Israeli prime minister's Soviet Jewry liaison bureau and subsequently headed World ORT, the global Jewish educational and vocational network, for 14 years. Under Lauder's guidance, Singer assumed responsibility for all of the WJC global offices and the recruitment of new professionals. Although it was a tough challenge, Lauder can justly claim to have successfully resurrected the WJC and reclaimed its position as one of the most pre-eminent and respected global Jewish organizations, recognized as representing world Jewry. Today, statements by Lauder are quoted in the global media and he has become the voice of world Jewry on issues of anti-Semitism, Holocaust commemoration and advocacy for Israel. His speeches are impressive and present a positive Jewish image unmatched by any other current Jewish lay leader. Lauder has access to major global leaders and statesmen -- from U.S. President Barack Obama to Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as the heads of moderate Arab states. He liases closely with Israeli leaders and has assumed a crucial role in the struggle against the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and global anti-Semitism. Once again, the WJC is providing a forum for Jewish community leaders to meet, exchange views and seek direction so as to operate on a broad Jewish global level. In this context, the WJC is in the process of launching a sophisticated global security network that will be of great benefit to its constituents, especially the smaller Jewish communities. Lauder has created a young leadership group -- the Jewish Diplomatic Corps -- designed to nurture future Jewish leaders, and has restructured the International Council of Jewish Parliamentarians and the Israel Council on Foreign Relations. The Commission for Art Recovery was established to return Nazi-confiscated artworks to their rightful owners or heirs. Lauder's high level of respect in the WJC is demonstrated by the decision of a two-thirds majority to override the constitution limiting the presidency to a two-term period so that he can continue to lead the organization for a third term. Lauder has emerged as a renaissance global Jewish lay leader. On occasion, we have had cause to differ and I have criticized some of his policies, and I may do so again. But I have never questioned his utter sincerity and concern for the welfare of the Jewish people. He represents a beacon of light in an otherwise sadly depleted Jewish lay leadership. He has restored the WJC to its central leadership position in the Jewish world, and he deserves our appreciation. Isi Leibler's website can be viewed at www.wordfromjerusalem.com. He may be contacted at ileibler@leibler.com.
Ronald Lauder: A unique global Jewish leader
מערכת ישראל היום
מערכת "ישראל היום“ מפיקה ומעדכנת תכנים חדשותיים, מבזקים ופרשנויות לאורך כל שעות היממה. התוכן נערך בקפדנות, נבדק עובדתית ומוגש לציבור מתוך האמונה שהקוראים ראויים לעיתונות טובה יותר - אמינה, אובייקטיבית ועניינית.
