WJC Jewish Diplomatic Corps: Empowering the Jewish leaders of tomorrow

The WJC Jewish Diplomatic Corps (WJC JDCorps) is the flagship program of the World Jewish Congress, under the vision and leadership of WJC President Ronald Lauder. The WJC JDCorps strengthens and empowers new generations of Jewish leaders by providing them with outstanding engagement and networking opportunities, and diplomatic and leadership experience, with the objective of supporting their local communities and impacting global Jewish interests through diplomacy and public policy. Over the course of 2020, this network has been further strengthened to achieve comprehensive worldwide representation, and now boasts over 300 members, ages 27 to 45, from over 55 countries.

In August 2019, WJC President Lauder hosted seven members of the WJC JDCorps Steering Committee at his estate in the Hamptons, NY. The gathering focused on areas of activities for the coming months and years, with topics including WJC JDCorps members contributing to community leadership, combating antisemitism in Europe and beyond, interfaith outreach, the importance of Jewish education, and training and recruitment for additional members. President Lauder continued to conduct regular meetings and consultations with WJC JDCorps members throughout 2019-2021, both in person as well as in virtual forums following the outbreak of COVID-19.

Members of the WJC JDCorps have established themselves as the representatives of the WJC and its affiliates on the floor of the UN Human Rights Council and on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, taken driving roles in efforts and campaigns to combat antisemitism and promote interfaith relations, moderated dozens of virtual conversations on key topics as part of the WJC’s WebTalk series, and participated in numerous other WJC activities and high-level diplomatic events. In addition, over 150 WJC JDCorps members currently serve as lay leaders or professional leaders within WJC-affiliated communities around the world. Top row: Members of the WJC JDCorps Daniel Berke (UK), Eugen Balin (Germany), Lior Herman (Israel – WJC Executive Committee), Reuven Rennert (Austria), Yariv Nornberg (Israel), Victoria Godik (Ukraine), Andras Buchler (Hungary), Gila Baumoehl (Germany), WJC Director of International Affairs and WJC JDCorps Deputy Director Yfat Barak-Cheney, WJC JDCorps Senior Manager of Global Operations Gabriel Rosenberg, and Head of WJC Strategy & Programs and JDCorps Executive Director Daniel Radomski in Munich, October 2019

Bottom row: President of the Coordinating Committee of Jewish Organizations in Belgium (CCOJB) and WJC Vice President Yohan Benizri (Member of WJC JDCorps), Member of WJC JDCorps Caroline Berdugo (France), Chair of the WJC JDCorps Steering Committee Eli Novershtern (Israel), WJC Treasurer Chella Safra, WJC President Ronald S. Lauder, Co-Chair of the WJC Policy Council Robert Goot, WJC JDCorps President Sonat Birnecker Hart (US), and Members of the WJC JDCorps Deborah Lichentin (France) and Efrat Sopher (UK)

Credit: Shahar Azran