WJC International Yiddish Center: Preserving a treasure of Jewish heritage

Yiddish language and culture have been an integral part of the Jewish people’s spiritual heritage for nearly 1,000 years. Yiddish was the vernacular for the majority of Jews in Europe, as well as those who emigrated from there, through the middle of the 20th century. The WJC International Yiddish Center was established in Vilnius, Lithuania in 2014, in an effort to preserve and perpetuate the treasure of Yiddish tradition, within the wider realm of Eastern European Jewish culture.

The Yiddish Center offers intensive short seminars and stand-alone lectures, which, prior to the pandemic, were held both locally and abroad. Since the onset of coronavirus, the Yiddish Center has adapted its technological capabilities to provide widely accessible online educational programming and expanded its presence on social media. The Yiddish Center has also developed strong new partnerships with other organizations dedicated to Yiddish preservation and other elements of Jewish education, culture, and heritage.

The Yiddish Center initiates cultural, research, and translation projects, often through these partnerships, and has produced a wide range of material to introduce new audiences to the rich and colorful culture of European Jewry; this material includes stage performances, documentary short films, and a variety of additional video and online content. As part of its programming, the Yiddish Center also launched an original short video lecture series, Yiddish Talks, covering topics as diverse as music, literature, folklore, theater, and media, with a focus on the famous musicians, writers, poets, and actors who have contributed to the flourishing of Yiddish culture. The Yiddish Center’s successful integration of Facebook and YouTube into its daily activities has increased its reach into the world, garnering as many as 100,000 views per week.

The Yiddish Center has continued organizing seminars and lectures in partnership with the WJC’s regional affiliate, the Russian Jewish Congress, as well as with organizations including IWO Argentina, Limmud FSU, and NATIV. Through online accessibility, these local and international seminars now attract a broader base of participants than ever before.

Bringing Yiddish to the stage in Odessa

WJC’s influence on social media: Supporting our Jewish communities on the global stage

The WJC’s influence on social media has become a key conduit in public discourse on matters crucial to the Jewish people, including diplomacy and advocacy on behalf of our communities, efforts to combat antisemitism and support the State of Israel, and the preservation of Holocaust memory.

Over the course of COVID-19, as nearly every aspect of public life shifted into the digital sphere, the WJC’s social media presence was a stable and significant force. The WJC has garnered over 820,000 followers across our channels, includingFacebook,Instagram, Twitter,YouTube,LinkedIn, and TikTok. With official Facebook pages in English, French, Hebrew, Portuguese,Russian, and Spanish, the potential for reach is expansive. Our posts are regularly viewed, shared, and discussed by diplomats and other influencers. WJC’s annual #WeRemember campaign hit new heights in 2020, becoming the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter in Germany and Canada, and No. 2 in Argentina and Belgium, in conjunction with our coverage of the 75thanniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen and other pivotal junctures in Holocaust history.

The WJC recognizes that success on social media cannot be measured by numbers alone; partnerships with leading players are essential to ensuring lasting and sustainable change, especially in the battle to curb hate speech and the dissemination of lies about the Jews, Israel, and the Holocaust.

Moshe Milner / GPO In recent months, the WJC partnered with Facebook in its efforts to ban Holocaust denial and distortion on its platform, and teamed up with UNESCO, Twitter, and the European Commission to launch the #ThinkBeforeSharing campaign, providing accessible content to raise awareness about antisemitic conspiracy myths spreading during the pandemic. The WJC also works with TikTok and YouTube to flag antisemitic content, and regularly updates followers on all platforms about the latest incidents, statistics, and trends in antisemitism.

In March 2020, the WJC joined Networks Overcoming Antisemitism (NOA), a coalition of major Jewish organizations in Europe, with a series of initiatives aimed at offering a pioneering approach to tackling antisemitism within EU Member States.

As the representative body of more than 100 Jewish communities worldwide, the WJC is able to provide unparalleled first-hand accounts of Jewish life in the Diaspora and the history of Jews throughout the ages – including a celebration of the Yiddish and Ladino languages – content which has become a pillar of our brand. The WJC is also committed to highlighting the plight of other minority populations, with special coverage of the Srebrenica, Rwanda,Prijedor, and Romani genocides, and campaigns to mark internationally recognized dates including Black History Month, Jewish American Heritage Month, and Jewish Disabilities Acceptance and Awareness Month.

STEERING COMMITTEE

WJC President Ronald S. Lauder

Chairman of the Governing Board David de Rothschild

Treasurer Chella Safra

Policy Council Moshe Kantor, Chairman Robert Goot, Co-Chairman

REGIONAL CHAIRS

Mary Kluk Chair of Africa & Australia Jewish Congress Mikhael Mirilashvili President of Euro-Asian Jewish Congress Moshe Kantor President of European Jewish Congress Jack Terpins President of Latin American Jewish Congress Gad Ariely Chair of WJC-Israel Evelyn Sommer Chair of WJC-North America Yuri Kanner President of WJC-Russian Federation

MEMBERS OF STEERING COMMITTEE

Eduardo Elsztain Jack Terpins VICE PRESIDENTS

Representing 12 Largest Affiliated Jewish Communities Argentina Jorge Knoblovits President of the Delegación de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas Australia Jillian Segal President of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry Brazil Claudio Lottenberg President of the Confederação Israelita do Brasil Canada Joel Reitman & Jeffrey Rosenthal Co-Chairs of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs France Francis Kalifat President of the Conseil Représentatif des Institutions Juives de France Germany Josef Schuster President of the Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland Hungary Andras Heisler President of the Magyarországi Zsidó Hitközségek Szövetsége Russia Yuri Kanner President of the Russian Jewish Congress South Africa Mary Kluk President of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies Ukraine Boris Lozhkin President of the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine Josef Zissels Chair of the Vaad of Ukraine United Kingdom Marie van der Zyl President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews USA Rabbi Joel Meyers Chair of WJC American Section, Inc. REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS

Aaron Frenkel Euro-Asian Jewish Congress: Jacob (Cobi) Benatoff European Jewish Congress Saul Gilvich Latin American Jewish Congress Gad Ariely WJC-Israel

Elias Achar WJC-North America

ADDITIONAL AFFILIATED MEMBER COMMUNITIES

Yohan Benizri President of the Coordination Committee of the Jewish Organizations of Belgium Petr Papoušek President of the Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic David Saltiel President of the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece Ralph Lewin President of the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities

Saul Levine President of the Jewish Community of Venezuela

VICE PRESIDENTS REPRESENTING INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Sara Winkowski International Council of Jewish Women

Esther Mor Women’s International Zionist Organization Jonathan Braun World Union of Jewish Students

VICE PRESIDENTS NOMINATED BY THE PRESIDENT

Eduardo Elsztain Boris Mints God Nisanov

MEMBERS OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Colette Avital Serge Berdugo Noemi Di Segni Catherine Gentilini Ariel Muzicant Marcos Peckel Moshe Ronen Gil Segal

MEMBERS OF EXECUTIVE REPRESENTING THE WJC FUTURE LEADERSHIP

Lior Herman Marc Pozniak MEMBERS OF EXECUTIVE REPRESENTING THE WJC JEWISH DIPLOMATIC CORPS

Sonat Birnecker Hart President, WJC Jewish Diplomatic Corps Eli Novershtern Chair, WJC Jewish Diplomatic Corps

NON-VOTING MEMBERS

Maram Stern Executive Vice President

Menachem Z. Rosensaft Associate Executive Vice President & General Counsel

HONORARY VICE PRESIDENTS

Mikhail Chlenov Rabbi Arthur Schneier

COMMISSIONERS

Jean de Gunzberg Commissioner for Academia & Education

Claudio Epelman Commissioner for Interfaith Relations

Charlotte Knobloch Commissioner for Holocaust Memory Julius Meinl Commissioner for Combating Antisemitism

* Updated: 1 April 2021

In memoriam: Honorary WJC Vice President Isi Leibler

The WJC is deeply saddened by the passing of Isi Leibler, who served the organization in various capacities including as Senior Vice President, Chairman of the Governing Board, and most recently as Honorary Vice President.

Leibler developed his skills as a Jewish leader at a young age by helping oversee the Bnei Akiva youth movement in Melbourne, Australia. He eventually served as a community leader of Australian Jewry, following his father in being elected to the role of president of the Victorian Jewish Board of Deputies, then a national leader as president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, and subsequently as an international leader of world Jewry through his roles with WJC. He was also an international businessman with significant interests in the diamond, travel, and hi-tech industries. Leibler played a guiding role in assisting with the liberation of Soviet Jews and helping them to reclaim their Jewish heritage.

Eulogizing Leibler, WJC President Ronald S. Lauder said, “Isi Leibler was a World Jewish Congress stalwart for over five decades and an eloquent and indefatigable champion of Australian Jewry and the Jewish people worldwide…. The Jewish people have lost one of our noblest sons.”

Tree of Life Society - World Jewish Congress, American Section* The Tree of Life Society recognizes individuals who have left a legacy gift to the World Jewish Congress, American Section. We are grateful for their vision and generosity.

Erwin Abrams Lowell Adelson Kenneth Adin Alice R. Alderman Maurice Amzalak Bruce Apotheker Nathan Appelbaum Simon and Beatrice Apple Bernard Aptaker Sonia G. Atkinson Anna E. Atlas Sophie Axkel Herbert and Selma Azif Kurt Baer Rena A. Baff Gerald Bagner Milton N. Baker Molly Barrett Lila R. Bath Pauline A. Becker Robert H. Bell Rose L. Bender George Bennett Marlene Berg Curtis Frederick Bergen Emil Berger Louis Berger Steven Berkowicz Charles Berman Paul S. Berman Benjamin Bernstein Lenore Bernstein Martin Blaifeder Miriam Markowitz Blatt Sylvia Bleckner Jerome G. Block Leroy Block Paul and Charlotte Bloom Peter Blumberg Roslyn Blumberg David M. Blumenthal Sol Blumenthal Norma Bock Marvin Bogdanoff Benjamin C. Bohr Florence Bolatin Clarice Borodkin Irvin Bregman Percy A. Brill Elaine Brimer, Ph.D. David E. Brody Barbara F. Brown Irving H. and Miriam G. Brucker Evelyn B. Bruyere Harry Bugin Lillian Burgeman Laurence Burke Merle Cahn Max Canter Victor and Adrea Carter Ruth Chapman David Charney Joseph T. Charney Joseph Cherkas Anne Mazor Cohen Jefferson Cohen Lenora M. Cohen Milton M. Cohen Milton and Ruth Cohen Samuel Cohen Samuel I. Cohen Sander Cohen Ben Colloff Ruth Crum Leslie A. Davis Albert and Lucille Delighter Ezra Delson Florence B. Dembling Benjamin Denenberg Herbert Denenberg Al K. DeRoy, Ph.D., M.P.A. Sheila Deutsch Thelma Dobrowolski Lawrence Doppelt Ava Dorfman Herbert Drapkin Norma Duboff Ilse Earl Estherlea Eckmann Abraham Edelman Gertrude Stein Edelstein Aaron Eden Sara and Max Efron Romaine Efros Thelma May Eidelman Rosette Ellman Victor Farkas Ann Faxstein Isidore and Dora Felber Ida Lee Feldman Nedda Feuerstein Norman Fidelman Cecil Finegold Douglas A. Finkelstone Linda Fish Jean V. Fleischer Mark Forrest Frederick Fox Frances W. Franck Judith B. Frankel Abraham Freedman Lillian Freudmann Edna Fried Sidney C. Fried Harold B. Friedland Miriam Friend Marcia L. Frumberg Benjamin Fullett Sara Fund Arnold Gaiptman Esther Galinsky Dorothy Y. Garber Shelley Gardiner Bruce S. Gerstenfeld Rebecca S. Gilbert Aaron B. Glicksberg Jack M. Goldberg Louis Jay Goldenberg Beatrice Goldfarb Gerson M. Goldman Morton Goldsmith Doris M. Goodman Mayer Bear Goren Peryl Gottesman Mildred Gottfried Irving J. Gottlieb Lillian R. Gottlieb Esther Gould Catalina Grady Anne Greenbaum Louise B. Greenberg Lenore Greiman Dr. Sidney Grollman Herbert E. Groskin Abraham J. Gross Dora Grossman Charlotte A. Gunzburger Rudolph and Lucille Guttmann Nat and Evelyn Handel Jacqueline C. Harris and

Jerome S. Harris Bernard B. and Rhoda Herman Gisela Herzl Louis P. Heyman Arthur and Gwen Hiller D. H. Hirsberg Jeffrey M. Holstein, R.N., C. Irving L. Horowitz Reverend Clayton R. Howell, Jr. Elaine Egert Rosenthal Hruschka David L. Ichelson John F. Ignatz Judy Inger Justin B. Israel Seymour Israel Rose L. Jacobs Stanley N. Jacobs Bertha M. Jacobson Richard Jacobson Arnold Jacoby Bernard H. Jaffee Levin Joseph David L. Joseph Inge Joseph Judith Kadish Dr. Eric M. Kahn Nathan N. Kallman Mathilda Kamerman Edward S. Kaplan Frances R. Kaplan Gerald L. Kaplan Martin A. Karan Edith Katz Harold Katz Henry and Sara Katz Florence Glass Kaufman Roma Fineberg Kaufman Sarah Kaufman Bertram C. Kay Minna Kaye Ruby Kelton Jerrold E. Kemp Louis and Gretchen Klaff Charles Klein Harold J. Klein Harry H. Klein Saul Klein Sam Klemow Gertrude Klempner Klipper Family Grace Koenigsberg

Samuel M. Koenigsberg Jacob Korn Maurice D. Kornberg Clara Koropshinsky Sidney Krakower Myer S. Kripke Sylvia E. Krone Joseph R. Kuh Stanley Kushinsky Humberto Kviat Milton and Harriet Laitman Elaine Lampert Paul Lappe Samuel J. Lashinsky Morris Lasko Leon D. Lazer David Leavitt Pauline W. Ledeen Seymour L. Leikind Miriam Lengyel Elaine S. Lerner Elizabeth J. Lester Harry S. Lester Frances Leventritt Avis Levin Esther Levin Ronald Levin Diane Levine Herbert Levine Morton J. Levinson Miriam Levy Zachary J. Levy Hortense Lewin Morris E. Lichtenstein Charles Ligeti Eugene Lipowitz Herman Lipsitz Rebecca Lister Rhoda Litt Helen Galland Loewus Ervin B. London Jack Luchs Nathan Lustman Suzy Mahler Florence G. Maio Isabel K. Maller Edith Mallon Claire R. Manne Robert C. Margiloff Harold Margolis Ida Mae Margolis Rosalind Marimont Clara D. Markowitz Melody Marks Susi T. Marx Esther Shady Masters Ann S. Mathews Marcia Z. Mehr Thelma Mermelstein James, Michele, Melanie &

Kevin Milberger, et al. Max P. Milians Harold Miller Jay C. and Freya B. Miller Shirley Miller Sonia Ann Miller Janet M. Mohr Cecile Mory Ruth Moss Manuel Nathan Sylvie M. Nathanson Michael Neigoff Neiman Family Janet Nemerofsky Dr. Tom Ohlson O. Onwaeze Walter Oppenheim Aleck Ostrow Family Carol D. and David Ostrow Morton A. Packel Harold Pelter Steven A. Perlberg Miriam Perry Laura W. Pfeifer Marilyn Phillips Jan Pitcher Joseph Polusky Reuben Porton Martin and Hilde Pressburger Harold Putterman Miriam Rose Rabinowicz Sanford A. Ramras Celia P. Ritter Charles H. Rivkin Lillian Robbins Sara Roberts Bernard Root Kay Rose Beverly R. Rosenfeld George Rosenfeld Helen Jean Rosenzweig Julia Rosin June Rosner and Family Gloria E. Rothenberg Emanuel N. Rotter Henry Sachsman Maurice S. Salamy Milton E. Salen Saul M. Salka D. Jerry Sall and The Sall Family Georgine Sachs Salom Regina Salomon Michael Samek Marian Sameth Ida Rosenman Sands Maria Santoyo-Stein Richard W. Saxon Allan and Edith Schechter Signa Scher Hans L. Schlesinger Luise Schlesinger Charlotte Schloss Dorothy Schnadig Herbert Schneider Manuel Schneider Isidore Schnur Denise K. Schorr Zelig Schrager Steven H. Schuelein Harriet Schulman Morris Schultz H. Paul Schwadel Celia Schwartz Marsha Schwartz Mildred A. Schwartz Abraham Moses Segal Rose Seltzer Corinne Semon Marion C. Shamos Abraham Z. and Norma Shanzer Meyer Shapiro Morris and Naomi K. Shapiro Edythe B. Sheinbaum Vincent Sherman Rose L. and Sidney N. Shure Philip R. Siegelbaum Norman Silverman Sarah Silverman Mildred Silverstein Ida Simon Helen Simons Mae Sirkus Betty Solodar Cari Sommer Sandra Sosnick Burton Spiller Paul Spitz in memory of beloved parents Erzsebet and

Bela (Adalbert) Spitz Sherman M. Starr and

Katherine K. Starr Edna Steinberger Bernard Stern Brian S. Stern Maurice R. Sternberg Elaine Stokes Hyman Stoller Gertrude Stone Philip M. Stone Rhoda Sturmak Marianne Sufrin Druria Sylvester Gerda Taranow Ruth N. Taub Ethel Taylor Menachem M. Teiblum Dorothy Teitelbaum Max and Sylvia Tennebaum Irving Tepper Solodare Theodore Herman A. Tolz Varhegyi Family Trust Arthur Vamos Clare A. Villanti Martin Virsotsky Louis J. Walinsky Leonard J. Warren Richard Waton Trudi Weimer Frederic D. Weinfeld Milton P. Weinstein Irving and Rita Weinstock Alma Weisberg Annabelle D. Weiss Arlene W. Weiss Bernice E. Weiss Jean Wellisch Abie Werth Elliot and Florene Westin Frances Winkler Martin F. Witkin Julius Wittman Barry Wofsy Liese-Lotte Wolf Elias and Harriet M. Wollerstein Lenny Worth Dorothy Yashon Henrietta Zackin Martha Zeff Phyllis W. Zierler Max Zimmer The Zucker Family Byron Zuckerman Dr. Bruno Zwass

*as of 26 April 2021

The World Jewish Congress (American Section), Inc., a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in New York State, solicits donations in support of the vital work and projects of the World Jewish Congress. The WJC American Section, also the independent U.S. affiliate of the World Jewish Congress, facilitates American Jewish input into the WJC’s global deliberations and advocates for Israel at the United Nations and in the public arena.