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About the World Jewish Congress

Cobi Benatoff
Treasurer, World Jewish Congress

Born in Tel Aviv (Israel) on 15.04.1944
Living in Milan (Italy) since 1947
Married to Victoria Josefowitz for 36 years with 3 sons.

Educated in Milan up to Italian Scientific Bachelor.
Degree in economics from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) 1968.
Served in the Israeli army from 1962 to 1964 in Nahal and paratroops.
Managing international family business, with brother Ronn, active in industrial fishing, food industry, real estate and hi-tech.

Member of the Board of the Jewish Community of Milan from 1986 - present.

President of the Jewish Community of Milan from 1990 to 1998.

Member of the Board of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities from 2002 to 2006

President of European Council of Jewish Communities (ECJC) from 1999 to 2003.

The ECJC is the representative organization of major Communities and Institutions from 36 European Countries sponsored by the Joint Development Committee (Joint), active in Community development, leadership training, networking and developing European projects in education, social services and Jewish heritage and culture.

During this presidency:

• promoted the concept of the European GA with 3 successful meetings in Nice (1999), Madrid (2001) and Budapest (2003);
• initiated the European Day of Jewish Culture (2000) that has since become a very important annual event throughout Europe;
• initiated the 1st European Conference of Presidents of Jewish Communities;
• initiated the 1st European Conference of Educational Professionals, ARACHIM, inBudapest;
• promoted, together with Joint, the 1st Leatid Program for Leadership training of European Lay Leaders and Professionals;
• obtained 1st European Representation in the World Jewish Congress Restitution Organization (Member of the Board from 2000 until 2005) and in the Conference of  Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) (Member of the Board  from 2000 until 2005);
• Member of the Executive Committee and Allocation Committee of the Conference of Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) from 2000 until 2005.

President of European Jewish Congress (EJC) from 2003 until 2005.

During this presidency:

• promoted relationships with small Jewish Communities and with Communities in Eastern  Europe;
• promoted the article of the Financial Time co-signed by Edgar Bronfman attacking European Union’s Antisemitism;
• presided the 1st European Conference on Antisemitism in Brussels promoted by the European Commission and European Jewish Congress together with Romano Prodi and Elie Wiesel;

Chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee of World Jewish Congress (2005)

Vice-chairman of the Policy Council of World Jewish Congress (2006)
Chairman of the Policy Council of World Jewish Congress (2007 - present)

Member of the Steering Committee of World Jewish Congress (2006 – present)

For more than a decade, Cobi Benatoff’s name has been synonymous with Jewish leadership in Europe.

 
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