Organization of the WJC

The World Jewish Congress consists primarily of national Jewish representative organizations or communal bodies. With headquarters in New York, the WJC and its affiliates has offices around the world, including in Brussels, Budapest, Buenos Aires, Geneva, Johannesburg, Moscow, Ottawa, Paris, Sydney and in Jerusalem, where the WJC's research institute is located.

The principal bodies of the World Jewish Congress are:

• The Plenary Assembly meets every four years and is the supreme body of the World Jewish Congress to which WJC members send delegates according to the strength of their community. Delegates of other affiliated Jewish organizations are also members of the Plenary Assembly. The Plenary Assembly elects the WJC President and other officers and sets out the main policies of the World Jewish Congress. The last Plenary Assembly was held in Jerusalem in January 2009, at which Ronald S. Lauder was confirmed as WJC president (he was elected by the Governing Board in June 2007 as acting WJC president), and Eduardo Elsztain became the new chairman of the Governing Board.

• The Governing Board meets at least once a year and is the main body of the WJC between the meetings of the Plenary Assembly. It is also responsible for electing the WJC secretary-general (upon recommendation of the Executive) and reviewing the WJC budget.

• The Executive conducts the affairs and act on behalf of the World Jewish Congress, in accordance with the decisions of the Plenary Assembly and the Governing Board, between meetings of the Governing Board.  The Executive Committee is comprised of the WJC president, the chairman of the Governing Board, the treasurer, the vice-presidents, and the chairmen of the five regional WJC affiliates. At the 13th WJC Plenary Assembly in Jerusalem in January 2009, the 400 delegates elected the following WJC vice-presidents: Yaakov Bleich (Ukraine), Helena Glaser (Israel), Robert Goot (Australia), Flo Kaufmann (Great Britain), Charlotte Knobloch (Germany), Tomas Kraus (Czech Republic), Tamar Shchory (Israel), Marc Schneier (USA), and Mervyn Smith (South Africa). Other WJC vice-presidents appointed by the WJC’s regional affiliates are: Roger Cukierman, France (for the European Jewish Congress), Moshe Ronen, Canada (for the WJC North America), Eduard Shifrin, Russia (for the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress), and Sara Winkowski, Uruguay (for the Latin American Jewish Congress). Ex-officio members of the WJC Executive are currently: Alexander Machkevitch (president of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress), Moshe Kantor (president of the European Jewish Congress), Evelyn Sommer (president of WJC North America), Jack Terpins (president of the Latin American Jewish Congress), and Shai Hermesh (chairman of WJC Israel). Other members of the Executive Committee are Menachem Z. Rosensaft (WJC General Counsel) and Lior Herman.

A smaller Steering Committee runs the day-to-day activities of the World Jewish Congress. It is composed of the president, the chairman of the WJC Governing Board, the treasurer and the chairmen of the five regional affiliates. Other members may be appointed by the Executive Committee.

As a global leader, the World Jewish Congress received special credentials and recognition at the United Nations making it unique among world-wide organizations as it enjoys a diplomatic seat in the UN and within many of it institutions, commissions and sub-bodies.