NEW YORK, November 9, 2026 – The World Jewish Congress (WJC) on Tuesday honored Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner and New York City Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch at its annual Theodor Herzl Award Dinner. WJC President Ronald S. Lauder presented each honoree with the organization’s highest recognition for their leadership in confronting antisemitism and defending Jewish life.
“Tonight, we honor two individuals who have demonstrated again and again that the most vital element in life that makes everything else worthwhile is courage. If everyone in the world had their moral compass, we wouldn’t have to be here tonight,” said Lauder.
“I firmly believe the best way to fight this age-old hatred is through education. Not just Jewish education. But every school throughout this country and the world. We ignored it and now we have lost a generation. Too many of our youngsters have been indoctrinated, brainwashed, to believe that Israel, the tiny and only democracy in the Middle East, is the source of every problem on earth,” he added.
Established in 2012 and named for the founder of modern political Zionism, the Theodor Herzl Award is presented annually to individuals whose work advances the security and future of the Jewish people, support for Israel, and understanding of Jewish history and peoplehood.
Döpfner was honored for his longstanding defense of Israel and his outspoken opposition to antisemitism. As CEO of Axel Springer, he has championed the connection between Jewish security and the preservation of free, democratic societies. Addressing the WJC Governing Board in Geneva earlier this year, he condemned the normalization of antisemitism following October 7 and called for a stronger defense of Jewish life and Israel’s right to exist.
At WJC’s New York event, Döpfner noted that “Theodor Herzl's vision of an Israel living in security and self-determination is more relevant today than ever. Many of the ideas Herzl set out a hundred and thirty years ago read as if they had been written only yesterday. I am deeply grateful to be honored with this award of such great symbolic significance."
About the World Jewish Congress
Media contact
[email protected]
