IMPACT REPORT 2014-2015
A DEFINING MOMENT
A GLOBAL MOMENT
THE MOMENT FOR AJC. THE MOMENT FOR GLOBAL JEWISH ADVOCACY.
Most moments pass unnoticed, sands in time, insignificant and unremembered. But there are some moments that define us, that write for all time the story of who we were, what we believed, and what we did. AJC is convinced that this is a Defining Moment for the Jewish people. The events of 2014 and 2015—the rising tide of anti-Semitism in Europe, the global effort to delegitimize Israel, and the threat of a nuclear Iran—explain why. In this Impact Report, you will read about how AJC advocacy has met this Defining Moment, going into immediate overdrive—in diplomatic corridors the world over, in Washington, on the streets of Europe, and on the battlefield of public opinion. The challenges and opportunities facing the Jewish people are global in nature, and require a global response. With a unique advocacy architecture that spans six continents and unparalleled access to decision-makers around the world, AJC is that global response.
WHO WE ARE
‘‘
AJC is the most effective, most influential, and most respected of American Jewish organizations. NICOLAS SARKOZY, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (2007-2012)
’’
AJC is the leading global Jewish advocacy organization, with unparalleled access to diplomats, government officials, and religious leaders around the world. AJC’s unique global architecture spans six continents. As a result, AJC understands the issues in depth, maintains relationships with many of the world’s key decision-makers, and seeks to have an impact on policy decisions.
WHAT WE DO
‘‘
You’ve been called the State Department of the Jewish people, a title so apt I may start giving out some assignments today.
’’
U.S. DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN ADDRESSING THE AJC GLOBAL FORUM 2015
DIPLOMACY
Through high-level diplomacy based on established relationships, AJC gains access to decision-makers.
LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY
Working with the U.S. Congress, AJC supports legislation that bolsters our global agenda.
BUILDING COALITIONS
AJC builds alliances among diverse ethnic and religious groups to advance issues of common concern.
COMMUNICATIONS
Via traditional and social media, AJC generates awareness and provides expert resources to amplify our advocacy efforts.
WHERE WE WORK
‘‘
I don’t know of any other organization that pays so much attention to what’s happening outside the United States and outside Jewish life, from India to Germany to France, and many other places. SHIMON PERES, PRESIDENT OF ISRAEL (2007–2014)
22
U. S . R EG I O N A L O FFI C E S
10 OV E R S E A S P OS T S
30 I NTE R N ATI O N A L PA R TN E R S H I P S
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AFRICA
EUROPE
MIDDLE EAST
AJC’s Africa Institute partners with African governments, civil society, and diaspora communities to build coalitions on issues of common concern, and facilitates cooperation between African countries and Israel.
With offices in Berlin, Brussels, Paris, and Rome, AJC promotes cooperation among Europe, the U.S., and Israel, and partners with local Jewish communities.
In coordination with AJC Jerusalem, AJC Project Interchange brings two dozen highlevel delegations each year from around the world to Israel. Moreover, no Jewish organization has more extensive contacts in the Arab and Muslim world than AJC.
ASIA
AJC’s Asia Pacific Institute engages leaders in the region and their representatives in the United States, making them more aware of the Jewish people and Israel, and fostering political alliances, economic links, and dialogue on AJC’s priority issues.
LATIN AMERICA
AJC’s Arthur and Rochelle Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs (BILLA) develops and strengthens ties to Latin America and the U.S. Latino community. BILLA has staff in Washington, Miami, and São Paulo.
UNITED STATES
AJC’s headquarters in New York and office in Washington conduct international diplomacy and engage the Administration and Congress. The advocacy and coalition-building carried out by AJC’s 22 Regional Offices across the country reinforce these efforts.
OUR IMPACT This is the moment for AJC’s global reach, global access, and global impact. You will read in this Impact Report about how AJC has made a tangible difference around the world, including how AJC: Coordinated an unprecedented joint statement from the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and Italy unequivocally condemning anti-Semitic incidents in Europe.
Actively supported eight pro-Israel initiatives in the U.S. Congress during Operation Protective Edge, including increased funding for the livesaving Iron Dome missile defense system.
Reached millions with our important advocacy messages on social media through accounts in four languages.
Built understanding for Israel by bringing influential leaders to the country on AJC Project Interchange (PI) immersive educational experiences. An Aspen Institute assessment found that 90% of PI participants took positive Israel-related actions upon their return.
Succeeded in getting 285 mayors representing over 71 million Americans to sign on to AJC’s “Mayors United Against Anti-Semitism” campaign.
‘‘
AJC and its Berlin team have had a considerable impact on the German public. I am very grateful for the trust AJC has placed in Germany. GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL
’’
‘‘
AJC’s moral clarity, your professionalism, and your determination distinguish you from others, and make you an indispensable actor and interlocutor. FRENCH PRIME MINISTER MANUEL VALLS
’’
STANDING WITH ISRAEL ‘‘
AJC’s amazing and unique global advocacy has directly contributed to strengthening Israel’s national security. I’ve seen AJC’s real impact in meeting after meeting with my counterparts around the world.
’’
RON PROSOR, ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE UN
Israelis show support for blocking a flotilla heading to Gaza in 2010.
AJC PROJECT INTERCHANGE ALUMNI
6,000+ LEADERS
89
COUNTRIES
90%
TOOK POSITIVE ISRAEL-RELATED ACTION AFTER THEIR TRIP
T
HERE ARE 193 countries in the UN, but only one Jewish state.
Around the world—from the hallways of the UN in New York to the corridors of the European Union in Brussels and to the countries of the Pacific Rim—AJC is engaged in pro-Israel advocacy at the highest levels. AJC offices and representatives in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and beyond build greater understanding for Israel’s security challenges and dynamic possibilities. Through dialogue with elected officials, diplomats, and opinion-shapers, and by taking leaders who are force multipliers to Israel on Project Interchange seminars, AJC helps bring the real Israel to the fore. And when Israel is under assault, whether from the terrorist organizations on its doorstep or the global BDS movement, AJC mobilizes its global architecture to address the threat.
A J C I M PAC T R E P O R T | 7
Hamas fires rockets at Israel during the summer of 2014.
OPERATION PROTECTIVE EDGE
LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY AJC strongly supported congressional resolutions
In the summer of 2014, Israel’s citizens came under direct attack as the terrorist organization Hamas launched barrages of missiles and rockets from Gaza. AJC mobilized to protest the Hamas onslaught and present the case for Israel’s military response to U.S. leaders, in world capitals, and through global media outlets.
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authorizing increased funding for the Iron Dome missile defense system, and bipartisan resolutions in the House and Senate reaffirming Israel’s right to self-defense. Thousands of AJC supporters across the United States took action by writing to their members of Congress via AJC’s online advocacy center, urging support for these resolutions. The lifesaving Iron Dome has been described by Israeli officials as a “game-changer,” which intercepted 80%-90% of Hamas missiles aimed at populated areas.
Lt. Col. (res.) Avital Leibovich, Director of AJC Jerusalem, appears live on CNN during Operation Protective Edge.
‘‘
Midnight, and the sirens are blaring. The kids are asleep. I have one minute to wake them up and get them to our shelter.
’’
AVITAL LEIBOVICH IN A JULY 2014 Israeli children look at the Iron Dome missile defense system,
OP-ED IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
designed to intercept and destroy incoming rockets, in Gush Dan near Tel Aviv.
HUMANITARIAN RELIEF
NON-STOP COMMUNICATIONS
Addressing the emergency situation facing residents
During the tense summer and fall months, 50+ op-eds,
of southern Israel, AJC made a series of humanitarian
interviews, and letters by AJC officials were featured
grants to aid Israeli civilians living in Hamas’s crosshairs.
in major publications, including The Wall Street Journal,
One such grant went to the Barzilai Medical Center
El País (Spain), Süddeutsche Zeitung (Germany), The
in Ashkelon, the main hospital in the southern region
Hill, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Sun Times, and
of the country, serving Israelis—Jews and Arabs alike—
The Miami Herald.
as well as patients from Gaza. AJC also provided funds to the towns of Ofakim and Netivot, located between
AJC experts also appeared on CNN, BBC, Fox, and
Beersheba and the border with Gaza, to build a shelter
other prominent outlets. Moreover, AJC reached millions
and purchase emergency equipment. All three grants
on Facebook and Twitter with material in four languages
were made possible through the generous support
(English, French, German, and Spanish) that dispelled
of the Harriet and Robert Heilbrunn Humanitarian
the slanderous lies being spread about Israel and
Relief Fund.
countered with the hard-hitting truth.
A J C I M PAC T R E P O R T | 9
AJC Project Interchange’s 2014 delegation of Scandinavian Political and Opinion Leaders, marking the 10th delegation of Scandinavian leaders since 2003, at an overlook in Israel.
CONNECTING LEADERS WORLDWIDE WITH ISRAEL
2014-15 AJC PROJECT INTERCHANGE DELEGATIONS INCLUDED*:
As we saw in the summer of 2014, Israel’s image in the media often differs markedly from the on-the-ground reality. AJC’s global presence, expertise in identifying emerging leaders, and hard-earned credibility presented many opportunities—including the ability to bring future decision-makers and influencers to Israel through Project Interchange (PI), an educational institute of AJC. Representing spheres of influence around the globe, PI delegations met with Israeli leaders across political and social spectrums, connected with their Israeli counterparts, and learned about Israel’s extensive contributions in their fields. When they returned home, their writings, actions, and public positions reflected
• University Presidents and Chancellors • European Union Officials • Latino and Latin American Journalists • Rhodes Scholars • German Opinion Leaders • South African Journalists • Scandinavian Opinion Leaders • Campus Media and Student Leaders • U.S. Law Students
their greater understanding of Israel. *This is just a small subset of PI delegations during this period.
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‘‘
The University of Michigan strongly opposes the boycott of academic institutions in Israel.
’’
STATEMENT BY AJC PROJECT INTERCHANGE
ALUMNA MARY SUE COLEMAN, THEN-PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, REJECTING ACADEMIC BOYCOTTS OF ISRAEL.
A Palestinian woman walks by a sign calling for the boycott of Israel in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on February 11, 2015.
COUNTERING THE BDS MOVEMENT
Beyond the campus, AJC Chicago was one of the
The global campaign to demonize and isolate Israel
legislation in Illinois (the vote was unanimous).
is often known by the moniker BDS, which stands
AJC also pushed for similar measures in New York,
for Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions—all tactics its
Pennsylvania, and several other states. On the national
proponents use against the Jewish state. BDS takes
scene, AJC strongly supported the inclusion, in
many forms, but there is one institution where it poses
international free-trade legislation, of language making
a particularly sinister threat—the American campus.
it a “principal trade negotiating objective” of the U.S.
That is why AJC focused on combating BDS there
to discourage our trading partners from cooperating
and protecting the values of academic freedom.
with anti-Israel boycotts.
lead organizations advocating passage of anti-BDS
By showing Israel first-hand, in all its complexity and vibrancy, PI seminars serve as an antidote to BDS attempts. After a series of votes by a few academic institutions to boycott Israel, hundreds of leading university presidents spoke out forcefully against such efforts, and among the most vocal were PI alumni.
A J C I M PAC T R E P O R T | 11
FIGHTING ANTI-SEMITISM ‘‘
Jew, Jew, cowardly pig, come on out and fight alone.
’’
CHANT BY BERLIN PROTESTERS DURING ANTI-ISRAEL DEMONSTRATIONS IN THE SUMMER OF 2014. AJC BERLIN DOCUMENTED THE CHANT AND FILED A LEGAL COMPLAINT WITH THE POLICE. AS A RESULT OF AJC BERLIN’S ACTIONS, THE CHANT WAS BANNED.
Protesters set the Star of David on fire during an anti-Israel rally in Athens in January 2009.
6 IN 10
FRENCH JEWS FEAR ATTACKS
ONE THIRD
OF EUROPEAN JEWS HAVE CONSIDERED LEAVING BECAUSE OF GROWING ANTI-SEMITISM
50%
OF JEWS IN SWEDEN AVOID WEARING OR CARRYING ITEMS THAT MIGHT IDENTIFY THEM AS JEWISH
Source: The EU’s Agency for Fundamental Rights 2013 report on Jewish experiences in eight European nations.
I
N THE spring of 2014, after four people were murdered at the
Jewish Museum in Brussels and extremist parties made shocking gains in European Parliament elections, the directors of AJC’s offices in Brussels and Paris published a piece in The Wall Street Journal asking, “Do Jews Have a Future in Europe?” The article called on European leaders to denounce anti-Semitism and show zero tolerance for such behavior, since “it is not just the well-being and future of the Jewish community in Europe that is at risk, but the very values Europe stands for.” It wasn’t long before the explosion of virulent hatred of Israel and Jews triggered by the Gaza hostilities rose to levels unprecedented since the Holocaust. At rallies in cities across Europe, Muslims, farright neo-Nazis, and far-left anti-Zionists found common ground in denunciations of Israel and—all too often—Jews. Synagogues and other Jewish buildings were attacked, and Jews were threatened on the street. What had been clear to AJC for years was now clear to the world—anti-Semitism in Europe was resurging with a vengeance.
A J C I M PAC T R E P O R T | 13
MOBILIZING WORLD LEADERS
In the summer of 2014, as European protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza turned violently antiSemitic, AJC’s offices in Berlin, Paris, and Rome wasted no time. Working together, they helped coordinate an unprecedented statement by the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and Italy that unequivocally condemned all expressions of anti-Semitism.
Anti-Israel protesters in Paris hover around a swastika at a rally in August 2014, during the conflict in Gaza.
‘‘
Anti-Semitic rhetoric and hostility towards Jews, attacks on people of the Jewish faith or synagogues have no place in our societies. . . . Nothing, not even the dramatic military confrontation in Gaza, can justify such acts here in Europe.
’’
STATEMENT ISSUED ON JULY 22, 2014, BY THE
AJC Paris Director Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, left, at a roundtable about anti-Semitism in France in October 2014.
FOREIGN MINISTERS OF FRANCE, GERMANY, AND ITALY
PARIS BERLIN
Home to Europe’s largest Jewish community, France has been the epicenter of the alarming rise of antiSemitism on the continent. For many in France and
During the summer protests of 2014, AJC Berlin was on
around the world, AJC Paris has been a leading
the ground to monitor the situation and prompt local
source of information about the impact this has had
action. When an imam at a Berlin mosque called for
on the French Jewish community. In an article on
the annihilation of the Jews, AJC Berlin demanded that
the subject for The Atlantic, noted journalist Jeffrey
the authorities intervene, and German security services
Goldberg described AJC Paris Director Simone
announced their intention of launching legal action
Rodan-Benzaquen as, “one of the most eloquent
against the imam and other mosque officials.
and influential advocates for European Jewry on the continent.”
In the following months, AJC Berlin helped expose the shocking fact that a government commission on anti-Semitism was devoid of Jews—a scandal widely cited in the media and ultimately rectified by the Interior Ministry.
On the morning of January 9, 2015, as news broke of a hostage situation at a kosher supermarket in Paris, AJC sprang into action on social media. @AJCGlobal’s top tweet inspired the viral solidarity hashtag #JeSuisJuif (I am a Jew).
In 2014-15, AJC Paris helped conceptualize the antiterror plan adopted by the French National Assembly A gripping AJC Berlin video depicting the terrifying reality of anti-Semitic protests sweeping Europe garnered 7,000 views on YouTube.
and initiate an Inter-Parliamentary Working Group on Anti-Semitism. The office also conceived and developed a survey of French attitudes about Jews and anti-Semitism whose findings were cited widely.
A J C I M PAC T R E P O R T | 15
A girl stands next to flowers at the Jewish Museum in Brussels on May 25, 2014, the day after four people were shot to death there.
BRUSSELS A Call to Action In May 2015, AJC convened “A Defining Moment for Europe,” a strategy conference for countering the rising tide of anti-Semitism in Europe. It took place just down the street from the European Parliament building in Brussels. There, in the presence of government officials, diplomats, and community leaders from all over the continent (25 of the 28 EU member states were represented, plus the U.S. and Canada), AJC presented a “Call to Action” for European governments to address the intensifying crisis of anti-Semitism within their borders. The document contained suggestions for increasing security at Jewish institutions, countering radicalization among young Muslims, and monitoring social media for anti-Semitic content.
ABOVE LEFT AJC Executive Director David Harris delivers closing
remarks at AJC’s strategy conference in Brussels on combating anti-Semitism. BOTTOM LEFT Daniel Schwammenthal, Director of AJC’s Brussels-
based Transatlantic Institute, is interviewed by CNN on the uptick in anti-Semitism in Europe. 16 | A J C I M PAC T R E P O R T
UNI ORS
TED
T S N I A G A ISM
M AY
I -S ANT AN
EMI
INIT AJC
T
VE I AT I
‘‘
The Mayors United Against Anti-Semitism initiative, sponsored by AJC, emphasizes that ‘in a world of global communications where anti-Semitic ideas can and do spread quickly, the impact of the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe does not stop at Europe’s borders.’
’’
A JULY 2015 FEATURE IN THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE ABOUT MAYOR RAHM EMANUEL’S DECISION
TO SIGN ON TO AJC’S MAYORS UNITED AGAINST ANTI-SEMITISM INITIATIVE.
UNITED STATES
Act Local, Think Global
When Washington speaks, the world listens. That
Anti-Semitism” in July 2015. In this AJC initiative,
is why AJC has also pressed the Administration and
coordinated by AJC’s 22 Regional Offices across
Congress, as well as local governments, to speak out
the United States, mayors called upon their European
against rising anti-Semitism.
counterparts to publicly address anti-Semitism
AJC announced the launch of “Mayors United Against
in their communities and take action against this Bipartisan Taskforce on Anti-Semitism
mounting crisis. The more than 285 signatories
In September 2015, AJC Executive Director David Harris
included the mayors of Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston,
briefed a dozen members of Congress on increasing
Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York,
levels of anti-Semitism in Europe. Following his
Seattle, and other major cities representing over
suggestion, conversations began on Capitol Hill about
71 million Americans.
creating a caucus to combat anti-Semitism. With strong support from AJC, Representatives Ted Deutch (D-FL), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Kay Granger (R-TX), Steve Israel (D-NY), Nita Lowey (D-NY), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Peter Roskam (R-IL), and Chris Smith (R-NJ) launched the Bipartisan Taskforce on Anti-Semitism, designed to raise awareness of global anti-Semitism and coordinate congressional efforts, including legislation and bilateral engagement, to combat it.
TOP AJC Executive Director David Harris, left, meets with Secretary of
State John Kerry at the State Department on June 11, 2014, to discuss the U.S. government’s response to increasing anti-Semitism in Europe and other matters. BOTTOM New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, pictured addressing the
AJC New York Annual Meeting on June 17, 2015, was among the first mayors to sign on to AJC’s “Mayors United Against Anti-Semitism” initiative.
A J C I M PAC T R E P O R T | 17
A GLOBAL THREAT ‘‘
This barbaric, wolf-like, and infanticidal regime of Israel, which spares no crime, has no cure but to be annihilated.
’’
TWEET BY AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI ON NOVEMBER 8, 2014
On April 13, 2015, demonstrators outside the Saudi Embassy in Tehran burn U.S. and Israeli flags to protest Saudi-led strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen.
895
POLITICAL PRISONERS WERE INCARCERATED IN IRAN IN 2014. AMONG THEM WERE AT LEAST 30 JOURNALISTS.
191,000
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED BY THE BRUTAL ASSAD REGIME IN SYRIA—A REGIME THAT IRAN “CONTINUED TO PROVIDE ARMS, FINANCING, AND TRAINING” TO BOLSTER.
20+
INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS HAVE BEEN VIOLATED BY IRAN. Sources: U.S. State Department 2014 Country Reports on human rights and terrorism and Citizens for a Nuclear Free Iran.
T
HROUGH 2014 and 2015, negotiations over the Iranian nuclear
program topped the international agenda. Since 1995, in all its diplomatic encounters around the globe, AJC has warned of the perils posed by a nuclear Iran. A regime that funds terror around the world, calls for “death to America” and the annihilation of Israel, and repeatedly violates the human rights of its own people cannot be allowed to possess the most deadly of weapons. On Capitol Hill, AJC strongly supported the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015. AJC has also long sought to hinder the activities of Hezbollah, Iran’s leading terror proxy. In 2013, AJC’s important role in the European Union’s unanimous decision to designate the “military wing” of Hezbollah a terrorist organization was acknowledged by several European leaders. Today, AJC continues to advocate for passage of the Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act, which will sanction financial institutions complicit in the Iran-backed group’s illicit activities. The appalling human rights situation in Iran was a major concern for AJC’s Jacob Blaustein Institute (JBI). It continued to play a key role in international campaigns to secure public and diplomatic support for the UN General Assembly’s resolution of December 2014, which condemned Iran’s repeated harassment and persecution of human rights advocates, lawyers, media professionals, women, and members of ethnic and religious minorities. JBI also helped mobilize diplomatic support to renew the mandate of the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran. A J C I M PAC T R E P O R T | 19
COALITIONS OF CONSCIENCE ‘‘
I am very grateful to you for the distinguished contribution you have made to dialogue and fraternity between Jews and Catholics.
’’
POPE FRANCIS RECEIVING AN AJC DELEGATION AT THE VATICAN IN FEBRUARY 2014.
PROJECTED MAJOR RELIGIOUS GROUP POPULATIONS IN 2050
JEWS 0.2% OTHER RELIGIONS 0.7%
FOLK RELIGIONS 4.8% BUDDHISTS 5.2%
CHRISTIANS 31.4% UNAFFILIATED 13.2%
HINDUS 14.9%
MUSLIMS 29.7%
Source: The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections (2010-2050), Pew Research Center.
O
UTREACH TO the world’s religions has long been central to
AJC’s global outlook. Religion has the matchless ability to inspire, and to either unite or divide mankind. There is perhaps no greater example of the potential power of interfaith dialogue than the evolution that has occurred in the relationship between Catholics and Jews. 2015 marked the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of Nostra Aetate, the Catholic Church document that transformed nearly two thousand years of Christian hostility toward Jews and Judaism. Nostra Aetate called for “mutual understanding and respect” and repudiated the charge that Jews living today were responsible for the death of Jesus. The document had the effect of replacing centuries of violence, ghettos, inquisitions, expulsions, and forced conversions with a new era of dialogue and fraternity. AJC interfaith experts and their research played a unique and well-documented role in the development of Nostra Aetate and its implementation.
A J C I M PAC T R E P O R T | 21
A MUSLIM-JEWISH CROSSROADS If Catholic-Jewish relations represented the interfaith challenge of the 20th century, Muslim-Jewish relations are the defining challenge of the 21st century. AJC has consistently sought to identify, highlight, and elevate voices of courage from the Muslim world, people who lead by example. At the AJC Global Forum in 2014 and 2015, AJC honored two such beacons of hope: Latifa Ibn Ziaten’s son, Imad, was a French soldier killed by the terrorist Mohammed Merah, who also murdered three Jewish children and a teacher at a Jewish school in Toulouse. In response to the tragedy, Ziaten founded an organization in her son’s name. The group visits schools and juvenile prisons to mentor at-risk Muslim TOP AJC’s Rabbi David Rosen presents the Moral Courage Award
youth, and to dissuade them from joining jihadi fighters
to Latifa Ibn Ziaten at the AJC Global Forum 2014.
in Iraq and Syria.
BOTTOM Lassana Bathily accepts the Moral Courage Award at the
AJC Global Forum 2015.
Lassana Bathily, an immigrant from Mali—and a Muslim—worked in the Hyper Cacher supermarket in Paris. On the morning of January 9, 2015, when a heavily armed Islamist terrorist took over the store, he quickly shepherded shoppers down to the basement into a cold storage room. Then Bathily left, risking his life to get outside and help the police plan their counterattack to free the hostages. All 15 people whom Bathily hid survived. His actions inspired a nation.
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CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE In 2014 and 2015, American Christian leaders from across the denominational spectrum studied Judaism as part of the Christian Leadership Initiative (CLI), a program cosponsored by AJC and the Shalom Hartman Institute, and supported by the Berkman Charitable Trust. CLI strives to educate the next generation of American Christian leaders about Jews, Judaism, and Israel. The 2014 cohort’s visit to Israel happened to coincide with the armed conflict between Israel and Hamas, and the group was profoundly moved by what they saw and heard.
‘‘
Israel can count increased empathy from the recent Christian visitors as one unexpected victory, especially in some mainline Protestant circles whose national leadership has grown increasingly distant from Israel in recent years.
AJC’s Rabbi Noam Marans greets His Beatitude Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, who addressed the 2014 CLI group.
’’
THE NEW YORK JEWISH WEEK ON AUGUST 6, 2014, AFTER INTERVIEWING 2014 CLI PARTICIPANTS UPON THEIR RETURN FROM ISRAEL
83%
OF ALUMNI REPORT
61%
BECAME ACTIVE IN
A CHANGE IN BELIEFS
ADVOCACY THROUGH
ABOUT ISRAEL BECAUSE
PETITION DRIVES,
OF AJC’S CHRISTIAN
DEBATES ABOUT
LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE
DIVESTMENT, AND OTHER
PUBLIC DISCUSSIONS.
Source: Assessment of CLI conducted by the Auburn Theological Seminary in 2014.
A J C I M PAC T R E P O R T | 23
NEW FRONTIER ‘‘
I wish to express my respect for AJC’s efforts to forge a close relationship with Japan for more than a quarter century. We will continue to foster this bond with you.
’’
JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER SHINZŌ ABE
Light Trails in Harajuku, Tokyo.
AJC ON SOCIAL MEDIA
OVER 110,000 FOLLOWERS TWITTER
OVER 165,000 FOLLOWERS FACEBOOK
ENGLISH DEUTSCH FRANÇAIS ESPAÑOL ACCOUNTS IN FOUR LANGUAGES
A
JC WAS founded in 1906 by a small group of influential
American Jews profoundly concerned by anti-Semitic attacks in Tsarist Russia. That fateful founding launched the concept of Global Jewish Advocacy which, nearly 110 years later, AJC continues to carry out. Today, the new frontier of Global Jewish Advocacy lies, above all, in Asia. AJC began its work there in the 1980s, and spent considerable time in the region in 2014 and 2015. AJC leadership delegations met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, who, in a video message to the AJC Global Forum 2015, became the first postwar Japanese Prime Minister to address a Jewish organization. The innovative, rapid-fire world of social media represents another new realm for AJC. Through accounts in four languages, AJC interacts frequently with our followers, including many diplomats, elected officials, and media elites. They in turn share our advocacy messages with their constituencies, allowing us to reach and engage millions around the globe.
A J C I M PAC T R E P O R T | 25
API Assistant Director Nissim Reuben, center, meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right.
‘‘
It is well documented that for many years, AJC has understood— even when it was not at all obvious to many—the growing importance of Asia in general and India in particular for Israeli foreign policy. AJC’s assistance has been of tremendous significance.
’’
MARK SOFER, ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO INDIA (2007-2011)
PIVOT TO ASIA The India-Israel relationship is one of the major “good news” stories of 2014. From the historic meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in 2014 to a major defense deal between the two countries, it is clear that the new frontier for Israel lies in Asia. AJC has played a unique role in helping forge this partnership, including bringing Indian leaders to Israel through Project Interchange, among them Ajit Doval, Prime Minister Modi’s National
AJC President Stanley M. Bergman meeting with
Security Advisor.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe in Tokyo.
AJC’s evolving engagement with India is part of a broader initiative by the organization’s Asia Pacific Institute (API), founded in 1989, to recognize the looming geopolitical role of the region. In 2015, API appointed three representatives in the region, in New Delhi, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, to expand and strengthen relationships there. API also has staff experts on India and China in its U.S. offices.
26 | A J C I M PAC T R E P O R T
BILLA’s commemoration event, in Miami, of the 1994 AMIA terrorist
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), a co-chair of the Latino-Jewish
attack. Eight-five people died and more than 300 were injured in the
Congressional Caucus formed by AJC, addresses a 2014 gathering
Iranian-ordered attack.
of Latino alumni of AJC Project Interchange trips to Israel.
BUILDING A LATINO-JEWISH ALLIANCE
Another major area of BILLA activity is standing in
Latinos—the largest and fastest-growing ethnic
While attacks on European Jewish communities
group in the United States—and Jews both have
understandably grabbed headlines in 2014, not nearly
rich immigrant legacies, and are natural allies. AJC’s
enough attention was paid to disturbing incidents of
Arthur and Rochelle Belfer Institute for Latino and
anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiment that emerged
Latin American Affairs (BILLA) is a unique initiative
in Latin America. AJC was one of the few to draw
that strengthens bonds among the Jewish community,
attention to this alarming trend, and to publicize it
the U.S. Latino community, and the countries of Latin
in op-eds in El País and The Miami Herald. BILLA also
America, Spain, and Portugal.
hosted nearly 100 Jewish leaders from across Latin
solidarity with Latin American Jewish communities.
America in Miami for its annual consultation, where To strengthen these ties, AJC conducts national
they shared best practices and discussed strategies
initiatives. One such program, funded by the Ford
to meet the pressing challenges ahead.
Foundation, raises awareness and builds support for comprehensive immigration reform.
A J C I M PAC T R E P O R T | 27
REPAIRING THE WORLD ‘‘
As I left, I walked away in awe of this group of doctors: physician humanitarians, and medicine at its very best.
’’
DR. NANCY SNYDERMAN, NBC CHIEF MEDICAL EDITOR, DESCRIBING AN IDF FIELD HOSPITAL SERVING VICTIMS OF TYPHOON HAIYAN IN THE PHILIPPINES.
An IsraAID-AJC relief mission provides assistance to Nepal in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake that hit the country in April 2015.
OFFICIAL AID DELEGATIONS TO NEPAL (PEOPLE DEPLOYED)
CHINA FRANCE INDIA ISRAEL ITALY SOUTH KOREA TAIWAN UNITED KINGDOM UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
0
100
200
300
400
500
Source: CNN and United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
IN TIMES OF TRAGEDY As in years past, AJC again helped during times of crisis in 2014 and 2015. Through IsraAID, a leading Israeli nongovernmental organization, AJC supported relief teams dispatched to Nepal in the aftermath of a devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake. AJC also partnered with IsraAID to deliver urgent humanitarian aid to beleaguered Christian and Yazidi refugees who fled from ISIS fighters to Iraq’s Kurdish region, and to support Israeli trauma specialists working with their Jordanian counterparts to aid refugees from the Syrian civil war. AJC’s support of IsraAID is made possible through the Harriet and Robert Heilbrunn Humanitarian Relief Fund.
GIVING VOICE TO THE VOICELESS In 2014, AJC’s Jacob Blaustein Institute (JBI) shined a harsh spotlight on the hermit kingdom of North Korea, particularly its incommunicado detention of up to 120,000 people in secret political prison camps. JBI urged the UN system to devote unprecedented attention to the extensive human rights violations committed by Pyongyang. Together with its partner, the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, JBI successfully pressed the UN General Assembly to endorse the finding of the UN Human Rights Council’s independent commission of inquiry on North Korea that the gravity of the regime’s violations “does not have any parallel in the contemporary world.” In December 2014, JBI also petitioned the UN Security Council to consider, for the first time, the human rights situation in North Korea, and to place the country’s abuses on to its agenda. A J C I M PAC T R E P O R T | 29
GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE PRESIDENT
CO M M I S S I O N C H A I R S
D E V E LO P M E N T CO M M IT T E E S
CO N T E M P O R A RY J E W I S H L I F E
Stanley M. Bergman
Carol S. Gown
N ATI O N A L P L A N N E D G I V I N G
Dov S. Zakheim, Chair
E X E C U TI V E D I R E C TO R , E DWA R D A N D SA N D R A M E Y E R O F F I C E O F T H E E X E C U TI V E D I R E C TO R
David W. Inlander
Suzanne D. Jaffe, Chair
Jerome Ostrov, Vice Chair
Allan J. Reich
WO M E N ’ S L E A D E R S H I P B OA R D
David Harris A D M I N I S T R ATI V E O F F I C E R S C H A I R , B OA R D O F G OV E R N O R S
Dov S. Zakheim E X E C U TI V E CO U N C I L O B S E RV E R S
Jeremiah J. Baronberg
Richard L. Berkman
Adena Philips
C H A I R , B OA R D O F T R U S T E E S
H O N O R A RY P R E S I D E N T S
John M. Shapiro A S S O C I AT E C H A I R , B OA R D O F T R U S T E E S
Roy J. Zuckerberg C H A I R , P R O G R A M CO O R D I N ATI N G CO M M IT T E E
Marvin Israelow CHAIR, LEADERSHIP D E V E LO P M E N T
Kim J. Pimley C H A I R , CO M M U N I C ATI O N S A N D M A R K E TI N G
Alan Melamed T R E A S U R E R /S E C R E TA RY
Ned Dubilo A S S O C I AT E T R E A S U R E R /C H A I R , B U D G E T CO M M IT T E E
Suzanne D. Jaffe
Robert H. Elman Howard I. Friedman E. Robert Goodkind Alfred H. Moses Bruce M. Ramer Robert S. Rifkind
Cori L. Berger, Chair F I N A N C E CO M M IT T E E S AU D IT
Henry W. Dubinsky, Chair Belinda Morris, Vice Chair BUDGET
Suzanne D. Jaffe, Chair Frank E. Linde, Vice Chair INVESTMENT
Andrew J. Melnick, Chair David R. Pedowitz, Vice Chair
Richard J. Sideman
I N V E S T M E N T S U B - CO M M IT T E E FO R C H A R ITA B L E G I F T A N N U ITI E S
Harold Tanner
Andrew J. Melnick, Chair
VICE PRESIDENTS
R E A L E S TAT E
Roberta Baruch
Martin D. Krall, Chair
Gail A. Binderman
RESTRICTED FUNDS
Casey Cogut
Jerry H. Biederman, Chair
Michael M. Davis
R E TI R E M E N T P L A N
Lee I. Miller
Stephen Kurzman, Chair
Netanel Saidoff
E X E C U TI V E CO M P E N SATI O N
H O N O R A RY V I C E P R E S I D E N T S
I N T E R N ATI O N A L R E L ATI O N S
Allan J. Reich, Chair Andrew H. Marks, Vice Chair I N T E R N ATI O N A L R E L ATI O N S SUBGROUPS R U S S I A N J E W I S H A F FA I R S
Daniel Igor Branovan, Co-Chair Cheryl Fishbein, Co-Chair S T R AT E G I C P O L I C Y G R O U P
Peter R. Rosenblatt, Chair I N T E R R E L I G I O U S A F FA I R S
David W. Inlander, Chair Mont S. Levy, Vice Chair N ATI O N A L P O L I C Y
Carol S. Gown, Chair Robert E. Lapin, Vice Chair N ATI O N A L P O L I C Y S U B G R O U P S E N E R GY CO M M IT T E E
Henry W. Dubinsky, Chair L E G A L CO M M IT T E E
Robert E. Lapin, Chair
Stanley M. Bergman, Chair
I N S TIT U T E S
C H A I R , AU D IT CO M M IT T E E
Rhoda Baruch
HUMAN RESOURCES
A J C A F R I C A I N S TIT U T E
Henry Dubinsky
Robert A. Belfer
Martin D. Krall, Co-Chair
Marion J. Bergman, Chair
CHAIR, REGIONAL OFFICES CO M M IT T E E
Richard H. Davimos
Michael L. Tichnor AT- L A R G E O F F I C E R S
Stuart E. Eizenstat Howard A. Gilbert
R I S K OV E R S I G H T
A J C B E R L I N R A M E R I N S TIT U T E
Martin D. Krall, Chair
Anthony E. Meyer, Co-Chair (U.S.)
G OV E R N A N C E
Joel R. Mogy, Chair
René-Pierre Azria
Jerome R. Goldstein
Roberta Baruch
Brindell Gottlieb
Matthew Bronfman
Leonard Greenberg
Alan L. Melamed, Chair
Michael Gould
Barbara B. Hirschhorn
Matthew J. Coen, Vice Chair
Martin D. Krall
Charlotte Holstein
Kenneth R. Levine
Gershon Kekst
Linda Mirels
Edward H. Meyer
Joel R. Mogy
Walter Nathan
Harriet P. Schleifer
Morris W. Offit Louis Perlmutter Elaine Petschek S. Stephen Selig III Harold T. Shapiro Carol B. Siegler Morton A. Siegler Richard S. Volpert
CO M M U N I C ATI O N S A N D M A R K E TI N G
N ATI O N A L L E A D E R S H I P D E V E LO P M E N T
Kim J. Pimley, Chair N O M I N ATI N G
Steven L. Zelkowitz, Chair P R O G R A M CO O R D I N ATI N G
Marvin Israelow, Chair REGIONAL OFFICES
Michael L. Tichnor, Chair Lawrence M. Adelman z"l, Vice Chair
Steven J. Wisch, Co-Chair (U.S.) Professor Dr. Rita Süssmuth, Co-Chair (Germany) A J C PA R I S
René-Pierre Azria, Chair A J C A S I A PAC I F I C I N S TIT U T E
Jeffrey E. Stone, Chair THE ARTHUR AND ROCHELLE B E L F E R I N S TIT U T E FO R L ATI N O A N D L ATI N A M E R I C A N A F FA I R S
Thomas S. Kahn, Chair JACO B B L AU S T E I N I N S TIT U T E FO R T H E A DVA N C E M E N T O F HUMAN RIGHTS
Jerry H. Biederman, Chair D O R OT H Y A N D J U L I U S KO P P E L M A N I N S TIT U T E O N AMERICAN JEWISH -ISRAELI R E L ATI O N S
Rabbi David Ellenson, Chair A J C P R OJ E C T I N T E R C H A N G E
Harriet P. Schleifer, Chair A J C T R A N SAT L A N TI C I N S TIT U T E
Robert H. Elman, Chair TA S K FO R C E S I M M I G R ATI O N TA S K FO R C E
Roberta Baruch, Chair (as of January 1, 2015)
30 | A J C I M PAC T R E P O R T
BOARD OF GOVERNORS Lawrence M. Adelman z"l
Jo Renee Fine
Arthur S. Karafin
Lawrence A. Neubauer
Lawrence Shelley
Stanford M. Adelstein
Cheryl Fishbein
Judi Kaufman
Kara Newmark**
Melvin Shuman **
Honey Kessler Amado
Samuel A. Fishman
Gershon Kekst
Robert L. Newmark
Richard Sideman William D. Siegel
RenĂŠ-Pierre Azria*
Martine Fleishman
Harris L. Kempner, Jr.
Marcia Nichols **
Jeremiah J. Baronberg***
Lois Frank
Bernita M. King
Daniel S. Och
Carol Siegler
Rhoda Baruch
Gerald E. Franks
Philip Kirsh
Morris W. Offit
Morton A. Siegler
Roberta S. Baruch*
Lawrence J. Freundlich
Samuel C. Klagsbrun
Jerome Ostrov
Jane A. Silverman
Julie Baskes
Beatrice Friedman
Martin Krall*
Beth H. Paradies
Donald Simon
Janine M. Behrman
Howard I. Friedman
Marjorie P. Kuhn
Robert S. Peckar
Richard Sokolov
Robert A. Belfer
Bonnie Corwin Fuller
Stephen Kurzman
David R. Pedowitz
James H. M. Sprayregen
Marion J. Bergman
Laurence S. Geller
Richard Lampen
Barbara Perlmutter
David F. Squire
Stanley M. Bergman*
Suzanne Lasky Gerard
Bruce S. Lane
Louis Perlmutter
Michael Srulovitz
Kenneth Peskin
Paul E. Stanzler
Howard A. Gilbert
David B. Lang
Roger M. Bernstein
Stuart S. Ginsberg**
Ruth Lapidus
Elaine Petschek
John M. Stein
David R. Berz**
Lawrence D. Ginsburg
Robert E. Lapin
Adena Philips ***
Tracy F. Stein
Jerry H. Biederman
Naomi Gitlin
Jack S. Levin
Kim J. Pimley *
Carlyn J. Steiner**
Gail A. Binderman
Dorian S. Goldman
H. Fred Levine
Daniel Pincus
Sylvia Steiner
Herbert Blecker
Clifford P. Goldstein
Kenneth Levine *
Ben A. Plotkin
Alfred Stern
Francine J. Blum
Jerome R. Goldstein
Karen M. Levy
Fred Pressner
Ellyn C. Stone
Daniel Igor Branovan
E. Robert Goodkind
Mont S. Levy
Nancy Weil Price**
Jeffrey E. Stone
Richard L. Berkman*
Matthew Bronfman*
Brindell Gottlieb
Sally S. Levy
Stanley A. Rabin
Fredrick Strober **
Howard Brown**
Candy Gould
Steven D. Levy
Amy Levin Ragen
Harold Tanner Michael L. Tichnor*
Seth Briskin **
Leon D. Gould
Kenneth Lewis
Bruce M. Ramer
Marcia Burnam
Michael Gould*
Eva F. Lichtenberg
Lee Ramer
Craig Unterberg
David H. Chaifetz
Carol S. Gown*
Frank E. Linde
Fred M. Rawicz
Madeline Unterberg
Leslie Chatzinoff
Martin Gradman
Peggy Lowenstein
Bonnie Rechler
Thomas I. Unterberg
Reeve Chudd
Eugene M. Grant
Carol F. Lowenthal
Allan J. Reich*
Anne Virag **
Matthew J. Coen
Leonard E. Greenberg
Stephen Lowey
Guy A. Reiss
Richard S. Volpert
Charles Cogut
Lauren Grien**
Dolly Maas
Barbara F. Resnek
Gary Walk **
Estelle F. Comay
Robert D. Gries
Kenneth D. Makovsky
David Rose **
Leonard B. Weinberg
Milton Cooper
Leonard E. Grossman
Fred R. Mardell
Elliott H. Rose
Robert Weinberger
Betty Cotton
Marshall B. Grossman
Jesse Margolin
Deborah Rosen
Sherry A. Weinman
Alan Dana
Andrew C. Hall**
Andrew H. Marks
Peter R. Rosenblatt
Ellen Ressler Werther
Richard H. Davimos
Joseph Harari
Bertram K. Massing
Lawrence Ruben
Leonard A. Wien, Jr.
Michael M. Davis
Leonard M. Harlan
Alan Melamed*
Kenneth A. Ruby
Steven J. Wisch
Ned Dubilo*
David Harris*
Andrew J. Melnick
A. James Rudin
Allan J. Zachariah Dov S. Zakheim
Stephen V. Dubin
Frances A. Hess z"l
Anthony E. Meyer
David Rudman**
Henry Dubinsky*
Robert T. Hexter
Edward H. Meyer
Jacques Safra
Steven L. Zelkowitz
Stuart E. Eizenstat
Ladd Hirsch **
Anne L. Meyers
Debra Smith Saidoff
Marshall S. Zolla Roy J. Zuckerberg*
David Ellenson
Barbara B. Hirschhorn
Rick Michelman**
Netanel Saidoff
Robert H. Elman
Harriet Hochman
James A. Miller
Harriet P. Schleifer*
Michael Ettinger**
Charlotte Holstein
Lee I. Miller
Dean Schramm **
Bryan Ezralow
David W. Inlander*
Barbara Mines
William B. Schwartz
Patricia Falkenberg
Marvin Israelow*
Linda Mirels*
Harry Seigle**
David J. Farber
Gary N. Jacobs
Joel R. Mogy*
Linda Selig
Jack Farber
Suzanne D. Jaffe*
Belinda Morris
S. Stephen Selig III
Joseph Farcus
Thomas S. Kahn
Alfred H. Moses
Walter Shapero
Michael Feldstein**
Genesia Perlmutter Kamen**
Iris Mushin
Harold T. Shapiro
Walter Nathan
John M. Shapiro*
Jerrold A. Fine
(as of January 1, 2015) *Executive Council Member **Regional Office President ***Global ACCESS Steering Committee Co-Chair
A J C I M PAC T R E P O R T | 31
RECOGNIZING AJC LEADERS MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL LEADERSHIP COUNCIL (NLC) PARTNER WITH AJC TO ADVOCATE FOR ISRAEL AND THE JEWISH PEOPLE AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS AROUND THE WORLD. EACH SUCCESSIVE LEVEL OF GIVING EARNS INCREASED ACCESS TO AJC’S UNPARALLELED DIPLOMACY, LEADERSHIP MISSIONS, AND OTHER UNIQUE ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITIES.
1
2
3
4 1 AJC leaders meet with former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton backstage at the AJC Global Forum 2014. 2 NLC members dine with Mexico’s Ambassador to the United States at his residence during the AJC Global Forum 2014. 3 NLC member Debi Wisch welcomes more than 2,000 attendees from over 70 countries to the AJC Global Forum 2015. 4 AJC leaders tour Rabat, Morocco, on an NLC mission to the Maghreb in 2014. 5 AJC leaders meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
5
38 | A J C I M PAC T R E P O R T
fourth from left, during a 2015 NLC mission to Israel.
National Leadership Council members are recognized at the following levels:
AMBASSADORS Annual donors of $100,000 and above
6
DIPLOMATS
$50,000-$99,999
DELEGATES
$25,000-$49,999
ADVOCATES
$10,000-$24,999
7
8 6 AJC leaders meet with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, second from right, during a 2014 NLC mission to Israel. 7 Israeli Ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor, left, chats with AJC President Stanley M. Bergman, center, and AJC Executive Council Member Allan Reich at an NLC reception with presidents of Pacific Island nations during the AJC Diplomatic Marathon in 2014. 8 AJC leaders meet with Bahraini Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa during a 2014 NLC mission to the Gulf. 9 AJC leaders at an NLC reception at the AJC Global Forum 2015.
9
A J C I M PAC T R E P O R T | 39
NATIONAL STAFF E DWA R D A N D SA N D R A M E Y E R O F F I C E O F T H E E X E C U TI V E D I R E C TO R
David Harris, Executive Director Victoria Schonfeld, Associate Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer Joey Resnick, Chief of Staff to the Executive Director Sarah Reinheimer, Deputy to the Chief Operating Officer R E S O U R C E D E V E LO P M E N T
Julie Schair, Associate Executive Director and National Director of Development Cathy Bezozo, National Associate Director of Development Michael Gilbert, Director of Regional Office Advancement Amy Cooper, Senior Development Director Leonard Myron, Senior Development Director Lilli Platt, Senior Development Director and Director of AJC Women’s Leadership Board Debra Rubenstein, National Director of Planned Giving Susan Tanenbaum, Senior Development Director Suzanne Bishop, Manager of Prospect Research Gary Spruch, Director of Development Communications Michelle Kroll, Assistant Director of Donor Relations Alexandra Lipner, Development Officer Jeffrey Jablansky, Grant Writer Jeannette Krauss, Development Associate Leatal Laby, Donor Relations Coordinator L E A D E R S H I P D E V E LO P M E N T A N D B OA R D E N G AG E M E N T
Nadine Greenfield-Binstock, Director Joanna Lieberman, Assistant Director Gosia Weiss, Senior Associate, Polish-Jewish Affairs Meggie Fredman, Coordinator D E PA R T M E N T O F REGIONAL OFFICES
Daniel Elbaum, Assistant Executive Director and Director of Regional Offices Kim Kamen, Associate Director Melanie Pell, Associate Director Amanda Mishler, Assistant Director CO M M U N I C ATI O N S A N D M A R K E TI N G
Ellisa Sagor, Assistant Executive Director and Director of Communications and Marketing Jonathan Schweitzer, Director of Public Affairs Ann Antoshak, Art Director Sharon Gelb, Print Production Manager Seffi Kogen, Communications Associate Kylie Brust, Marketing Coordinator Rachel Elias, Graphic Designer 40 | A J C I M PAC T R E P O R T
M E D I A R E L ATI O N S A N D P U B L I C ATI O N S
Kenneth Bandler, Director of Media Relations Lawrence Grossman, Director of Publications A R C H I V E S A N D R E CO R D S C E N T E R
Charlotte Bonelli, Director A J C ACC E S S
Alexis Frankel, ACCESS Global Director Danielle Cohen, ACCESS NY Director Eric Kaplan, Senior Associate, ACCESS Global Justine Ellis, Senior Associate, Goldman Bridge Fellowship Coordination O F F I C E O F G OV E R N M E N T A N D I N T E R N ATI O N A L A F FA I R S
Jason Isaacson, Associate Executive Director for Policy and Director of Government and International Affairs Melissa Spence, Director of Administration Aaron Jacob, Associate Director of International Affairs Andrew Baker, Director of International Jewish Affairs Richard Foltin, Director of National and Legislative Affairs Julie Fishman Rayman, Director of Political Outreach Joseph Dubroff, Assistant Director of Diplomatic Outreach Sonya Weisburd, Assistant Director of International Jewish Affairs Jack Patterson, Office Manager A J C A F R I C A I N S TIT U T E
Eliseo Neuman, Director A J C A S I A PAC I F I C I N S TIT U T E
Shira Loewenberg, Director Neil Sandberg, Director Emeritus Nissim Reuben, Assistant Director Daniel Silver, Coordinator Yael Amit, Southeast Asia Representative Arjun Hardas, New Delhi Representative Jerome Rosenberg, Tokyo Representative A J C B E R L I N R A M E R I N S TIT U T E
Deidre Berger, Director Josef Girshovich, Advocacy Coordinator Leonard Kaminski, Mideast Affairs Coordinator Fabian WeiĂ&#x;barth, Public Affairs Coordinator
A J C J E R U SA L E M
Avital Leibovich, Director Olga Tripp, Director of Seminars, Missions, and Delegations Yael Avnon, Associate Director of Seminars, Missions, and Delegations Arnona Shiron, Senior Assistant Director of Seminars, Missions, and Delegations Dorit Nuriel, Assistant Director of Seminar, Missions, and Delegations Mai Hermann-Akunis, Events Producer and Missions Coordinator Ella Goldberg, Assistant to the Director A J C PA R I S
Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, Director of AJC Paris and Director of AJC Europe Vincent Zappia, Assistant Director Jeremy Sebanne, Research and Writing Specialist, Feder Family Fellow Shani Benoualid, Social Media and Marketing Assistant A J C P R OJ E C T I N T E R C H A N G E
Robin Levenston, Executive Director Nisha Abkarian, Deputy Director and Director of International Programs Myra Clark-Siegel, Director of Communications and Senior Strategic Counsel Lili Gersch, Director of Alumni Engagement Nina Sundell, Director of U.S. Programs J Kendal Wolf, Director of Measurement and Analysis Miriam Ganem-Rosen, Associate Director of International Programs Christopher Townsend, Business and Resource Development Manager Elanna Cahn, Assistant Director of U.S. Programs Rachel Huxley-Cohen, Assistant Director of Communications Rachel Craig, Senior Program Associate Emily Wesolowski, Senior Program Associate A J C T R A N SAT L A N TI C I N S TIT U T E
Daniel Schwammenthal, Director George Van Bergen, Senior Policy Advisor Michael Sieveking, Political Affairs Officer Lea Siljak, Political Affairs Officer JACO B B L AU S T E I N I N S TIT U T E FO R T H E A DVA N C E M E N T O F HUMAN RIGHTS
Felice Gaer, Director Christen Broecker, Associate Director and Director of Research Shoshana Smolen, Advocacy/Editorial Officer THE ARTHUR AND ROCHELLE B E L F E R I N S TIT U T E FO R L ATI N O A N D L ATI N A M E R I C A N A F FA I R S
Dina Siegel Vann, Director Stephanie Guiloff, Associate Director of Global Programs Juan Dircie, Associate Director of Latino Task Forces Muriel Asseraf, Brazil Representative
RUSSIAN JEWISH CO M M U N IT Y A F FA I R S
Samuel Kliger, Director WILLIAM PETSCHEK CO N T E M P O R A RY J E W I S H L I F E D E PA R T M E N T
Steven Bayme, Director I N T E R N ATI O N A L I N T E R R E L I G I O U S A F FA I R S H E I L B R U N N I N S TIT U T E FO R I N T E R N ATI O N A L I N T E R R E L I G I O U S U N D E R S TA N D I N G
David Rosen, Director Avril Promislow, Assistant Director James Rudin, Senior Consultant Lisa Palmieri-Billig, Representative in Italy and Liaison to the Holy See INTERRELIGIOUS AND I N T E R G R O U P R E L ATI O N S
Noam Marans, Director Emily Soloff, Associate Director Ephraim Gabbai, Assistant Director HUMAN RESOURCES
Janet Besso Becker, Assistant Executive Director and Director of Human Resources and Strategic Implementation Shifra Sharbat, Associate Director of Human Resources and Employee Relations Manager Sala Schmigelski, Associate Director of Human Resources and Benefits Manager Sarah Page, Human Resources and Benefits Associate LEGAL
Marc Stern, General Counsel Avital Blanchard, Assistant General Counsel FINANCE
Richard Hyne, Chief Financial Officer Daniel Goldwater, Controller Rosslyn Khunovich, Deputy Controller Jane Sia, Finance Manager Romeo Dapito, Senior Accountant Valerie Blair, Accountant Carolina Segovia, Accountant/ Accounts Payable Sharon Chiu, Payroll Administrator I N FO R M ATI O N T E C H N O LO GY
Ruth Harenchar, Chief Information Officer Candice Price, Infrastructure Engineer Adam Sundel, Infrastructure Administrator Allen Wen, Help Desk Technician Mark Wilson, Business Analyst Simcha Druck, Business Analyst Nicole Barry, Junior Business Analyst FAC I L ITI E S
Amy Magdalin, Director of Facilities Michael Picozzo, Printshop/Mailroom Manager N ATI O N A L E V E N T S
Leslie Klion, Director Cecilia Golombek, Coordinator (as of August 21, 2015)
REGIONAL OFFICES AND INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS H E A D Q UA R T E R S
K A N SA S C IT Y
S T. LO U I S
CZECH REPUBLIC
Jacob Blaustein Building 165 East 56 Street New York, NY 10022
David T. Rudman, President Marvin Szneler, Regional Director
Joan E. Silber, President Nancy Lisker, Regional Director
The Federation of Jewish Communities
LO N G I S L A N D
SA N F R A N C I S CO
E L SA LVA D O R
Kenneth Greenberg, President Robert Socolof, Regional Director
Jonathan D. Graf, President Sarah Persitz, Regional Director Lynn Simon, Development Director
Comunidad Israelita de El Salvador
S E AT T L E
EUROPE
Carlyn Steiner, President Lila Pinksfeld, Regional Director
Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS)
REGIONAL OFFICES A R I ZO N A
Tim Eckstein, Chair AT L A N TA
Gregory Averbuch, President Dov Wilker, Regional Director Harold Hershberg, Assistant Regional Director Leah Berkowitz, Senior Associate, Leadership and Development B O S TO N
Mel Shuman, President Rob Leikind, Regional Director Jonathan Nierman, Development Director Rebecca Keys, Assistant Regional Director and Chief of Staff Diane Lieberman, Assistant Director for Program and Advocacy C H I C AG O
Ellyn C. Stone, President Amy Stoken, Regional Director Jane Charney, Assistant Regional Director Anna Glazer, Assistant Development Director Amy Miller, Assistant Regional Director Sarah Van Loon, Assistant Regional Director C I N C I N N ATI
Rick Michelman, President Cathy Heldman, Regional Director CLEVELAND
Michael Cantor, President Lee C. Shapiro, Regional Director Jennifer Kaplan, Assistant Regional Director DA L L A S
Ladd Hirsch, President Casie Squires, Assistant Regional Director D E T R O IT
Todd R. Mendel, President Kari Alterman, Regional Director H O U S TO N
Marcia Nichols, President Randall Czarlinsky, Regional Director
LO S A N G E L E S
Dean Schramm, President Marla Abraham, Development Director Siamak Kordestani, Assistant Regional Director Anna Prager, Assistant Regional Director Rachel Slaton, Assistant Development Director M I A M I A N D B R OWA R D CO U N T Y
Andrew C. Hall, President Brian Siegal, Regional Director Mark Kram, Development Director Michael Winograd, Assistant Regional Director NEW JERSEY
Michael Feldstein, President, Central New Jersey Genesia P. Kamen, President, Metro New Jersey John Rosen, Regional Director Allison Sachs Klein, Development Director Ilana Greenbaum, Assistant Regional Director N E W YO R K
David C. Rose, President Michael Schmidt, Regional Director Alex Bronzo, Associate Regional Director Sarah Levinson, Assistant Regional Director O R A N G E CO U N T Y
Susan Glass, Chair PA L M B E AC H CO U N T Y
Gary Walk, President Laurence Milstein, Regional Director PHILADELPHIA/ SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY
Frederick D. Strober, President Marcia Bronstein, Regional Director Andrew Demchick, Development Director Hilary Levine, Assistant Regional Director
WA S H I N G TO N , D.C .
E S TO N I A
Jewish Community of Estonia
Simeon M. Kriesberg, President Alan Ronkin, Regional Director Laura Milstein, Development Director Susan Sloan, Assistant Regional Director
GREECE
W E S TC H E S T E R / FA I R F I E L D
L AT V I A
Beverly B. Rosenbaum, President Scott Richman, Regional Director Vicki Kline, Development Director Jill Friedman, Associate Regional Director
Jewish Community of Latvia
W E S T COA S T F LO R I DA
Anne Virag, President Brian Lipton, Regional Director I N D E P E N D E N T A F F I L I AT E S M I LWAU K E E A R E A J E W I S H CO M M IT T E E
Harriet McKinney, Director P IT T S B U R G H A R E A J E W I S H CO M M IT T E E
Karen Hochberg, Director Susan Simons, Director of Youth Programming Sarah Shotland, Director of Marketing and Communications OREGON AREA J E W I S H CO M M IT T E E
Joanne Van Ness Menashe, Director I N T E R N ATI O N A L PA R T N E R S A R G E N TI N A
Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) AU S T R A L I A
Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece (KIS) G UAT E M A L A
Comunidad Judia de Guatemala
M E X I CO
Tribuna Israelita M O L D OVA
Jewish Community of the Republic of Moldova M O R O CCO
Conseil des Communautés Israélites du Maroc PA N A M A
Consejo Ejecutivo de la Comunidad Judia de Panamá PERU
Asociación Judía del Perú POLAND
Union of Jewish Religious Communities PORTUGAL
Comunidade Israelita de Lisboa (CIL) ROMANIA
Federation of Jewish Communities S LOVA K R E P U B L I C
Union of Jewish Religious Communities SOUTH AFRICA
South African Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS)
Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS)
S PA I N
B U LG A R I A
Shalom
Fédération Suisse des Communautés Israélites
CHILE
TUNISIA
Comité Representativo de Entidades Judías Chile (CREJ)
Communaute Juive de Tunisie
CO LO M B I A
Centro Israelita de Bogota
Confederación de Asociaciones Israelitas de Venezuela (CAIV)
CO S TA R I C A
WO R L DW I D E
Centro Israelita Sionista
World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS)
Federación de Communidades Israelitas de España S W IT Z E R L A N D
VENEZUELA
A J C I M PAC T R E P O R T | 41
TREASURER’S REPORT As the Treasurer of AJC, I am pleased to submit this report of
AJC’s Balance Sheet continues to exemplify an organization with
AJC’s financial condition and activities for 2014.
a solid financial standing both now and projecting into the future. AJC’s total assets of $164.7 million exceeded total liabilities of
Revenues, gains, and other support income in 2014 totaled $55.0
$43.1 million, resulting in net assets of $121.6 million. Current
million, comprised of (1) Contributions, trusts and bequests of
assets of $61.3 million exceeded current liabilities of $19.0 million
$48.2 million, including $36.6 million unrestricted, $11.4 million
by $42.3 million, indicating a favorable liquidity position.
temporarily restricted, and $0.2 million permanently restricted, and (2) Investment-related and other income of $6.8 million, including
AJC remains ever vigilant in pursuit of revenue growth from
$2.4 million unrestricted and $4.4 million temporarily restricted.
all sources, which will further enhance its financial stability and allow for expansion of the many indispensable programs that
Operating expenses in 2014 totaled $46.6 million, which were
AJC consistently provides.
closely monitored. AJC is committed to the highest standards of good stewardship With strong financial support and tight control over expenses,
and accountability, and will continue to act in a fiscally responsible
AJC’s net assets increased in 2014 by $8.3 million, excluding
manner to safeguard all of its assets. We once again thank you for
two non-operating items. The first was a non-cash pension and
your support of the vital work of AJC.
postretirement charge of $10.9 million that was due primarily to an increase in the calculated pension liability, resulting from a
AJC is a 501(c)(3) not-for profit organization, tax ID # 13-5563393.
combination of a change in mortality tables to reflect increased longevity of participants and a drop in interest rates. The second was a $6.5 million transfer of net assets to Thanks to Scandinavia, which agreed with AJC to terminate its affiliation effective at the end of 2014. Factoring in these two non-operating charges that totaled $17.4 million, AJC’s net assets decreased by $9.1 million,
NED DUBILO
to $121.6 million.
Treasurer
42 | A J C I M PAC T R E P O R T
FINANCIAL REPORT AJC AND AFFILIATES
C O N S O L I DAT E D B A L A N C E S H E E T S , DECEMBER 3 1 , 2014 AND 2013 (in thousands)
C O N S O L I DAT E D S TAT E M E N T S O F AC T I V I T I E S , YE ARS ENDED DECEMBER 3 1 , 2014 AND 2013 (in thousands)
2014
A S S E T S
2013
CHANGES IN UNRESTRICTED
2014
2013
NET ASSETS: REVENUES,
Cash and cash equivalents $ 22,563 $ 18,984 Contributions receivable, net 14,454 12,891 Investments, at fair value 112,316 111,048 Prepaid expenses and other assets 1,234 813 Beneficial interest in third party trusts 7,573 5,827 Fixed assets, net 6,544 7,155 Total assets $ 164,684 1 $ 156,718 LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS
Accounts payable and accrued expenses 5,142 5,518 Amounts held on behalf of Thanks to Scandinavia 6,524 2 Accrued pension and other benefit obligations 29,462 3 18,576 Liability under split-interest agreements 1,923 1,934 Total liabilities 43,051 1 26,028 NET ASSETS
Unrestricted
12,381
19,639
Temporarily restricted4 48,532 50,563 Permanently restricted (corpus) 60,720 60,488 Total net assets 121,633 130,690 Total liabilities and net assets $ 164,684 $ 156,718 1 Current assets of $61,335 exceed current liabilities of $19,017 by $42,318. 2 In 2014, AJC and Thanks to Scandinavia terminated their affiliation with a final effective date of December 31, 2014. 3 The increase in the obligation in 2014 was due primarily to a change in mortality tables (to reflect increased longevity of participants) and decrease in the interest rate used to calculate the pension obligation. 4 Includes accumulated appreciation on corpus of permanently restricted funds.
C O M B I N E D E X P E N S E A L LO C AT I O N S , YE AR ENDED DECEMBER 3 1 , 2014 (in thousands)
GAINS, AND OTHER SUPPORT
Contributions and special events, net $ 36,180 $ 37,746 Trusts and bequests 371 587 Investment income and net gains on investments 150 79 Other income 2,236 2,085 Net assets released from restrictions 11,323 10,430 Total revenue, gains, and other support 50,260 50,927 O P E R AT I N G E X P E N S E S
Program services Supporting services Total operating expenses Excess of revenue, gains, and other support over operating expenses
35,141 33,153 11,498 10,841 46,639 43,994 3,621
6,933
Pension and postretirement changes other than net periodic benefit cost (10,879) 3 Change in unrestricted net assets (7,258)
6,186 13,119
N O N O P E R AT I N G I T E M S
C H A N G E S I N T E M P O R A R I LY RESTRICTED NET ASSETS
Contributions 11,429 8,422 Trusts and bequests - 3,103 Investment income and net gains on investments 2,641 11,876 Change in value of split-interest agreements 1,746 Net assets released from restrictions (11,323) (10,430) Transfer of net assets of Thanks to Scandinavia (6,524) 2 Change in temporarily restricted net assets (2,031) 12,971 C H A N G E S I N P E R M A N E N T LY RESTRICTED NET ASSETS
T O TA L
T O TA L
PROGRAM
EXPENSES
SERVICES
$46,639
$35,141
Contributions Other Increase in corpus of permanently restricted net assets
232 2,241 - (550) 232
1,691
SU M MARY OF N ET ASSETS
Change in net assets (9,057) 27,781 Net assets at beginning of year 130,690 102,909 Net assets at end of year $ 121,633 $ 130,690 75% Total Program Services 16% Fundraising 9% Management
40% International Relations 38% Regional Offices and
Local Advocacy
9% Strategic Communications
and General
and Public Relations
7% Interreligious and
Intergroup Relations
3% National Policy 2% Contemporary Jewish Life 1% Other
A J C I M PAC T R E P O R T | 43
CHARITABLE BEQUESTS TO AJC*
I N M E M O R IAM
AJC remembers with respect and appreciation the outstanding leaders we lost in 2014. We will cherish their commitment for years to come. May their memories always be for a blessing. L AUREL BOROWICK
Laurel Borowick, beloved wife and mother, was an active member of AJC Westchester/Fairfield and an accomplished lawyer dedicated to justice and the Jewish community. Her courageous fight with cancer for over twenty years demonstrated selflessness, kindness, and spirit. Her dedication to AJC and her community will be remembered for years to come. VICTOR S . FRIEDMAN
Victor Friedman, beloved husband of Victoria Schonfeld, AJC’s Chief Operating Officer, was a Yale Law School graduate and distinguished attorney with a lifelong commitment to the pursuit of justice. He was also a classical pianist, an avid bridge and tennis player, and a volunteer tutor in public schools. May the memory of this erudite, compassionate, courageous, and dignified man always be an inspiration. AL AN “ACE” GREENBERG
Alan Greenberg served for many years as Chairman of AJC’s Wall Street Division and the Herbert H. Lehman Tribute. He himself was twice the recipient of AJC’s Lehman Award. A Wall Street legend, Ace was known for his good humor, and for decades enchanted AJC with his warmth, generosity, and ceaseless devotion to the well-being of the Jewish people. AJC is deeply grateful for his friendship. DONALD M . L ANDIS
Don Landis was a past president of AJC Westchester/Fairfield, dedicated philanthropist, and national Board of Governors member. He upheld Jewish values, devoting years of his life to the Jewish communities of the Westchester region of New York. Don’s commitment will be deeply missed and forever cherished. BERNARD WALLERSTEIN
Bernard Wallerstein, veteran of the United States Army during World War II and a stockbroker for renowned firms in the tri-state area, was a committed patron of the Jewish people. He was active in his Jewish community of New Jersey up until the age of 98, and felt particularly passionate about interfaith relations and GermanJewish ties. He was a member of the AJC New Jersey board and the national Board of Governors. Bernard’s tireless commitment will be forever missed. ERNEST WEINER
Ernest Weiner, better known as Ernie, was the Executive Director of AJC San Francisco for 37 years. A World War II veteran, Ernie dedicated his life to the good of the Jewish people. He is remembered by his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren for his vibrancy, exceptional wit, passion for Yiddish, and love of Israel. AJC is grateful for the many lasting contributions Ernie made to the organization.
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AJC’S MISSION To enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel, and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and around the world.