The World Jewish Congress marked 90 years since its founding in Geneva on Sunday evening, opening a week of high-level meetings focused on rising antisemitism, global extremism, and the security of Jewish communities worldwide, the organization said in a statement.
The commemorative gala dinner, hosted jointly by the WJC and its Swiss affiliate, the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG), brought together members of the WJC Governing Board, Jewish community representatives from around the world, diplomats, and senior government officials involved in combating antisemitism.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin addressed the gathering, reflecting on Switzerland’s historic role as a center of diplomacy and international cooperation. He welcomed the WJC’s return to Geneva, where the organization was founded in 1936.
“It is an honor to join you today in celebrating the jubilee of the World Jewish Congress, here in Geneva, where the organization was founded 90 years ago,” Parmelin said. He was introduced by WJC Vice President and SIG President Ralph Friedländer.
“Switzerland shares the WJC’s conviction that it is possible to bring peace to the Middle East and to address the concerns of the Palestinian people as well,” Parmelin said. “Switzerland is committed to supporting a democratic Israel that adheres to international standards.”
Organization’s founding mission remains relevant amid rising antisemitism
The WJC was founded in Geneva in August 1936, as antisemitism was spreading across Europe and Jews in Nazi Germany were being stripped of their rights. According to the organization, 230 delegates representing Jewish communities in 32 countries attended the founding gathering.
WJC President Ronald S. Lauder said the organization’s founding mission remained relevant as Jewish communities face rising antisemitism and instability.
“Ninety years after the founding of the World Jewish Congress in this city, Jewish communities once again find themselves confronting rising hatred, extremism, and profound uncertainty,” Lauder said. “The responsibility of this organization, to unite, defend, and advocate for the Jewish people on the international stage, remains as vital today as it was in 1936.”
WJC honors Ran Gvili’s family
Chella Safra, opening her first gathering as chair of the WJC Governing Board, said the anniversary was both a commemoration of the organization’s history and a reaffirmation of its future mission.
Addressing government officials at the event, Safra said that repeated singling out of Israel “fuels distortion” and “deepens division.”
“We commend and appreciate those within the international community who are working to confront antisemitism with courage and seriousness,” she said. “But we cannot ignore when that system is broken.”
Lauder, Safra, and WJC Israel Region President Sylvan Adams also presented the Israel Resilience Award to the family of Ran Gvili, whom the WJC described as the final hostage held in Gaza following the October 7 massacre.
“Ran’s memory is now forever part of the story of Jewish courage and resilience, during one of the hardest chapters in modern history,” Adams said, addressing Ran’s parents, Itzik and Talik Gvili. “You are our north star.”
Talik Gvili, Ran’s mother, told the gathering that after October 7, Israelis came to understand the central role of Jewish communities around the world.
“The Jewish communities around the world are the backbone of the State of Israel,” she said. “You are our strength, our support system, our belt of power.”
The Geneva meetings are scheduled to continue throughout the week with sessions of the WJC Governing Board and the WJC’s Special Envoys and Coordinators Combating Antisemitism Network.