After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID pandemic, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations will convene for the 40th time in Jerusalem next Sunday, February 13, in the presence of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Foreign Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid, Defense Minister Benny Gantz, former prime minister and Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu, and other senior Israeli officials.
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The Conference of Presidents, an American non-profit umbrella organization comprising 51 Zionist Jewish organizations, addresses issues of concern to the Jewish community and Israel. The organization is led by Chief Executive Officer William Daroff, while Malcolm Hoenlein, who headed the organization for many years, continues to serve as its vice-chairman.
In a joint interview ahead of the conference, Hoenlein and Daroff said holding it in Jerusalem after two years was indicative of an expected uptick in US Jews visiting Israel as the Omicron wave wanes.
"Our conference was the last to be held in Israel… in March 2020 prior to the COVID outbreak, and is the first and most significant American Jewish conference to return to Israel, with what we hope is the beginning of a return to normal, also in terms of relations with the Diaspora," said, Daroff.
According to Hoenlein, the fact that many American Jews were unable to visit Israel during the pandemic affirmed the importance and centrality of the Jewish state in their lives.
"The Israeli government's policy to close the skies was difficult for the Jewish community, although it's understandable that the government wanted to protect its citizens. In my opinion, though, this is exactly why well see, now that it's possible to come here, a large wave of tourists, of all religious streams, come visit and many that will immigrate. I'm optimistic. I think the hard times have strengthened the bond with Israel," said Hoenlein.
'A wave of events we haven't seen in 80 years'
He continued: "In addition to the difficulties created by the pandemic, the Jewish community in the US experienced and is still experiencing a large wave of antisemitism. Jews of all streams, not just those who appear outwardly Jewish, are being attacked in massive numbers all across the country. There are drawings of swastikas and slogans on synagogues, on a large scale, and not everything is reported. Of course, there was a series of violent attacks, including the massacre in Pittsburgh in 2018 and the hostage crisis in Colleyville, Texas recently. It happened before in Europe, we predicted it would reach us in the US and we prepared. This is a wave of events we haven't seen in 80 years."
Although the Jewish community hasn't returned to what it was pre-COVID, said Daroff, it has proven its considerable fortitude.
"When the pandemic erupted, we were very worried that Jewish institutions, including organizations that worked to strengthen Israel-US relations, would be badly damaged, but many organizations and initiatives exhibited flexibility in how they reconnected with their constituencies and this shows a great deal of toughness.
"Naturally, though, most synagogues saw a decline in the number of physical congregants. Much of the activity shifted to the virtual sphere, but the volume of activity increased, and there are more participants in digital activities than there were in physical activities prior to the pandemic. Essentially, the community is adapting itself to the 21st Century. Even within this change, Israel is one of the stable things the Jewish community has," he said.
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