Press Release - 06.11.2003

 

Jewish Leaders Named to U.S. Delegation for Vienna Conference on Anti-Semitism

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Contact: Shai Franklin, NCSJ (202-898-2500)

June 11, 2003 – NCSJ reported today that six Jewish leaders have been named as public members of the official U.S. delegation to next week’s international conference on anti-Semitism, convened in Vienna by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.  A comprehensive online resource on the Vienna conference is available at http://ncsj.org/Vienna2003.shtml.

Dr. Robert J. Meth, NCSJ Chairman, who will be leading the NCSJ delegation to the Vienna conference, stressed, “This is a critical opportunity in European history, where for the first time a permanent mechanism of governments and citizens – from across Europe and North America – will be established for coordinating the fight against anti-Semitism.  NCSJ has been involved with the OSCE, or the ‘Helsinki process’, for three decades, first to promote freedom for Soviet Jewry and then to build pluralistic post-Communist societies.  For the past year we have devoted our energies to opening this new track of the Helsinki process, in which several of the new democracies have proven instrumental allies.”

According to Meth, “The U.S. Government and Congress have worked diligently and skillfully with the OSCE’s Dutch Chairmanship and others to generate the necessary support for this urgently needed long-term mechanism.  We are very pleased that, in following the example of past OSCE meetings, the United States Government has invited top professionals and experts from American public life to participate as members of the official delegation, including our own Executive Director Mark Levin, underscoring the partnership between American government and society in the campaign for human rights and democracy.”

Six American Jewish leaders will participate as public members of the official U.S. delegation:

	Rabbi Andrew Baker – Director of International Jewish Affairs, American Jewish Committee
	Abraham H. Foxman – National Director, Anti-Defamation League
	Cheryl Halpern    –  Former National Chairman, Republican Jewish Coalition    –  Chairwoman, United Nations Committee, B’nai B’rith International  –  Former Member, Broadcasting Board of Governors
	Malcolm Hoenlein - Executive Vice Chair, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
	Mark B. Levin – Executive Director, NCSJ
	Daniel S. Mariaschin – Executive Vice President, B’nai B’rith International

NCSJ Executive Director Mark Levin reported that, in addition to former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani who will head the delegation and the six public members, other U.S. delegates will include Ambassador Randolph Bell of the State Department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs; Ambassador Stephan Minikes, U.S. Representative to the OSCE in Vienna; and several Senators and Members of Congress.  “Mayor Giuliani will provide strong and credible leadership in Vienna, especially given his distinguished record of public service and his personal commitment to advancing pluralism and fighting anti-Semitism,” Levin said.  “The selection of this prominent American, who is respected worldwide, is only the latest indication of the seriousness with which the United States Government approaches these issues, and we hope European governments will follow suit.”

NCSJ: Advocates on behalf of Jews in Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States & Eurasia – a voluntary, non-profit agency created in 1971 - is the mandated central coordinating agency of the organized American Jewish community for policy and activities on behalf of the estimated 1.5 million Jews in the former Soviet Union. NCSJ comprises nearly 50 national organizations and over 300 local federations, community councils and committees across the United States. Through this extensive network, NCSJ mobilizes the resources, energies and talents of millions of U.S. citizens, and also represents the American Jewish community in dealings with similar national groups abroad, and at international fora.

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