Jerusalem Post 50 Most Influential Jews: Number 33 - Malcolm Hoenlein
Leader of US Jewry.
By DANIELLE ZIRIMalcolm Hoenlein(photo credit: CONFERENCE OF PRESIDENTS)
This year marks the 30th year that Malcolm Hoenlein has served as the executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the coordinating body for over 52 US Jewish organizations. During his tenure, Hoenlein has met with dozens of world leaders and Jewish communities all over the world, with the goal of representing the Jewish community on issues of national and international concern, including Israel and Middle East affairs, Soviet and World Jewry, terrorism, the American Jewish community, and intergroup relations.Hoenlein has served as the founding executive director of the Greater New York Conference on Soviet Jewry, and the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York.Over the past year, Hoenlein dedicated much of his work to Iran and the threats posed by its nuclear and non-nuclear activities, which he sees as today’s major challenge in the international arena. The Conference of Presidents also expanded its outreach to African, Asian, and other countries, particularly Arab and Muslim States for economic, political, and security cooperation.“On the domestic front, we have devoted a great deal of time to counteracting the growth of efforts to delegitimize Israel, both on and off campus,” he told The Jerusalem Post.Hoenlein and the Presidents Conference have worked to counter bias against Israel on many fronts, including at the United Nations and its agencies, where anti-Israel resolutions have been put on the table.“We anticipate these issues will continue to challenge us in the coming year, especially in the aftermath of the US election, which has taken so much of the focus of attention over the past few months,” he said.Hoenlein, 72, is already preparing for the aftermath of the US presidential election in November.“We will work to ensure the unity of our community while we reach out to the new administration and Congress,” he stated.