Drawing on the success of last year’s conference,
the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee together with
the European Council of Jewish Communities and
the European Jewish Congress
are pleased to invite you to the
2nd European Jewish Communities Summit
“Building Resilient Communities”
in Barcelona, November 13-14
The conference's goal is to further explore different aspects pertaining to community resilience offering a space where community leaders and executives can discuss, exchange and learn about critical issues affecting our organisations nowadays.
The Summit will be structured by plenary sessions with keynote speakers and community
leaders sharing their experiences and best practices and parallel workshops
to promote a learning experience.
The Summit Building Resilient Communities is supported by the UJA Federation of New York
and the collaboration of EAJCC - European Association of Jewish Community Centers
President Of The Government Of Catalonia
Carles Puigdemont Casamajó studied Catalan Philology in the University of Girona,
then followed a career in journalism and
became editor-in-chief and director of Catalonia Today, a daily issued newspaper in English.
In 2006 he was elected Member of
the Parliament of Catalonia and chaired the Culture and Language Commission along
being a member of the Foreign and Eu Action, Youth Policy and Education commissions.
In 2011 he was elected Mayor of Girona,
the first non-socialist to win a mayoral election
in the country’s democratic era. In his first term
he was member of the Executive Committee
of the Association of Municipalities for Independence, chairman of the Committee
for Cultural-Historical Heritage, President
of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities
and Provinces and Vice-President of
the Catalan Association of Municipalities.
In 2015 he was re-elected as Mayor
and served as President of the Association
of Municipalities for Independence
from July 2015 until January 2016.
On January 12th, he was officially sworn in
as the 130th President of the Government of Catalonia.
EU Commission - Coordinator On Combating Antisemitism
Katharina Von Schnurbein (German) Was Appointed Coordinator Of The European Commission On Combating Antisemitism In December 2015. Before She Was Responsible Coordinator Of The Dialogue With Religions And Non-Confessional Organisations As A Member Of The EC President's Advisory Team (2010-2015).
Katharina Started Her Career At The European Commission In 2002 As Press Officer At The Commission's Delegation In Prague. In 2004 She Became Commission Spokesperson For Employment, Social Affairs And Equal Opportunities And Joined The Team Of The Czech EU Commissioner Vladimír Špidla. Prior To These Posts, Katharina Worked For The Chairman Of The European Affairs Committee At The German Bundestag In Berlin As Well As A For An International Crisis Management Consultancy.
Her Educational Background Includes Undergraduate Studies Of Political Science And Slavonic Studies At Charles University In Prague And The University Of Bonn, A Master Of Slavonic Studies From Oxford University (1997) And A Master Of European Studies From The Center For European Integration Studies In Bonn (1999).
Katharina Is Married And Has Four Children. She Speaks German, English, Czech, Dutch And French..
President Jewish Community of Barcelona
Uriel Benguigui Azulay Was Born In Melilla In 1979. MBA & Civil Engineer. He´S The CEO And Founder Of SHEVAT ENGINEERING LTD AND GRUP ELYA ENGINYERIA & CONSTRUCCIÓ LTD.
Since 2012 President Of Keren Hayesod In Barcelona, And Since 2014 Is The Elected President Of The Jewish Community Of Barcelona, And Vice President Of The Spanish Federation Of Jewish Communities.
Professor - Historian
Born in 1960 in Kibbutz Hulda, the eldest daughter of writer Amos Oz and his wife Nily, and great-great-niece of historian and literary scholar Joseph Klausner, Oz-Salzberger was educated in kibbutz schools and served as an officer in the Israel Defense Forces. She completed her BA in history and philosophy (magna cum laude) and MA in modern history (summa cum laude) at Tel Aviv University. Her doctoral thesis on the Scottish and German Enlightenments (1991) was written at the University of Oxford, supervised by Dr. John Robertson and mentored by philosopher Isaiah Berlin. She was a Senior Scholar at Lincoln College, Oxford (1988–90), and a Hornik Junior Research Fellow in Intellectual History at Wolfson College, Oxford (1990–93).
Teaching at the University of Haifa since 1993, Oz-Salzberger was appointed Associate Professor in 2009. Her book Israelis in Berlin, which was published in 2001 in Hebrew and German, became a prism of Israeli–German dialog. She has taken part in media panels and interviews, commenting on politics, culture and literature, and contributed opinion articles to major newspapers and journals in Israel and globally. She is active on advisory boards of the Israel Democracy Institute and the German-Israeli Future Forum.
Oz-Salzberger is married to Professor Eli Salzberger. They have two sons.
In November 2012, the book Jews and Words , co-authored by Oz-Salzberger and her father, was published by Yale University Press. The book is an essay on Jewish history from a secular Israeli vantage point, reflecting an ongoing dialog between father and daughter, novelist and historian.
Executive Vice-President European Jewish Congress
Raya Kalenova was elected as the Executive Vice-President of the European Jewish Congress (EJC) in 2012. From 2008 till 2012, Raya served as Deputy Secretary General and was responsible for the creation and management of the EJC office in Brussels.
Raya Kalenova is also a member of the Board of the World Holocaust Forum Foundation and represents the EJC at the World Jewish Restitution Organization and Claims Conference. Raya has always been active as volunteer in different Jewish charities and organisations, such as Keren Hayessod, WIZO, Israel Bonds, Musica Mundi and many others.
The European Jewish Congress is the democratically-elected official representative organization of over 40 European Jewish communities.
Vicepresident EJC & Chair SACC by EJC
Dr. Muzicant Was Born In Haifa In 1952 And Moved To Vienna In 1956. After Finishing The Lycée Francais De Vienne, Baccalaureat 1970, He Studied
Medicine At The University Of Vienna, Dr. Med. 1976. In 1977, Takeover Of Columbus-Immobilien, Which In The Last 25 Years Became One Of The Largest Real Estate Consultant And Broker Agencies In Vienna And Partner Of Colliers International Property Consultants (3rd-Largest Real Estate Network Worldwide).
He Has 45 Years Of Continued Involvement
In Jewish Life In Vienna, In A Large Number Of Functions And Institutions: President Jewish Students, Founder And President Of The Jewish School In Vienna (1979 - 1995), President Bnai
Brith-ZPC Loge (1996 - 1998), Vice President (1981 - 1998) And President (1998 – 2012) Of The Jewish Community Of Vienna And Austria (IKG). Since 2012 President Of Keren Hajessod / UJA-Austria And Honorary President Of IKG.
From 1998-2006 He Was A Member Of The Executive Of EJC, Several Years Of Which As Vice President. Since November 2012 Member Of The EJC Executive, Vicepresident EJC. Member Of The WJC Executive, Vicepresident WJC. President Of SACC By EJC.
CEO Security and Crisis Centre - SACC
European Jewish Congress
Ophir Revach is an expert in security.
With over 30 years of combined Information Technology, Physical Means, Cyber and Crisis Management experience.
He has worked for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and as a consultant for private companies and various bodies.
Rabbi and Co Leader of the Liberal Jewish Movement in France
Delphine Horvilleur (born 1974) is France's third female rabbi, and (as of 2012) editor-in-Chief
of a quarterly Jewish magazine. She leads a congregation in Paris, and is currently co-leading the Liberal Jewish Movement of France, a Jewish liberal cultural and religious association affiliated to the World Union for Progressive Judaism, which she joined in 2008. In 2013 her book "En tenue d’Eve. Féminin, Pudeur et Judaïsme" ("In a Birthday Suit: Feminism, Modesty and Judaism"), which discusses the representation of nudity and modesty in the Bible, was published.
She was born and raised in Nancy, but moved to Jerusalem at the age of 17 and studied life sciences at the Hebrew University.Five years later, she came back to Paris and worked as
a journalist.
She studied with well-known Jewish scholars,
such as French philosopher Marc-Alain Ouaknin
and ex-Chief Rabbi Gilles Bernheim, and eventually moved to New York and studied at Drisha Yeshiva. She was ordained at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 2008,
and later returned to France.
Government And International Affairs Director At The Community Security Trust - CST UK
Michael Whine Has Worked At The Community Security Trust Since 1986. Between 1986 And 2015 He Was Also The Defence And Group Relations Director At The Board Of Deputies Of British Jews And Consultant On Security To The European
Jewish Congress.
Between 2005 And 2009 He Was A Member Of
The London Criminal Justice Board Independent Advisors Group, And Between 2004 And 2012
He Was A Member Of The Metropolitan Police Authority Hate Crime Forum.
Between 2006 And 2007 He Was The Civilian Member Of The Law Enforcement Officers Programme Of The OSCE, Training European
Police Officers To Investigate Hate Crime.
Between 2010 And 2012 He Was The Lay Advisor
To The Counter Terrorism Division Of The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), And Since 2013 He Has Been A Member Of The London CPS Hate Crime Scrutiny Panel Which Assesses Hate Crime Prosecutions.
In 2013 He Was Appointed The UK Member Of ECRI, The Council Of Europe Commission Against Racism And Intolerance Which Advises Member States On Human Rights. In 2016 He Was Elected To ECRI’s Working Group On Civil Society And Specialised Bodies, Which Works With Member States’ Human Rights Commissions And Ombudsman’s Offices. Since The Beginning Of The Year He Has Also Been Advising The European Human Rights Commissioner On Combating Antisemitism And Coalition-Building Between Faith Groups.
CEO Of SPCJ*
She Holds A Master’s Degree In Psuchology And Has Been A Manager In A Strategy Consulting Firm For 12 Years. She Is A Very Active Professional Working With Both The French Government And The Jewish Community Of France And Its Top Leaders.
*SPCJ Provides Security Advice And Assistance To The French Jewish Community And Represents The Jewish Community To Governement And Police On Matters Of Antisemitism, Security And Terrorism.
Rabbi Bob Kaplan Is Currently The Founding
Director Of The Center For Community Leadership,
A Division Of The Jewish Community Relations Council Of New York (JCRC. He Is Involved In Issues Including Conflict Resolution, Coalition Building, Interracial/Inter-Religious Relationships, Combating Hate Crimes, And Community Building.
He Has Served On The Board Of Habitat For Humanity- NY And Health Plus And Currently Serves On The Boards Of The Lutheran Medical Center And The Lutheran Family Health Care Centers As Well As The Board Of The Center Of Ethnic And Community Media At The City University Of New York. Amongst The Leadership Initiatives He Has Founded Are; YouthBridge-NY, The We Are All Brooklyn, And Queens, We Are The Bronx, Community Connections, And Haitian Leaders Fellowships.
Under Rabbi Kaplan’s Leadership, The Commission Has Been Instrumental In Developing And Consulting Many Community-Based Coalitions And Community Building. He Founded The Queens Forum And Institute At La Guardia Community College And The Bronx Center For Non – Profits. Groups Dedicated To Improving The Quality Of Life For All.
Rabbi Kaplan Is Called Upon By The Non-Profit And Government Sectors And As An Expert And Consultant In The Arena Of Diversity, Community Building, Leadership Development, Coalitions, And Intergroup Relations.
In February 2009, Bob Kaplan, Along With Mohammed Razvi, Trained Jewish And Arab Leaders In The Skills Of Coalition Building And Coexistence Work, In Mixed Cities In Israel On The Behalf Of The U.S. State Department. He Also Served As A Consultant For The United Kingdom Foreign Office Working With Groups In London And Bristol On Muslim /Jewish Relations. He Has Also Lectured For The Jamaican Foreign Ministry, European Union And The Department Of State Of The United States On Issues Of Diversity, Ethnic Media, Coalition And Community Building, Social Change And Responsibility In The Media And Community Organizing. He Has Served As A Delegate And Presenter To The Doha International Center For Interfaith Dialogue.
Rabbi Kaplan Served As An Adjunct Professor In The Jewish Studies Department At The City College Of New York Where He Taught A Course On The Jewish Immigrant Experience In New York City. He Served As A Member Of The Design And Training Team For The Interfaith Health Program Of The Carter Center To The Rollins School Of Public Health At Emory University.
Rabbi Kaplan Serves As A Member Of The Mayor DeBlasio’s Interfaith Advisory Committee And The NYC Department Of Education’s Diversity Council. He Served As A Red Cross Chaplain In Response To The World Trade Center Attack Following 9/11. He Presented To President Clinton’s White House Conference On Race And Was A Member Of The Plenary Committee For The United Nations Conference, Habitat II. He Served As The Coalition Consultant To The Black/Jewish Congressional Coalition In Washington DC.
Director General of The Police, Department Of The Interior Of The Generalitat Of Catalonia
Albert Batlle i Bastardas is a law graduate from
the University of Barcelona. He has spent
most of his professional and political career
in the service of public institutions:
Barcelona City Council, Barcelona Provincial
Council, Government of Catalonia and
Anti-Fraud Office. In June 2014 he was
appointed Director General of the Police Department of the Interior of the Generalitat of Catalonia .
Senior Vice President Board Of Deputies
Of British Jews
Richard Is From Manchester, England, Currently Living In London. After Graduating From Oxford University He Decided To Spend A Year Giving
Back To The Jewish Community Before Getting A "Real Job." That Was In 2007. Richard Went On To Spend Five Years Supporting Jewish Students Through His Work For Jewish Chaplaincy And The Union Of Jewish Students (The British Equivalent
Of Hillel) And Is In His Fourth Year At World Jewish Relief, The British Jewish Community's International Development Organisation.
Richard Is World Jewish Relief's Head Of External Affairs Where He Works To Raise The Profile Of The Organisation In The Media And Throughout The Jewish Community. In 2015 He Was Elected The Youngest Ever Senior Vice President Of The Board
Of Deputies Of British Jews, The Cross-Communal, Democratic Body Which Represents UK Jews To Government, Media, And Faith Groups.
Director Trauma Unit OSE France - Paris
Aviva is a doctor, studied in Paris, and joined OSE in 1997.
From being a general practitioner and a school doctor, Aviva has been the director of the OSE school medicine service for the Jewish schools in the whole Paris area since 200, service which is composed of 14 doctors, 2 dentists and 4 assistants.
The service takes care of an average of 35 Jewish schools in Paris and the suburbs, and they have an average of over 2000 children in consultation. The service also runs programs in prevention, life style, addictions, well being, and respect.
Aviva has been training in psychopathology of children and teenagers since 2014.
After the tragic events in Paris of January 2015, Aviva joined the crisis unit of the Jewish community, and as a part of it, she debriefed about 200 children in Jewish schools in collective interventions, about 20 in individual consultations, and has also debriefed about 60 teachers and schools directors.
In May 2015 Aviva became the coordinator of the resilience Unit of OSE, place where they receive victims of the attacks of January.
They created a group of 40 psychologists and psychiatrists who were formed by ITC and French experts of psycho trauma, and also started a program to train teachers to know how to behave in case of crisis.
The unit has also intervened during the attacks in November and Aviva personally had to receive families of victims.
The main goal of the unit is to prepare the Jewish community to cope within this insecure climate.
Research Professor of Public Policy & Law, Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut and Senior Associate, Oxford center for Hebrew & Jewish Studies, University of Oxford, U.K.
Dr. Barry A. Kosmin Has Been A Principal
Investigator Of The American Religious
Identification Survey (ARIS) Series Since
Its Inception In 1990.
He Is Editor Of The New On-Line International
Journal Secularism & Nonreligion (Ubiquity Press) And Of The ISSSC’s Series Of Collected Volumes
On Aspects Of Secularism.
He Has Directed Large National Social Surveys
And Opinion Polls In The U.S., Europe, Africa
And Asia. As An Internationally Known Expert
In Jewish Demography He Directed The CJF 1990 U.S. National Jewish Population Survey,
The American Jewish Identity Surveys Of 2001 And 2008, And The 1998 National Survey Of South African Jews (University Of Cape Town). He Is A Consultant To The JDC International Center For Community Development, Barcelona, Spain.
Dr Kosmin Has Taught At Universities In Europe, Africa And North America. His Leadership Of Research Institutes Has Included:
Founding Director, Mandell L. Berman Institute-North American Jewish Data Bank Graduate Center Of The City University Of New York Associate Director, AHRB Parkes Centre For The Study Of Jewish/Non-Jewish Relations, University Of Southampton, UK; Executive Director Of The London-Based Think Tank, Institute For Jewish
Policy Research.
Dr. Kosmin Is The Author Of Over 20 Books And Research Monographs And More Than 50 Scholarly Articles In The Areas Of Sociology, Demography, Politics, Philanthropy, Secularism And Policy Research.
JDC-Europe Resilience Work Group
David Is A Social Psychologist And Expert In Community Resilience And Emergency Management.
A Lt. Colonel In The IDF, David Worked As An Organizational Psychologist In A Variety Of Field Units. He Served As Head Of The Civil Emergency Behavior Branch In The Home Front Command.
David Has Worked As An Expert Consultant And Senior Researcher Of Emergency Management And Community Resilience For Private And Public Organizations In Israel And Abroad. These Include JDC-Elka, Israel Trauma Coalition, Mahut, NASTEC, The Gertner Institute, And More.
Later, Under The Israel Trauma Coalition, He Helped Establish A Network Of Community Resilience Centers In The North Of Israel.
Until Recently, David Was The Professional Director For The Israel Trauma Coalition And The Ministry Of Welfare And The Ministry Of Health For The Five Resilience Centers In Western Negev. These Centers Are The Backbone For Preparing The Communities For Crises, Providing Psycho-Social Trauma Treatment And Building Community Resilience In The Ongoing Emergency Situation In The Region.
David Continues To Serve As A Senior Consultant For Community Resilience And Emergency Preparedness For Numerous Municipalities, Government Ministries, Private And Public Institutions And Is A Member Of The JDC-Europe Resilience Work Group.
Senior Professor Of Social Psychology
Board Member Of The Association For Jewish Culture In Sweden
Lars Dencik Resides In Sweden Where He Was Born 1941 Of Jewish Parents From Czechoslovakia Who Escaped Holocaust. Today He Is Senior Professor Of Social Psychology At Roskilde University, Denmark And Active In The Programming Committee Of The Association For Jewish Culture In Sweden.
His Current Research Deals With The Relations Between Societal Modernization And Jewish Life In Sweden And Europe.
Dencik Has Previously Served As Professor Of Peace-& Conflict Studies At Fachbereich Politik, Universität Konstanz, Germany And As Visiting Professor At Several Universities Around The World, Among Them The Hebrew University In Jerusalem. He Was Member Of The Task Group Founding Paideia – The European Institute For Jewish Studies In Stockholm, And Of Its Academic Board. He Has Been A Longstanding Member Of The Editorial Board Of Judisk Krönika (Jewish Chronicle) In Sweden.
Dencik Was Part Of The International Team Of Researchers Involved In European Union Agency For Fundamental Rights (FRA) Survey Of Jews’ Perceptions And Experiences Of Antisemitism In Eight EU-Member States And Has Been Research Fellow Of The Institute For Jewish Policy Research (JPR) In London.
Prof. Dencik Is The Author Of Several Research Reports And Scholarly Articles Dealing With Societal Modernization, Xenophobia, Ethnicity, Identity, And Childhood- & Family Relations. He Has Also Published Extensively On Jewish Issues.
Senior Legal Counsel, News UK, The Sun
A Media & Legal Affairs Expert And Attorney.
Has Been Editorial Legal Director Of The Telegraph Media Group And Previously Group Legal Advisor to three of the largest Newspaper groups in the United Kingdom.
He Is A Director Of BICOM And A Trustee Of The London Jewish Forum.
Fundraising & Sustainability Consultant
Ian Beever Is A Consultant, Facilitator And Trainer Working With The Public, NGO And Private
Sectors, Specialising In Policy Relating To Local Government, Health, Social Care And Community Leadership. Ian Has Been Teaching And Training
For The Last 13 Years, Winning A National
Training Award In 2010 For His Community Leadership Course.
A Core Part Of Ian’s Work With NGOs Is Strategic And Financial Planning; Income Generation
Models, Fundraising And Sustainability In
Complex Operating Environments. He Also
Works For A Range Of Foundations And Trusts
That Support NGOs.
Ian Also Lectures At Kingston University On
The Postgraduate Programmes And In Other Establishments In London. Ian Was CEO Of
An NGO Development Agency And
Deputy CEO Of A NGO In The UK With European Projects In Italy, Spain And Ireland.
Senior civil servant at the French Ministry of Finance, Jean-François Guthmann has been, since October 2013, head of the « Financial Institutions Division », Office of State-owned Assets supervisory Council. He is in charge of supervising the Banque Publique d’Investissement (BPI). BPI was born in 2012, around a mission of general interest supporting the regional and national policies. Its mission is to provide assistance and financial support to French SMEs and VSEs in the most decisive phases of their life cycle : start-up, innovation, development, business transfer / buy out. By sharing the risk, it facilitates the access
of SMEs to financing by banking partners and equity capital investors.
Jean-François Guthmann holds a master’s degree
in law from the University of La Sorbonne, Paris and is a graduate of the Paris Institute of Political Sciences and of the French School of Public Administration (Ecole Nationale d’Administration).
Jean-François Guthmann is married and father of four children. He was awarded Officer of the Légion d’Honneur. He has served as an officer in the French Navy.
He has been Chairman of “Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants”, OSE (a large jewish charity with 48 m$ budget, 800 employees and 200 volunteers) since 1994, member of the boards of the “Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah” (chaired by Mr David de Rothschild) since 2002 and of the “Fondation du Camp des Milles”.
Vice-president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF)
Yonathan is vice-president of CRIF and chairman of CRIF’s commission for international affairs. He has been a member of the Executive Board of the CRIF for the last 9 years and has worked closely with former and current presidents of CRIF, Richard Prasquier, Roger Cukierman and Francis Kalifat.
Yonathan Arfi is also a member of the Board of Directors of Alliance Israélite Universelle (main Jewish organization in the field of education in France) and Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants (main Jewish social welfare organization in France).
Yonathan Arfi was also the chairman of the French Union of Jewish Students from 2003 to 2005. He founded in 2005 CoExist, the leading program in France against racial, religious and cultural prejudices among French pupils and has been working on the issue of anti-Semitism since 2000.
Yonathan was born in 1980 in Toulouse and raised in Paris, where he graduated from HEC business school in 2003. He is the CEO of Optimal Gestion, the financial consulting firm he founded in 2007 in Paris.
Crisis Management Consultant -
World Jewish Congress
Gabriela was born in 1984 in Prague.
Gabriela had been involved in the community security and crisis management since 2007, when she began to work for Security Department of the Jewish Community in Prague.
In 2013 Gabriela started to work with European Jewish communities as a crisis management consultant of SACC by EJC project.
In 2015 she was one of the cofounders of the
Soft Targets Protection Institute in Prague, Czech Republic.
In 2015 Gabriela started to work for Security Department of WJC, where she has been part of SACC World by WJC team (www.saccworld.com). She continues to contribute in development of community crisis management domain with all its aspects and runs various trainings for communities.
The goal of the SACC World project is to assist communities to apply the concept of crisis management, to build necessary structures within the communities and to cultivate the knowledge in the field of crisis management within the Jewish world.
Gabriela holds a Masters degree from Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Israel (Diplomacy and Conflict Studies), which she received in 2010.
Senior ministerial councillor,
Security policy analyst,
Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic
Jana is national expert on radicalisation,
countering terrorism, soft targets protection and cooperation with Jewish institutions in the field of security and protection. She works in the Security Threats and Crisis Management Unit which will be reformed into Counter Terrorism and Hybrid
Threats Centre on January 2017. Jana is author of several strategic and conceptual documents and head of Soft Targets Coordination Centre which was established in the Ministry in spring 2016.
Jana also gives lectures on national security policy and crisis management at Czech Technical University and is member research team at the Police Academy of the Czech Republic. She also co-authored several studies on topics of radicalisation.
Jana was born in Brno in 1986 and studied International Relations and Security Studies at Masaryk University in Brno. She started her career at the Ministry in 2012.
She speaks English, German and French (at basic level), she started to learn Hebrew in 2016.
Jonathan Freedland is an award-winning journalist, author and broadcaster. He has been a weekly columnist for the Guardian since 1997 and is the presenter of BBC Radio 4’s contemporary history series, The Long View.
He is also a regular contributor to a range of US publications, including the New York Review of Books, as well as a monthly columnist for the Jewish Chronicle. In 2014 he was awarded the Orwell Special Prize for journalism. He is the author of eight books, six of them best-selling thrillers under the name Sam Bourne.
Clive was recently honoured with an OBE for services to education and the Jewish community.
Clive was Head of King David High School Liverpool and Deputy Director of Education for the City of Liverpool.
He is seen as a leading light in interfaith dialogue and education in the UK. He works worldwide in educational and leadership development, is the Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Jewish Council, Senior Consultant to Limmud, which he co-founded, scholar-in-residence at JW3, London’s flagship community centre, of which he was a founding trustee, sits as a magistrate in North London and broadcasts on BBC radio.
Author of about fifteen books, He holds degrees
in English Literature, Education, Theatre and Film Studies, Management Science, and Hinduism and Islam.
Jonathan Boyd is the Executive Director of JPR, the Institute for Jewish Policy Research, a London-based independent research centre and think-tank that provides data and policy insight on contemporary Jewish issues for organisations working to support Jewish life in Europe.
A specialist in contemporary Jewry, he holds a doctorate in education from the University of Nottingham UK, and a BA and MA in Modern Jewish History from University College London. He was formerly a Jerusalem Fellow at the Mandel Institute in Israel, and has held professional positions in research and policy at the JDC International Centre for Community Development in London and Paris, the Jewish Agency for Israel in London and New York, and the UK-based United Jewish Israel Appeal and Holocaust Educational Trust. He is a columnist for the Jewish Chronicle, his writings have been published in various newspapers, publications and journals, and he is the editor of The Sovereign and the Situated Self: Jewish Identity and Community in the 21st Century (Profile Books, 2003).
He is a board member of the Association for the Social Scientific Study of Jewry (ASSJ) and the Journal for the Study of Antisemitism. His current work focuses on antisemitism in Europe, European Jewish identity, British Jewish demography and sociology and Jewish educational philosophy. He was academic director of the 2012 European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) study of Jewish perceptions and experiences of antisemitism in Europe, which was conducted by JPR in partnership with Ipsos MORI, and is now leading a major new survey examining antisemitic attitudes in the UK.
He oversees management of the new European Jewish Research Archive – an open access of research conducted about European Jews since 1990, and his recent publications include: "Could it happen here? What existing data tell us about contemporary antisemitism in the UK" and "Jewish life in Europe: Impending catastrophe or imminent renaissance?".
Josh Spinner is Executive Vice President and CEO of The Ronald S. Lauder Foundation. Born in the United States, Josh has also lived in Canada, Israel, Belarus, and Germany. He founded Lauder Yeshurun, a leading provider of Jewish education and outreach in Germany today, and led the reestablishment of the legendary pre-war “Hildesheimers” Rabbinical Seminary of Berlin. Josh was the former Co-Chair of the Westbury Group of International Jewish Philanthropies, and today serves on the Executive Committee of the Conference of European Rabbis. Josh is an ordained Rabbi and lives in Berlin, Germany, with his wife, Joelle, and three daughters.
Consultant Director of The Pillar Foundation.
She joined Pillar after five years at the Jewish Funders Network as Director of Peer Networks
and Special Projects. Prior to her work at JFN, Ruthie was the founding Executive Director of LimmudLA. She has also held leadership positions at Hillel International and YUSSR.
Ruthie holds graduate degrees from Columbia University and Hunter College, and an undergraduate degree from Yeshiva University.
She is a Mandel Jerusalem Fellows alumna, a Nahum Goldman Fellowship recipient, and a member of the ROI Community.
Vice President of Business Development at Sdema Group
The Sdema Group is a homeland security solutions partnership specializing in security concept design, master planning and project management.
Batsheva joined the firm with its establishment in 2005 and, with the executive management, has grown Sdema's security services globally. She works with international clients from pre-project development through all phases of implementation, including Sdema's projects with Jewish communities in Europe.
After moving to Israel in 2002, Batsheva served as the international media advisor to Israel’s Foreign Minister (2003-2006). She crafted the Minister's foreign media campaign during the disengagement from the Gaza Strip, the construction of Israel’s security fence, and aided
in the Minister’s campaign to strengthen ties with Europe and the Arab world. She also served as
the Director of Electronic Media at the Consulate General of Israel in New York during the second Intifada and Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon.
Batsheva served as the Director of International Affairs at the Yitzhak Rabin Center during the years following its establishment and assisted the executive team in creating the renowned Israel Museum.
Batsheva holds a Juris Doctorate from Fordham University in New York and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Barnard College of Columbia University. She is also a candidate for an MA in English Literature and Creative Writing, expected 2017.
Vice President of Physical Security at Sdema Group
He is managing security planning and project implementation at a diverse range of facilities globally for both government and enterprise clients.
Over the past four years, Uri has managed security for over 25 Jewish educational campuses throughout Europe and Russia for the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation. He works closely with school administration, community security managers and community leaders throughout all project phases to ensure that security becomes an organic part of the academic environment and the wider community. He is also the project manager for the Pillar Foundation, launched in 2016, where he conducts security planning and training for Jewish community institutions in Europe.
Uri has years of experience heading security teams in Israel and internationally. He served as Security Director for El AL at JFK International Airport in New York and in Bucharest, Romania. These positions demanded management and operational responsibility for high-traffic security stations, recruitment and training of over 100 employees, crafting multi-year work plans, audit and control of multi-million dollar budgets, and liaising with U.S. security agencies.
In Israel, Uri served as a Duty Security Manager and Screening Shift Manager at Ben Gurion International Airport.
Uri holds a BA in Economics and Management from the College of Management (2005) and completed the Ministry of Defense Security Director course in 2005.
Opening Lecture:
Building Community Resilience - What every community leader ought to know: Practical Insights
- David Gidron - JDC community resilience working group
Building community resilience allows us to thrive in times of quiet, while preparing for the challenges of crisis. In this opening session, David Gidron first examines what community resilience is, what are its building blocks, and why it is critical to introduce it to our community agendas. This session will serve as a general introduction to the field of resilience, with special focus on community.
Chair: Russell Wolkind (JDC Europe)
Two communities will share their stories of collaboration with local authorities and illustrate how these relationships were built and are maintained to benefit the community. We will learn how to foster an ongoing relationship with representatives of local governments and agencies, and practical tips will be offered on how to handle challenges that are part and parcel of these collaborative efforts.
Uri Benguigui - President of the Jewish Community of Barcelona &
Albert Batlle i Bastardas - Director General of The Police, Catalonia
Gabriela Jiraskova - SACC, World Jewish Congress &
Jana Ryšavá - Department of Security Policy, Ministry of Interior, Czech Rep
Chair: Dr. Ariel Muzicant (President of SACC, European Jewish Congress)
Moderator: Michael Blake - ECJC
1) Workshop on security I
Ophir Revach (CEO Security and Crisis Centre - SACC, European Jewish Congress)
Chair: Dr. Ariel Muzicant (EJC)
2) Strengthening Our Community: Best Practices in Building Partnerships and Preventing Conflict I
Rabbi Bob Kaplan (Director of The Center For Community Leadership, Jewish Community Relations Council of New York)
Chair: Simone Mortara (ECJC)
New York, a globalized city, is home to more than 200 ethnic, religious and racial groups that share and compete with each other in its diverse and complex neighborhoods. For more twenty years, the Jewish Community Relations Council of NY has engaged in building long term and sustainable relationships with the leadership of these diverse groups, as well as the city’s political and communal worlds. These connections have been essential in meeting the challenges of post-9/11, Anti –Semitism and BDS while building a better quality of life for all New Yorkers. This workshop and clinic will examine the time tested methodologies employed in this effort as well as how they have been adapted in Israel and other Jewish communities.
3) Getting your message across: Dealing with the Media
Adam Cannon (Senior Legal Counsel, News UK, The Sun)
Chair: TBC
When handling a crisis situation, the way we communicate with the members of our community, with the media and with each other can have a significant impact. This workshop provides a glimpse behind the scenes of media outlets, and explores the rationale behind media priorities. Together we will discuss practical tips on how to join forces with the media how to get our message across effectively, including the use of social media.
4) Planning and deterrence as a security model
Josh Spinner (The Ronald S. Lauder Foundation)
Ruthie Rotenberg (The Pillar Foundation)
Batsheva Iluz (Sdema Group)
Experience has shown that success at deterring attacks, and increasing survivability in the event of an attack, is improved through rigorous planning, training, drilling, and coordination. By using a proven model, experts of The Pillar Foundation will explain their model of work with different community institutions. This session is an opportunity to learn about Pillar’s work from our leadership and security contractor.
Will French Jews remain in France? Is anti-Semitism unbearable? Has the community changed since the terrorist attacks, and how? This conversation with French Jewish leaders will offer first-hand testimonies regarding the current situation in France and will challenge common assumptions and narratives in circulation about that community. More importantly, we will ask why and how France could serve as a paradigm to understand other Jewish communities in Europe?
Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur (Liberal Jewish Movement of France)
Yonathan Arfi (Vice-president, Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France, CRIF)
Jean-François Guthmann (President, OSE)
Chair: Marguerite Zauberman (FSJU/ECJC)
Moderator: Clive Lawton (UK)
Panel: Working together to build safer communities: New models and proven approaches to engaging the whole community in boosting security
This session offers an expert panel for a discussion on how communities can mobilize its members in strengthening the level of community security. Panellists will share various models that encourage resident participation, while balancing the everyday needs of communities.
Tali (CEO of SPCJ- Service de Protection de la Communauté Juive, France)
Michael Whine (Government and International Affairs Director At The Community Security Trust - CST UK)
Chair: TBC
Moderator: TBC
1) Workshop on security II
Ophir Revach (CEO Security and Crisis Centre - SACC European Jewish Congress)
Chair: TBC
2) Strengthening Our Community: Best Practices in Building Partnerships and Preventing Conflict II
Rabbi Bob Kaplan (Director of The Center For Community Leadership, Jewish Community Relations Council of New York)
Chair: Minos Moissis (President of Jewish Community of Athens)
New York, a globalized city, is home to more than 200 ethnic, religious and racial groups that share and compete with each other in its diverse and complex neighborhoods. For more twenty years, the Jewish Community Relations Council of NY has engaged in building long term and sustainable relationships with the leadership of these diverse groups, as well as the city’s political and communal worlds. These connections have been essential in meeting the challenges of post-9/11, Anti –Semitism and BDS while building a better quality of life for all New Yorkers. This workshop and clinic will examine the time tested methodologies employed in this effort as well as how they have been adapted in Israel and other Jewish communities.
3) Resilience and Economic Sustainability I: Asset Based Community Development (ABCD)
an Beever (Fundraising & Sustainability Consultant, UK)
Chair: TBC
This session will explore Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) as a strategy for sustainable community- driven development. Beyond the mobilisation of a particular community, ABCD is concerned with how to link micro-assets to the macro-environment. ABCD builds on the assets that are already found in the community and mobilises individuals, associations, and institutions to come together to build on their assets-- not concentrate on their needs.
Chair: TBC
4) Building for the Future: A Resilience Center in France
Aviva Staman Meimoun (Director Trauma Unit OSE France)
Chair: TBC
In the wake of the January 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris, a Psycho-Trauma and Resilience Center was opened by OSE, France to offer individual clinical support as well as briefings and trainings to institutions that serve vulnerable populations. When the November attacks hit Paris, professionals were trained and ready to respond. Delegates from the French Community share insights and offer practical tips gleaned from their experience in creating this Unit.
Panel: Envisioning the future of European Jewish communities. Presentation of JDC's Third Survey of European Jewish Leaders
This session will explore key findings from two recent surveys on contemporary Jewish Europe.
Prof. Barry Kosmin (Research Professor of Public Policy & Law, Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, USA)
Prof. Lars Dencik (Roskilde University, Denmark)
Jonathan Boyd (JPR, UK)
Chair: TBC
Moderator: Marcelo Dimentstein (JDC Europe)
1) How to make the media work for you
Adam Cannon (Senior Legal Counsel, News UK, The Sun)
Chair: TBC
In this session you will pick up hot tips on how to get your issue on to the news agenda. A journalist’s task is to deliver information to a wide audience in short form. In a world where an anti-Semitic act, terrorist attack, breaking news on Israel, or other Jewish community concern can have an immediate impact on your local community, it is essential to know how to get the message across to this large audience. Together we will learn how to make your organization better prepared to interact with the media on anti-Semitism, Israel and Jewish community issues overall and how.to make social media work for you.
2) Security Awareness Training for Community Leaders - What is my role?
Uri Barak - Sdema Group (The Pillar Foundation)
Community leaders have an integral role to play in creating strong cultures of security across community organizations. In this training session, specifically geared for community leaders, you will explore effective ways to support your community’s security infrastructure, including: shaping security policy, leveraging leadership contracts, identifying funding opportunities for security and successful leadership involvement in crisis management.
3) Economic Sustainability: A Vital Ingredient of Community Resilience? II
Ian Beever (Fundraising & Sustainability Consultant, UK)
Chair: TBC
Resilience and Economic Sustainability II: Overcoming Barriers to Sustainability
Harnessing the skills and ideas of your community to support economic sustainability can often be blocked by perceptions of tradition, safety and lack of forward thinking. This workshop will explore models of income generation and the common challenges these ideas encounter. If the common goal is sustainability, as a community we must be forward thinking and creative.
4) Jewish Responses to Resilience
Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur (Liberal Jewish Movement of France)
Chair: Arturo Tedeschi (Union of Jewish Communities of Italy)
Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur will explore ways in which Jewish tradition can contribute to the process of resilience development and rebuilding in times of crisis, both on a personal and on a communal level. What tools does Jewish tradition provide, and what challenges can it (potentially) allow us to meet. She will share her experience as a community leader, and impart her reflections on the 'rebuilding' of Jewish identity in France’s 'post-Charlie' context.
Registration Fees
All the registration fees include 2 nights in 4 star Hotel , 2 lunches and 2 dinners during the conference under Kosher supervision, delegate kits, materials and coffee breaks.
Extra nights at the hotel before/after the Summit - Euro 150 including breakfast and taxes. Only limited availability
For Cancellations done until September 1st, participants will receive full refund less Euro 45 for administration Fees.
For Cancellations done until October 1st, participants will receive a refund of 50% of the registration fees paid.
After November 1st, there will be no right of refund for cancellations.
Refunds will not be available for registrants who choose not to attend an event.
Cancellations will be accepted in writing only and must be received by the stated cancellation deadline.
