Hundreds of Jewish community leaders from across the globe will gather in Jerusalem next week for the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Board of Governors meeting from Nov. 2-4, the first international gathering of its kind since the recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The meeting will focus on developing plans for reconstruction and rehabilitation in Israel’s north and south, strengthening social resilience, and empowering Israel and world Jewry to meet contemporary challenges.
Jewish Agency Board of Governors members will also discuss programs to encourage aliyah (immigration to Israel) in light of the ceasefire and to combat growing antisemitism worldwide. The meeting will be led by Jewish Agency officials, including Israel Defense Forces Maj. Gen. (res.) Doron Almog, chairman of the executive; Mark Wilf, chairman of the Board of Governors; and Yehuda Setton, CEO and director general.
During the gathering, community representatives will meet the family members of former hostages Eitan and Yair Horn, who were released from captivity and reunited with their families in Israel. They will also meet bereaved families, including that of IDF Capt. Daniel Peretz, whose body was recovered from Hamas tunnels, and IDF Capt. (res.) Shaul Greenglick, who was killed in the war. These meetings are part of ongoing efforts to maintain and raise awareness of the need to bring back the bodies of hostages who have not yet been returned to Israel.
Global Jewish leaders will tour the northern border region, meet with leaders of rehabilitation programs and learn about the Jewish Agency’s strategic initiatives to strengthen war-affected areas of the country in partnership with the World Zionist Organization, Jewish Federations of North America and Keren Hayesod. Further, they will review programs that provide support to families of terror victims; initiatives to expand and develop Israeli communities impacted by war; plans to encourage aliyah and integrate new immigrants into affected regions; assistance for businesses harmed during the war; and partnerships between southern and northern Israeli communities and Jewish communities abroad. They will also learn about Jewish Agency programs such as Youth Futures, mentoring at-risk young people and the Wings program supporting lone soldiers.
With antisemitic incidents surging hundreds of percent worldwide since the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the gathering will also include discussions on strengthening the resilience and security of global Jewish communities. The Jewish Agency will present data on efforts to fortify Jewish institutions abroad through its Community Security Fund, and to strengthen community resilience and emergency response through the JReady initiative. Finally, the visiting leaders will be briefed on the record-setting increase in the number of shlichim (“Israeli emissaries”) who are serving Jewish communities worldwide and on plans to deploy shlichim in additional countries.
“After more than two years of war, we now face a tremendous challenge—to restore, rebuild and heal Israeli society,” said Almog. “This is a moment when the entire Jewish people, in Israel and worldwide, are being tested on their unity and commitment. The gathering of our partners at the Board of Governors meeting of the Jewish Agency for Israel is an expression of mutual responsibility and deep dedication to this long journey of repair and reconstruction. Together with our brothers and sisters from around the world, we will lead projects for the development of the south and the north, for encouraging aliyah, strengthening world Jewry, and advancing the vision of an exemplary society as a guiding idea in building a renewed Israel.”
Wilf stated that “at this defining moment for the Jewish people, our unity is our greatest strength. The bonds between Israel and world Jewry have never been more vital. Together, we stand as one global family—committed to rebuilding, supporting and renewing the spirit of our people and our homeland. The partnership reflected in this gathering for the Board of Governors meeting serves as a powerful reminder that wherever Jews live, we share a common destiny and a collective responsibility to shape a brighter future for Israel and the Jewish world.”
“Hope is a priceless resource, and our mission in the coming years is to transform it from an emotional message into a strategic plan,” said Yehuda Setton, Jewish Agency CEO and director general. “The Jewish leaders from around the world who gathered here are doing so not merely to express solidarity—but to take responsibility, act together, invest, build and strengthen both Israel and the Jewish people.”
The Jewish Agency, he said, will also “continue our work to empower the younger generation in Israel and in Jewish communities and to bolster the resilience of Jewish communities worldwide. This gathering is proof that the Jewish people know how to unite around a single purpose—rebuilding a shared, secure and prosperous future. After more than two years of war, our commitment is clear: We will leave no one behind.”
