William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, offered timely, and thought-provoking insights into the global challenges and opportunities facing Jewish communities today at a special JCRC community program on January 21 at the Weinstein JCC. 

“Since October 7, Israeli’s have circled the wagons and have become more unified than ever before,” noted Daroff.  

In the briefing before about 50 community members, he also shared personal reflections on Jews around the world who have stepped up to support Israel during this great time of need. 

“Overall, Jewish unity around the world has risen,” Daroff said. 

“Israeli’s need a big hug … and have made so many sacrifices.” 

He also praised the great work Jewish Federations are doing and have done to engage their local communities around Israel and on all the important Jewish issues we are facing.

“I urge Jews here and around the world to focus on issues that unify us and not those that might divide us.” 

In the program, he also took questions from community members, including David Galpern, a Federation Board Member who is the Chair of the Annual Campaign. 

Daroff is the senior professional guiding the organization’s agenda on behalf of the 50 national member organizations that represent the wide mosaic of American Jewish life. 

He was named by The Jerusalem Post as being among the 50 most influential Jews worldwide, and by The Forward newspaper as one of the fifty most influential Jews in America, 

As CEO of the Conference, Daroff is in continual dialogue with key policymakers, members of Congress, and the White House. He regularly engages with the diplomatic corps in Washington and at the UN on a range of issues that are of interest to the American Jewish community. He is frequently invited to give testimony before committees of the US Senate, US House of Representatives, European Parliament, and Knesset.  Daroff also travels extensively to meet with governmental and Jewish communal leaders from across the globe, including the top leadership of the Israeli government.

Daroff was the principal co-convener of the largest Jewish/pro-Israel gathering in modern history — the November 14, 2023, March for Israel, where over 290,000 people gathered on the National Mall in front of the United States Capitol.