{"id":1442,"date":"2025-05-18T17:06:07","date_gmt":"2025-05-18T17:06:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/?post_type=event&#038;p=1442"},"modified":"2025-09-17T12:20:31","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T12:20:31","slug":"wjc-plenary-honors-resilience-and-unity-at-motj","status":"publish","type":"event","link":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/en\/event\/wjc-plenary-honors-resilience-and-unity-at-motj\/","title":{"rendered":"World Jewish Congress Plenary Honors Resilience and Unity at MOTJ"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":1463,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false},"class_list":["post-1442","event","type-event","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"type":"full","external_link":null,"headers_main_image":"","date":"20250518","time":"","booking_link":"","carousel":[1443,1445,1447,1449,1451,1453,1455,1457,1459,1463,1461,1465,1467,1469,1471,1473],"headline":"World Jewish Congress Plenary Honors Resilience and Unity at MOTJ","subtitle":"The atmosphere inside the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem\u2019s Mizel Family Grand Hall was electric, charged with a profound sense of purpose and connection as 300 World Jewish Congress (WJC) representatives from 72 countries had gathered, representing 99.8% of the global Jewish community who were united in grief, hope, and resolve.","meta":null,"description":"Each and every one of them rose to their feet when Israeli singer David D\u2019or took the stage and belted beloved Israeli classics during the organization\u2019s 17th Plenary Assembly.\r\n\r\nYoung men and women, many from the diaspora, huddled together, danced in the aisles, and some even lifted each other on chairs, as if at a Jewish wedding\u2014transforming the space into a pure celebration of Judaism and a shared love of Israel. That earnest, enthusiastic energy was a clear sign of how deeply those present yearned to be part of a joyous collective that honors Jewish heritage and the resilience of its people.\r\n\r\nThis vibrant spirit perfectly reflected the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem\u2019s mission: to serve as a hub for community and unity, where meaningful conversations, personal stories, and art come together to inspire and connect Jews from all backgrounds. The Plenary\u2019s blend of solemn remembrance and joyous celebration was a living expression of this goal.\r\n\r\nIt was an emotional moment in an evening filled with nuanced conversation about Israel and its standing on the world stage. The gathering\u2014held in Israel for the first time since 2009\u2014marked the official launch of the WJC\u2019s highest decision-making forum.\r\n\r\nRonald Lauder, President of the WJC, spoke of the organization\u2019s unique role as Israel\u2019s ambassadors to the world, especially in supporting small Jewish communities with no one else to turn to. Lauder stressed that \u201cwe can't do it alone,\u201d and urged unity across all Jewish denominations. \"Our enemies are trying to divide us. They cannot divide us. We are one people.\"\r\n\r\nPhilanthropist and MOTJ board member Sylvan Adams, who was recently appointed as the WJC Israel Region chair, echoed these sentiments: \u201cThe strength of the Jewish people lies not only in our history but in our shared commitment to one another. This assembly here in Jerusalem is proof that our unity is our greatest power.\u201d\r\n\r\nHe added, \u201cNow more than ever, we must bridge divides, embrace our collective destiny, and ensure the safety and flourishing of Israel and Jewish communities worldwide. This is our moment to stand together.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe WJC also presented its first Israel Resilience Award to Tal Shoham and his family as symbols of endurance and hope in the face of unimaginable terror. Tal Shoham, freed after 505 days in Hamas captivity, shared his harrowing experience, saying, \"90 days ago, I was born for the second time.\"\r\n\r\nHis remarks painted a vivid picture of the brutal conditions underground, the torture endured, and the unyielding spirit that sustained him. Shoham called on the community to remember the 58 hostages still held captive and to confront the reality of Hamas\u2019s terror-driven ideology.\r\n\r\nMoved by his testimony, Mike Huckabee, U.S. Ambassador to Israel, was in awe of Shoham\u2019s resilience and offered words of support for Israel in this time of crisis.\r\n\r\n\"The State of Israel will never fall and the Jewish people will never be annihilated because we have a secret weapon\u2014we have nowhere else to go,\" he said, echoing Golda Meir\u2019s famous quote.\r\n\r\nUrging unity, Huckabee warned against divisions both within Israel and among its allies: \"Israel may have seven different servers coming out of the kitchen with different plates, but all those plates come from the very same kitchen\u2014in Tehran, the serpent with the poison from the rest of the world.\"\r\n\r\nHe called on Americans and Jews worldwide to stand firmly with Israel, as Iran has placed the United States in the crosshairs alongside Israel. \"We can\u2019t afford to turn our backs on Israel\u2014that\u2019s turning our backs on our people. We need to stand with you, not behind you.\"\r\n\r\nIt is fitting, then, that at the opening of the ceremony, the crowd was stunned to see Israeli singer Eden Golan take the stage in a surprise performance. Looking ethereal in white, the Eurovision finalist gave a rousing rendition of her hit song\u00a0<em>Hurricane<\/em>, which was a finalist in last year\u2019s Eurovision Song Contest.\r\n\r\nHer evocative words of grief filled the room, but the song\u2019s promise of peace in the aftermath of tragedy\u00a0served as an apt opening to an evening that interspersed moments of joy with serious and weighty conversations about the future of the Jewish people.\r\n\r\nThe 17th Plenary Assembly profoundly affirmed Jewish resilience, solidarity, and commitment to Israel\u2019s future. From the heartfelt testimonies to the dancing sparked by D\u2019or\u2019s music, the gathering embodied the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem\u2019s mission: to be a beacon of unity, hope, and meaningful dialogue for the global Jewish community.\r\n\r\nSpecial thanks ComtecGroup for bringing this magic to life.","short_description":"At the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem, 300 World Jewish Congress representatives from 72 countries gathered in unity, grief, and hope.","good_to_know":"","additional_content_icon":"file","additional_content":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>World Jewish Congress Plenary Honors Resilience and Unity at MOTJ - MOTJ<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"World Jewish Congress Plenary Honors Resilience and Unity at MOTJ - MOTJ\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/event\/the-17th-wjc-plenary-assembly-at-motj\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"MOTJ\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-17T12:20:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-05-19-at-10.32.55_dffffe4a-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/event\/the-17th-wjc-plenary-assembly-at-motj\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/event\/the-17th-wjc-plenary-assembly-at-motj\/\",\"name\":\"World Jewish Congress Plenary Honors Resilience and Unity at MOTJ - MOTJ\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/event\/the-17th-wjc-plenary-assembly-at-motj\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/event\/the-17th-wjc-plenary-assembly-at-motj\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-05-19-at-10.32.55_dffffe4a-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-18T17:06:07+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-17T12:20:31+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/event\/the-17th-wjc-plenary-assembly-at-motj\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/event\/the-17th-wjc-plenary-assembly-at-motj\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/event\/the-17th-wjc-plenary-assembly-at-motj\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-05-19-at-10.32.55_dffffe4a-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-05-19-at-10.32.55_dffffe4a-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/event\/the-17th-wjc-plenary-assembly-at-motj\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"World Jewish Congress Plenary Honors Resilience and Unity at MOTJ\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/\",\"name\":\"\u05de\u05d5\u05d6\u05d9\u05d0\u05d5\u05df \u05d4\u05e1\u05d5\u05d1\u05dc\u05e0\u05d5\u05ea \u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05e9\u05dc\u05d9\u05dd, \u05db\u05e8\u05d8\u05d9\u05e1\u05d9\u05dd, \u05d0\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05e2\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05ea\u05e2\u05e8\u05d5\u05db\u05d5\u05ea\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/#organization\",\"name\":\"\u05de\u05d5\u05d6\u05d9\u05d0\u05d5\u05df \u05d4\u05e1\u05d5\u05d1\u05dc\u05e0\u05d5\u05ea \u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05e9\u05dc\u05d9\u05dd, \u05db\u05e8\u05d8\u05d9\u05e1\u05d9\u05dd, \u05d0\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05e2\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05ea\u05e2\u05e8\u05d5\u05db\u05d5\u05ea\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/logo-he.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/logo-he.svg\",\"caption\":\"\u05de\u05d5\u05d6\u05d9\u05d0\u05d5\u05df \u05d4\u05e1\u05d5\u05d1\u05dc\u05e0\u05d5\u05ea \u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05e9\u05dc\u05d9\u05dd, \u05db\u05e8\u05d8\u05d9\u05e1\u05d9\u05dd, \u05d0\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05e2\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05ea\u05e2\u05e8\u05d5\u05db\u05d5\u05ea\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"World Jewish Congress Plenary Honors Resilience and Unity at MOTJ - MOTJ","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"World Jewish Congress Plenary Honors Resilience and Unity at MOTJ - MOTJ","og_url":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/event\/the-17th-wjc-plenary-assembly-at-motj\/","og_site_name":"MOTJ","article_modified_time":"2025-09-17T12:20:31+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1707,"url":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-05-19-at-10.32.55_dffffe4a-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"1 minute"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/event\/the-17th-wjc-plenary-assembly-at-motj\/","url":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/event\/the-17th-wjc-plenary-assembly-at-motj\/","name":"World Jewish Congress Plenary Honors Resilience and Unity at MOTJ - MOTJ","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/event\/the-17th-wjc-plenary-assembly-at-motj\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/event\/the-17th-wjc-plenary-assembly-at-motj\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-05-19-at-10.32.55_dffffe4a-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2025-05-18T17:06:07+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-17T12:20:31+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/event\/the-17th-wjc-plenary-assembly-at-motj\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/event\/the-17th-wjc-plenary-assembly-at-motj\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/event\/the-17th-wjc-plenary-assembly-at-motj\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-05-19-at-10.32.55_dffffe4a-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-05-19-at-10.32.55_dffffe4a-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/event\/the-17th-wjc-plenary-assembly-at-motj\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"World Jewish Congress Plenary Honors Resilience and Unity at MOTJ"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/#website","url":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/","name":"\u05de\u05d5\u05d6\u05d9\u05d0\u05d5\u05df \u05d4\u05e1\u05d5\u05d1\u05dc\u05e0\u05d5\u05ea \u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05e9\u05dc\u05d9\u05dd, \u05db\u05e8\u05d8\u05d9\u05e1\u05d9\u05dd, \u05d0\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05e2\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05ea\u05e2\u05e8\u05d5\u05db\u05d5\u05ea","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/#organization","name":"\u05de\u05d5\u05d6\u05d9\u05d0\u05d5\u05df \u05d4\u05e1\u05d5\u05d1\u05dc\u05e0\u05d5\u05ea \u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05e9\u05dc\u05d9\u05dd, \u05db\u05e8\u05d8\u05d9\u05e1\u05d9\u05dd, \u05d0\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05e2\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05ea\u05e2\u05e8\u05d5\u05db\u05d5\u05ea","url":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/logo-he.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/logo-he.svg","caption":"\u05de\u05d5\u05d6\u05d9\u05d0\u05d5\u05df \u05d4\u05e1\u05d5\u05d1\u05dc\u05e0\u05d5\u05ea \u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05e9\u05dc\u05d9\u05dd, \u05db\u05e8\u05d8\u05d9\u05e1\u05d9\u05dd, \u05d0\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05e2\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05ea\u05e2\u05e8\u05d5\u05db\u05d5\u05ea"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/event\/1442","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/event"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/event"}],"acf:attachment":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1473"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1471"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1469"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1467"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1465"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1461"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1463"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1459"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1457"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1455"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1453"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1451"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1449"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1447"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1445"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1443"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1463"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1442"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}