B'nai B'rith International

10/16/2026

CEO Evan R. Bernstein told JNS we warmly welcome Paraguay’s decision to join IHRA and we look forward to working with partners across Latin America to strengthen the global response to antisemitism. .bernstein1

10/16/2026

, on the anniversary of the October 16, 1943, roundup of the Roman ghetto, we remember the Jewish lives lost and honor those whose lives were tragically cut short during the Holocaust.

Rome was home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in Europe, with a history spanning more than 2,000 years. On this day in 1943, N**i forces rounded up more than 1,000 Jews and deported them to Auschwitz. Only 16 of those deported survived the concentration camp.

As part of our Every Person There Is a Name initiative, we honor the victims by giving voice to those who were murdered and preserving the memory of their lives and legacies.

Each name represents a life, a family and a legacy that must never be forgotten.

Watch Ambassador Maurizio Massar, Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations, read names of Italian Jews murdered in the Holocaust: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wW9geQK3sM&list=PLHYADkMLYuZPYaroAJHmeSYtAI89eGIBb&index=9

Italian Jews were deeply woven into the cultural fabric of Italy. A...

10/15/2026

B’nai B’rith International, hosted by B’nai B’rith South Florida, celebrated its 183rd anniversary with Legacy Without Borders, a gala evening in Miami honoring Daniel S. Mariaschin, the organization’s former CEO, for decades of leadership on behalf of Jewish communities worldwide and the State of .

The event brought together community leaders, elected officials, diplomats, rabbis, educators and advocates from across Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

The award was presented to Mariaschin by two leaders who worked closely with him: Eduardo Kohn, director of B’nai B’rith Latin America Affairs, and International President Robert Spitzer.

B’nai B’rith CEO Evan R. Bernstein closed the program, reflecting on the organization’s 183-year history and the work ahead. He emphasized the urgency of our mission today: combating antisemitism, standing with Israel and strengthening Jewish communities from South Florida to Latin America and beyond.

The organization also extended its gratitude to Senior Vice President Dan Tartakovski for his mentorship and support of B’nai B’rith South Florida, as well as Gala Chairs Gina Strauss, Doris Salinas and Jenny Enslein for their contributions to the event.

Photo Credit: Mama Photography/Ariel Cuello

10/15/2026

“B’nai B’rith is deeply disappointed by Comptroller Mark Levine’s decision to reverse his clear campaign commitment and decline to reinvest New York City pension funds in Israel Bonds,” CEO Evan R. Bernstein told JNS.org.

The reversal, which Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he welcomes, “sends an unfortunate signal at a time of rising antisemitism and sustained efforts to isolate Israel economically,” Bernstein said. “We urge Comptroller Levine to reconsider and to restore this longstanding, responsible investment.”

The reversal “sends an unfortunate signal at a time of rising antisemitism and sustained efforts to isolate Israel economically,” Evan R. Bernstein, CEO of B’nai B’rith International, told JNS.

10/14/2026

IMPACT: Emerging Leaders Fellowship | Israel Goes to the Polls

What lies ahead for Israel’s political landscape, and what are the key issues shaping the upcoming elections?

This week, our IMPACT fellows explored these questions with Zvika Klein, Editor-in-Chief of The Jerusalem Post, in a lively discussion on Israeli politics, electoral dynamics and the challenges facing Israel in the months ahead.

From domestic political developments to the implications for Israel’s relationship with Jewish communities worldwide, the session offered fellows an opportunity to engage directly with one of Israel’s leading journalists, ask questions and exchange perspectives.

🌍 IMPACT: Emerging Leaders Fellowship is a joint initiative of B’nai B’rith International and the World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS), bringing together emerging Jewish leaders from around the world to engage with experts, strengthen their leadership skills and build networks to make an impact in their communities and beyond.

10/14/2026

B’nai B’rith International congratulates Katharina von Schnurbein on her appointment as Germany’s new Federal Commissioner for Jewish Life and the Fight against Antisemitism.

When Katharina became the European Commission’s first Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism in 2015, the position itself was new, and the fight against antisemitism had yet to find the place it deserved in European policymaking. More than a decade later, she has put in place a robust institutional framework to address anti-Jewish hatred, including the EU’s first Strategy on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life, that we trust will endure well beyond her mandate.

Katharina has always understood something fundamental: antisemitism is not simply a problem for Jewish communities to confront, but a corrosive force that erodes democratic societies from within. Her work has been guided by the conviction that the security and flourishing of Jewish life are inseparable from the health of European democracy.

“For B’nai B’rith International, which has had the pleasure of working closely with Katharina throughout these years, she has been far more than an institutional interlocutor,” said B’nai B’rith CEO Evan R. Bernstein. “She has been a trusted, determined and effective partner, and a true ally who has always showed up for the Jewish community.”

In the years since October 7, as European Jews have faced an alarming escalation and normalization of antisemitism, her moral clarity and commitment have been particularly important.

Brussels will greatly miss Katharina. But we are delighted that she will bring her exceptional experience and understanding to Germany, where the challenges ahead are considerable.

We thank her warmly for more than a decade of friendship, partnership and tireless work, congratulate her on this new chapter, and look forward to continuing our cooperation from Brussels to Berlin.

10/14/2026

At the Legacy Without Borders event last night in Miami, we celebrated 183 years of B’nai B’rith and its legacy of leadership, service and advocacy for the Jewish people and Israel.

We were proud to honor Honorary CEO and Senior Advisor Daniel S. Mariaschin, whose decades of leadership have shaped Jewish communities worldwide.

Thank you B’nai B’rith South Florida and Gina Strauss for an extraordinary evening that highlighted our local and global work.

L-R: B’nai B’rith International CEO Evan R. Bernstein; President Robert Spitzer; Mariaschin; and Honorary President Seth Riklin

10/14/2026

The U.N.’s anti-Israel Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese doesn’t have to believe the Israeli government or the IDF. She can just follow along as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad name their dead terrorists (or, as she would put it, “terrorists”) who pretended to be journalists, which is a war crime.

Instead, she plows ahead in her report to the U.N. General Assembly, absurdly charging that Israel is engaged in “mediacide” for fighting combatants who would abuse press protections to murder Israelis.

The U.N. is, once again, allowing its name to be used to launder the war crimes of Hamas.

10/13/2026

📢 CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
Are you a journalist, media professional, civil society or Jewish organization practitioner working to counter hate, extremism and Holocaust distortion?

Join us in Stockholm, Sweden, in January 2027 for the first RECORD (Research and Documentation on Contemporary Holocaust Distortion) regional workshop.

Who should apply?
- Journalists & Media Professionals (including freelancers) covering related issues
- Civil Society Organizations & Practitioners working on human rights and hate counter-measures
- Jewish Communities & Organizations operating in the field

Priority will be given to residents of Denmark, Finland and Sweden.

Participants will have the opportunity to explore current manifestations of Holocaust distortion among extremist groups, how to effectively counter the phenomena in their professional roles, expand their professional networks and collaborations and gain new perspectives, stories or project ideas.

For more information and to apply, follow here:

Holocaust denial, distortion, and glorification are longstanding challenges across European Union Member States and have traditionally been promoted by neo-N**i and other right-wing extremist groups. In recent years, these phenomena have been amplified by successive crises, including the COVID-19 pa...

10/13/2026

Today, B’nai B’rith International celebrates 183 years of service, advocacy and unwavering commitment to the Jewish people.

On Oct. 13, 1843, 12 German-Jewish immigrants gathered in a New York City café, determined to improve the deplorable condition of Jews in their newly adopted country. Since then, we have stood with Jewish communities around the world, defended Israel, confronted antisemitism and answered the call wherever help was needed. https://www.bnaibrith.org/about-us/