February 23, 2011 / 19 Adar I 5771

James S. Tisch , President and CEO of the Loews Corporation, was elected on Tuesday Feb. 22nd as next Chairman of the Jewish Agency’s Board of Governors.  Tisch is to take over from Richard Pearlstone who served as Board of Governors chairman from 2007.  The Board of Governors is the Jewish Agency’s legislative body, made up of representatives of Jewish communities from around the world and Israelis, and it meets three times a year in Jerusalem in order to set the organization’s policy.  The Board also elected Rany Trainin, former head of the Yoav regional council, as Deputy Chairman of the Jewish Agency’s Executive.

Tisch, 58, comes from one of the wealthiest Jewish families in America, owners of the Loews holding company and generous donors to the State of Israel and Jewish causes around the world.  Jim Tisch has held key positions in the Jewish world, among them Chairman of the Board of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and President of UJA-Federation of New York.  James’ father was Jewish billionaire Laurence (Larry) Tisch, an enthusiastic supporter of the State of Israel, who passed away in 2003.  The Tisch family was partner in the CBS television network and Laurence served a number of years as the network’s president and CEO.

Chairman of the Jewish Agency Executive Natan Sharansky noted that James Tisch will be taking over as Chairman of Board of Governors at a time of important changes in the organization, among them a restructuring in order to strengthen the connection young Diaspora Jews have with Israel and increase aliyah, in light of the current de-legitimization campaign against Israel and a distancing of young Diaspora Jews from their Jewish identity.  Sharansky thanked outgoing chairman Richard Pearlstone for his many years of dedication to the Jewish Agency and his contribution to the Jewish People and the State of Israel at important moments -- when he led the Jewish Agency assisting Israel’s north after the Second Lebanon War and helping residents of Sderot and communities bordering the Gaza Strip during Operation Cast Lead.

Rany Trainin, who was elected by the plenary of the Board of Governors as Deputy Chairman of the Jewish Agency’s Executive, served as head of the Yoav regional council in the Negev for almost 16 years.  Trainin served in the past as chairman of the Board of Governors’ Israel Committee.  In this capacity, he was deeply involved in the Jewish Agency’s activity in the realm of aiding Israel’s weak populations and the communities in Israel’s periphery.

For further information contact:
Michael Jankelowitz
Spokesman to Foreign Press
Jewish Agency for Israel
mjankelowitz@gmail.com
+972.52.6130220 mobile