The Jewish Agency Leadership Nominating Committee is composed of the top leadership of the Jewish people, including leaders of the Zionist movement, the religious streams, The Jewish Federations of North America and Jewish communities throughout the world via Keren Hayesod-UIA.

 

The Nominating Committee has been conducting a thorough and comprehensive search process over the past year to find a successor to Natan Sharansky who will be leaving office this month after nine years of service.

 

The process included meetings with potential candidates, internal deliberations and consultations with the Prime Minister. Having selected the candidate, the Nominating Committee will now recommend Herzog to The Jewish Agency's Board of Governors at the opening plenary of its meeting on Sunday, June 24, 2018 in Jerusalem.

 

MK Isaac Herzog, son of former Israeli President, Chaim Herzog and grandson of Israel's first Chief Rabbi, Yizhak Isaac Halevi Herzog, was born in Israel in 1960. When his father served as Israel’s Ambassador to the UN from 1975-1978, Herzog studied and graduated from The Ramaz Jewish High School in New York and attended Jewish youth camps, Ramah and Massad. He continued his education in the U.S., studying International Relations, English Literature and Arabic at Cornell and NYU Universities.

 

Herzog has worked with world Jewry all his life. From 2007-2009, he was the Minister of the Jewish Diaspora, Society and the Fight Against Anti-Semitism, taking a major part in anti-BDS activities following the Second Lebanon War, leading the international Forum against Anti-Semitism and chairing Taglit-Birthright.

 

As Government Secretary, Herzog laid the foundation for the historic compromise on egalitarian prayer at the Kotel that was adopted for all religious streams. Over the last 20 years, he has been a regular speaker and participant at The Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly.

 

An attorney by profession, Herzog was elected Chairman of the Labor Party in November 2013, making him Leader of the Opposition. In 2014, Herzog led the alliance between the Labour Party and MK Tzipi Livini's Hatnua Party creating the Zionist Union, Israel's largest central-left political party.

 

In addition to his Ministry of the Jewish Diaspora, Herzog was the Minister of Housing and Construction (2005), Minister of Tourism (2006-2007) and Minister of Welfare & Social Services (2007-2011). Prior to that he served as Government Secretary (1999-2001). He also served as the Israel Government Coordinator for the provision of humanitarian aid to the population of Gaza in 2008-2009.

 

He lives in Tel Aviv with his wife, Michal, and they have three sons.