Ralph Friedländer was elected president of the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities at a delegates’ assembly in Bern.
With no opposing candidate, the 94 delegates present unanimously supported Mr Friedländer by acclamation. A member of the Jewish Community of Bern, he succeeds Ralph Lewin, who has run for vice-presidency after four years as president.
Ralph Friedländer has been vice-president of SIG since October 2020. Born in 1959 in Maputo (Mozambique), Mr Friedländer, who grew up in Geneva and Lugano, was also previously president of the JGB and a member of the Central Committee of the SIG.
Holding a master’s degree in psychology from the University of Zurich, he has a career spanning over 30 years in various Swiss federal institutions, notably the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
Until the end of May 2024, he led the administrative office of the Advisory Commission on International Cooperation. This extra-parliamentary commission of the Swiss Federal Council develops analyses and recommendations related to international cooperation.
After his election, Ralph Friedländer expressed his gratitude to the delegates for their trust. In his speech, he emphasised that implementing the SIG strategy remains a priority: enhancing the exchange of experiences between Jewish communities, fostering both internal and external dialogue within the SIG, expanding interreligious dialogue, and developing a national strategy against antisemitism.
