Our History

40 years ago, European Jewish communities decided to merge their activities and unite their efforts.

The European Jewish Congress (EJC) was officially established as a new and independent structure in 1986. Prior to that, the European Jewish issues were addressed by the European branch of the World Jewish Congress (WJC). Today, the EJC is the European regional affiliate of the WJC.

As the representative political organisation of Europe’s Jewish communities, the EJC protects the interests of its affiliated communities, working daily with European Union institutions and officials, international organisations (the Council of Europe, OSCE, UNESCO and others), as well as with national governments and parliaments.

The EJC was created to give a unified voice to Jewish communities across Europe, representing their common interests and concerns. It also serves as a close forum for exchange between communities, where ideas can be discussed openly  and where internal elections and referenda determine future leadership, projects and priorities.

At the same time, it provides a platform for Jewish communities to express their needs and develop response solutions to the challenges they face.