David Harris (advocate)
Encyclopedia
David Harris is the Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee
(AJC), one of the oldest Jewish advocacy organizations in the United States, which The New York Times has branded as the "dean of American Jewish organizations.
In 1979, he began working for the American Jewish Committee (AJC). In 1981, he left the AJC to take a position at the National Conference on Soviet Jewry. In 1984, he returned to the AJC and became head of its Washington, D.C. office in 1987. Since 1990, Harris has served as the Executive Director of the AJC.
He is married and the father of three children.
Among the highlights of his career, Harris was central to the emigration of over one million Jews from the Soviet Union.
In 1974 and again in 1981, he was twice detained by Soviet authorities and, on the first occasion, was expelled from the country. In 1987, Harris was asked by the Jewish community to serve as the national coordinator for the historic Freedom Sunday for Soviet Jewry -- the 1987 demonstration in Washington that drew over 250,000 participants, the largest Jewish gathering in American history.
Harris also worked behind-the-scenes on the rescue of the Ethiopian Jewish community in the early 1980s.
For 16 years, Harris was a key figure in the successful struggle to repeal the infamous "Zionism is racism" resolution (United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379) adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1975, only the second time in UN history a resolution was actually repealed. He also spearheaded the AJC's successful campaign to correct Israel's status at the United Nations as the only nation ineligible to sit on the Security Council and to include it in one of the United Nations' five regional groups.
On behalf of AJC, Harris has been deeply involved in a number of humanitarian initiatives in response to natural and man-made disasters, including in the Balkans, Middle East, Africa, Asia, Latin America and the United States.
Harris has testified before the United States Congress in both the House and the Senate on several occasions regarding the Middle East, NATO expansion, Russian and Soviet affairs, and anti-Semitism, as well as before the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and the French Parliament. He has spoken at Harvard, Princeton and Yale Universities and many forums in Europe.
In 2008, Harris was the first American Jewish leader to speak at the World Economic Forum in Davos at a plenary session entitled, "Faith and Modernization".
In 2003, Harris received the first Lifetime Achievement Award from the Russian Jewish community in the U.S. for "his lifelong dedication to the physical and spiritual return of Soviet Jews to the Jewish people."
The governments of Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Spain, and Ukraine have conferred public service awards on Harris including:
American Jewish Committee
The American Jewish Committee was "founded in 1906 with the aim of rallying all sections of American Jewry to defend the rights of Jews all over the world...
(AJC), one of the oldest Jewish advocacy organizations in the United States, which The New York Times has branded as the "dean of American Jewish organizations.
Background
Harris was born in 1949. He grew up in New York City and attended the Franklin School. In 1971, he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. He received a master’s degree and did his doctoral studies at the London School of Economics. Harris also spent one year as a Junior Associate at Oxford University (St. Antony's College).In 1979, he began working for the American Jewish Committee (AJC). In 1981, he left the AJC to take a position at the National Conference on Soviet Jewry. In 1984, he returned to the AJC and became head of its Washington, D.C. office in 1987. Since 1990, Harris has served as the Executive Director of the AJC.
He is married and the father of three children.
Professional Activity
Harris is a leading Jewish advocate who meets with world leaders to advance Israel's diplomatic standing and promote international human rights and inter-religious and inter-ethnic understanding.Among the highlights of his career, Harris was central to the emigration of over one million Jews from the Soviet Union.
In 1974 and again in 1981, he was twice detained by Soviet authorities and, on the first occasion, was expelled from the country. In 1987, Harris was asked by the Jewish community to serve as the national coordinator for the historic Freedom Sunday for Soviet Jewry -- the 1987 demonstration in Washington that drew over 250,000 participants, the largest Jewish gathering in American history.
Harris also worked behind-the-scenes on the rescue of the Ethiopian Jewish community in the early 1980s.
For 16 years, Harris was a key figure in the successful struggle to repeal the infamous "Zionism is racism" resolution (United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379) adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1975, only the second time in UN history a resolution was actually repealed. He also spearheaded the AJC's successful campaign to correct Israel's status at the United Nations as the only nation ineligible to sit on the Security Council and to include it in one of the United Nations' five regional groups.
On behalf of AJC, Harris has been deeply involved in a number of humanitarian initiatives in response to natural and man-made disasters, including in the Balkans, Middle East, Africa, Asia, Latin America and the United States.
Harris has testified before the United States Congress in both the House and the Senate on several occasions regarding the Middle East, NATO expansion, Russian and Soviet affairs, and anti-Semitism, as well as before the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and the French Parliament. He has spoken at Harvard, Princeton and Yale Universities and many forums in Europe.
In 2008, Harris was the first American Jewish leader to speak at the World Economic Forum in Davos at a plenary session entitled, "Faith and Modernization".
Affiliations
David Harris is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. In 2000–2002, he was a visiting scholar at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. In 2003, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Hebrew Union College. In 2009, Mr. Harris was elected a Senior Associate at Oxford University (St. Antony’s College).Awards
Harris has been recognized with many awards.In 2003, Harris received the first Lifetime Achievement Award from the Russian Jewish community in the U.S. for "his lifelong dedication to the physical and spiritual return of Soviet Jews to the Jewish people."
The governments of Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Spain, and Ukraine have conferred public service awards on Harris including:
- Sword of Freedom for “support of Poland’s membership in NATO”. Presented by Polish Foreign Minister Bronislaw Geremek, Washington, D.C. (May 1999)
- Das Grosse Verdienstkreuz for “contributions to German-American and German-Jewish relations”. Presented by German Federal President Johannes Rau, Washington, D.C. (May 4, 2000)
- Gold Laurel Branch for “the strengthening and developing of bilateral relations between the USA and Bulgaria”. Presented by Minister of Foreign Affairs Nadezhda Mihailova, New York City (July 12, 2001)
- Presidential Medal for “developing relations between the Republic of Bulgaria and the United States and for strengthening religious, ethnic and racial harmony”. Presented by Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov, Sofia (August 29, 2002)
- Gold Cross of the German Armed Forces for “ten years of partnership between the German Armed Forces and the American Jewish Committee”. Presented by Minister of Defense Peter Struck, Berlin (November 22, 2004)
- Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters. Presented by French Minister of Culture and Communications Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres, Paris (March 4, 2005)
- Commander’s Cross of Merit with Stars. Presented by Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski, New York City (September 15, 2005)
- Chevalier of the Legion of Honor. Presented by French Minister of Foreign Affairs Philippe Douste-Blazy, New York City (September 18, 2005)
- Centennial Anniversary Distinguished Leadership Award, American Jewish Committee, Washington, D.C. (May 3, 2006)
- La Medille de la Republique. Presented by French Minister of Interior Nicolas Sarkozy, Paris (January 23, 2007)
- The Order of the Three Stars – Commander Class. Presented by Latvian President Valra Vike-Freiberga, Washington, D.C. (May 3, 2007)
- The Order of Merit. Presented by Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, New York City (October 2008)
- Madara Rider State Order. Presented by Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov, Sofia (August 24, 2010)
- Gran Cruz de la Orden del Mérito Civil. Presented by Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, Madrid (October 15, 2010)
- Ufficiale dell'Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana, Presented by Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, Rome (July 11, 2011)
Published Works
- In the Trenches: Selected Speeches and Writings of an American Jewish Activist, Vol. 1, 1979–99, KTAV, ISBN 978-0881256935
- In the Trenches: Selected Speeches and Writings of an American Jewish Activist, Vol. 2, 2000–01, KTAV, ISBN 978-0881257796
- In the Trenches: Selected Speeches and Writings of an American Jewish Activist, Vol. 3, 2002–03, KTAV, ISBN 978-0881258423
- In the Trenches: Selected speeches and Writings of an American Jewish Activist, Vol. 4, 2004–05, KTAV, ISBN 978-0881259276
- In the Trenches: Selected Speeches and Writings of an American Jewish Activist, Vol. 5, 2006–07, KTAV, ISBN 978-0881259278
- The Jewish World, HIAS, ASIN BOOOIBR1MG
- Entering a New Culture: A Handbook for Soviet Migrants to the United States of America, HIAS, ASIN BOOO6CRK6Y
- The Jokes of Oppression (with Izrail Ravinovich), Jason Aronson, ISBN 978-1568214146