In his first column, newly elected President Robert Spitzer shares his vision for the organization.

Dear Members and Friends of B’nai B’rith,

It is a great honor to write this message, my first as the newly elected International President of B’nai B’rith. Thank you for the confidence you have placed in me, and the leadership team, which includes: Vice Chairman Bruce Pascal of Potomac, Md.; his Potomac neighbor, Treasurer Michael Gellman; Senior Vice Presidents Jack Berkowitz from Goshen, N.Y.; Eric Engelmayer from Luxembourg; Millie Magid from Miami and New York City; Dan Tartakovski from Mexico City; and Jacobo Wolkowicz from Montevideo, Uruguay; and Chief Justice David Geller of Miami. This talented group of leaders joins me in our partnership with the strong professional staff led by CEO Dan Mariaschin in advancing B’nai B’rith’s mission.

B’nai B’rith’s footprint is wide around the world; we are one small part of it. In communities across the globe, those of you who are involved in the important work of Jewish community building and service are our most important leaders. The position of president may attract attention, but the work of B’nai B’rith is accomplished by thousands of people whose actions and support are critical to our success. To all of you, I’d like to say “hello” and “thank you.”

Oct. 7 changed the world for me and many of you. While I’ve been involved in B’nai B’rith most of my life, I never felt compelled to lead at this level. Seeing masked protesters prowling universities and harassing Jewish students in the name of Middle East peace and having a neighborhood school and synagogue in my hometown of Mercer Island, Washington, defaced with anti-Semitic graffiti shook me out of my complacency and spurred me to action.

Given the challenges in the Middle East and the rise of anti-Semitism around the globe, B’nai B’rith’s ability to build and strengthen our Jewish community ties is needed at unprecedented levels. The rates of affiliation with Jewish religious and social organizations are at an all-time low, while the need to successfully advocate for one another and Israel is critical. B’nai B’rith can and should be a leader in that effort.

While B’nai B’rith continues to have thriving lodges in communities across North America and the globe, B’nai B’rith’s growth will come from engaging younger Jewish people throughout the world. To achieve this, we in the older generation need to better listen to their voices and to communicate in ways that they will hear. Beyond that, we need to mentor and empower our younger leaders to progress in B’nai B’rith and to take over our jobs!

B’nai B’rith has a young professionals leadership program, “Connect,” which has already produced many of our current leaders. There’s an award program, the “Label A. Katz Young Leadership Award,” which has recognized scores of outstanding young people in our ranks. One of my major goals is to strengthen our young leadership program and to better engage young leaders locally, nationally and internationally.

Speaking of goals, we need to do a better job of letting the Jewish world know what Hamas already knows (See Hamas Charter, Article 22): that B’nai B’rith is one of the world’s most important defenders of Israel and the Jewish people. In March, our leaders are gathering in Geneva to engage in public diplomacy before the United Nations Human Rights Council, which has a permanent agenda item at each session to attack Israel. Later, we’ll speak out to defend Israel at meetings with UNESCO officials and diplomats in Paris.

These are just a few examples of B’nai B’rith’s advocacy which are important to share. The impact of our work is profound. To help facilitate better communication about our achievements, here’s a link for you to use to sign up for one or more of B’nai B’rith’s newsletters. If you have a Jewish friend who you think would enjoy any of these newsletters, feel free to forward the link.

Communication is best when it is reciprocal. Do you have a story about the important work you’ve done in B’nai B’rith? If so, please let me know. We’ll try to share some of the best stories with you all.

Thank you for the trust you’ve placed in me by electing me as your president.

Here’s to B’nai B’rith’s future!