(Courtesy of OJCC) President of Israel Issac Herzog hosted the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce (OJCC) delegation at Bait Hanasi in Jerusalem last week.

During the meeting, President Herzog expressed his admiration for the work of the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce in building bridges between communities and countries while empowering businesses calling it a huge Kiddush Hashem while acknowledging Lakewood New Jersey as his favorite community in the US. He lauded the organization for its efforts in forging alliances throughout the community, Israel, the United States and the globe.

The delegation comprised 20 Jewish business leaders who are part of the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce’s board and executive leadership from New Jersey, New York, Israel, Europe and other parts of the Chamber’s global network.

Furthermore, President Herzog was recognized by the chamber and The Morris Katz Foundation with the Morris Katz Legacy award on US Presidents’ Day.

The President expressed deep gratification for receiving the award which recognized him for carrying the message of the world famous artist historic president collection saying “Never Again” and for demonstrating appreciation to US presidents.

About Morris Katz President Collection Award;

Morris Katz is a renowned artist with work in many museums, including the Smithsonian His background as a Holocaust survivor and ultimately a true American patriot, who was amazingly appreciative of the opportunities he found when welcomed to our shores in 1949, led him to create this wonderful collection.

Within minutes following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Morris Katz began a project that remained his most-prized initiative for the remainder of his life: The Presidential Collection. For six years, Mr. Katz meticulously painted masterful portraits of each president, beginning with George Washington and concluding with the last president of his lifetime, George H.W. Bush. Mr. Katz spent an average of 200 hours on each presidential collection portrait,all of which were painted in old master style.

The delegation included prominent figures such as Harry (Tzvi) Berkowitz, founder of Project Talmai/ Universal Jewish Police Association, Moshe Israel Kinderlehrer, Co-Founder and Publisher of the Jewish Link NJ, Lital Kiperman/Vaknin, Michel Guttermann of SHUVU, Choose NJ representative in Israel, and other distinguished individuals.

The President’s hosting of the delegation echoed the president’s support for its Jerusalem Conference that took place on February 21, 2024, at the Nefesh B’Nefesh Conference Center in Jerusalem helped empower Businesses effected by October 7th.

The conference took place on February 21, 2024, at the Nefesh B’Nefesh Conference Center in Jerusalem, Israel. The event featured a lineup of distinguished speakers and workshops which provided valuable insights and expertise on a variety of topics related to connecting and doing business within Israel and beyond, including working with the US Department of Commerce and US Embassy, navigating the business landscape in Israel, and building connections with American and Israeli companies. Some of the notable speakers included Robyn Kessler, Commercial Counselor/Senior Commercial Officer at U.S Embassy Jerusalem | U.S Department of Commerce, Gilad Cabilo of Choose New Jersey and Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, and Mike Kashnow of Route 38.

These speakers brought with them a wealth of knowledge and experience, and their presentations promised to be highly informative and beneficial to all attendees. A special women in the workforce roundtable was also hosted by Lesly Kaplan, providing an opportunity for female business leaders to connect and discuss important issues related to women in the business sector.

The conference also focused on forging intros between governmental departments, introducing US embassy and Israel governmental and community leaders, as well as business leaders and American and Israeli companies together. This emphasis on building connections and partnerships is crucial for the success of businesses in Israel, and the conference provided valuable networking opportunities that are essential for meaningful partnerships, job creation, and business expansion.

Gilad Cabilo of Choose New Jersey, expressed on the panel his gratitude for the conference by highlighting its significance, especially in the wake of the events of October 7th. He emphasized how the event was the first since October 7th to take place in Israel and how it played a vital role in bringing people back to everyday life. Cabilo also shared how, since October 7th, he had been fighting in the army straight until the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce event and how the conference helped him get back to work on economic perspectives. He thanked the leadership of the Chamber for this valuable event.

Robyn Kessler, the Senior Commercial Officer at the US Embassy and US Department of Commerce, mentioned to the crowd how she was initially skeptical when Duvi Honig, the founder of the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce, reached out to her two months ago during the height of the war, expressing his desire to collaborate on an event aimed at empowering businesses affected by the October 7th events. Having run missions for years, Kessler said she believed that such an event required thorough planning and ample time and was impossible to achieve. However, she mentioned Honig was persistent in his belief that they could pull it off in a short turnaround.

Attending the event, which saw a few hundred attendees and no empty seats with Kessler sharing her vast knowledge with those eager for guidance and direction, concluding her remarks with praise for the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce’s leadership. Kessler admitted, “Duvi, I don’t know how you pulled this off so quickly and on such a high level, but one thing I can tell you for sure: I will never doubt the chamber’s reach and capabilities ever again. I am super impressed and have never seen such an amazing empowerment event, with a full house, being pulled off against all odds in such a short timeframe, especially during a war.”

Robyn Kessler commended the organization’s ability to enact meaningful change and empowerment in business, even in challenging and pressing circumstances.

By bringing together government officials, business leaders, and community members, the conference facilitated valuable networking opportunities, Jobs were created, knowledge and expertise were shared, meaningful partnerships that are essential for the success and growth of businesses in Israel were created.

The event not only imparted valuable skills and knowledge, but it also provided hope and encouragement to those who have been affected by recent events, and pointed to a brighter future for the business sector in Israel.