Ten from Ted: A Historic Meeting with Pope Leo XIV and the Latest from AJC
After several weeks on the road connecting with partners, friends, and allies both inside and outside of the Jewish community, AJC CEO Ted Deutch shares ten highlights — from Jewish-Catholic solidarity at the Vatican to confronting antisemitism and watching five pivotal elections.
Welcome to Ten from Ted! Here’s my latest update after meeting with Pope Leo XIV following several weeks on the road, connecting with partners, friends, and allies both inside and outside of the Jewish community.
Highlights
A Historic Meeting with Pope Leo XIV
I had the profound honor of meeting with Pope Leo XIV alongside AJC President Bobby Lapin and other AJC leaders and professionals. We shared a message of Jewish-Catholic solidarity and presented artwork commemorating Nostra Aetate, the declaration that transformed Catholic-Jewish relations. We are deeply grateful for Pope Leo’s partnership and steadfast support for Jewish communities around the world.
More from our visit here →Standing with Our Friends in Panama
Earlier this month I led a delegation to Panama through AJC’s Arthur and Rochelle Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs (BILLA). We met with the President of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, and other government leaders to express our gratitude for their enduring support for Israel and Panama’s Jewish community and share our solidarity and contribution to reconstruction efforts following the recent earthquake.
Coming Together to Confront Antisemitism
Back in the U.S., I, and fellow AJC colleagues, joined more than 450 leaders from government, education, business, and interfaith communities at the inaugural David Merage Foundation Congress for Confronting Antisemitism to discuss how we can work across sectors to combat antisemitism. I was honored to deliver the keynote address, which you can watch below.
Watch my remarks from the Congress →Israelis Head to the Polls
With Israelis voting this week in an election that could reshape the country’s political landscape, Director of AJC Jerusalem, Lt. Col. (res.) Avital Leibovich, joined two veteran journalists for a timely discussion on the race and what the results could mean for Israel’s future.
Watch here →Remembering the Tree of Life
This week also marks eight years since the Pittsburgh shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue, where 11 worshippers were murdered. AJC’s award-winning podcast series explores the lasting impact of that tragedy and the launch of AJC’s Show Up For Shabbat campaign, the largest display of solidarity with the Jewish community in American history.
Listen here →Marking Three Years Since 10/7
We came together from New York to Los Angeles and Sofia to Strasbourg to mark three years since the October 7 attacks that changed everything. In a first-of-its-kind event hosted by the Secretary of State at the State Department, AJC helped bring together families of the American victims of the attack. I published a piece on the unity we felt that day and the importance of rediscovering it.
Read my op-ed here →The Importance of Partnership
Our friends at the National Black Empowerment Council (NBEC) released a powerful video recapping a rally at the UN General Assembly where NBEC Founder and Executive Director Darius Jones and I called on world leaders to take action against antisemitism. Darius and NBEC are among our strongest partners in the fight against antisemitism, and I’m continually grateful for their dedication to our shared mission.
Watch the video here →Demanding Moral Clarity from Our Candidates for Office
I penned an op-ed in light of Abdul El-Sayed’s comments refusing to respond to whether Israel or Iran poses the greater threat to the U.S., arguing that both have “proven dangerous in their own way.” His response reflects a troubling trend of mistaking our allies from our adversaries. We should expect more from candidates who hold or aspire to hold public office, on both sides of the aisle.
Read my op-ed here →Responding to Riots in France
In response to the horrific scenes coming out of France, AJC issued a warning: “Failing to confront extremism and allowing extremist rhetoric and behavior to become normalized erode democratic values, deepen societal divisions, and create the conditions for political violence to take hold.”
Read AJC’s full statement here →Five Elections to Watch Around the World
Elections in Israel, the United States, Spain, Brazil, and New Zealand could have far-reaching implications for Israel, the fight against antisemitism, and global affairs. I encourage you to read AJC’s global experts’ insights into these pivotal races and what their outcomes could mean.
Read here →Failing to confront extremism and allowing extremist rhetoric and behavior to become normalized erode democratic values. AJC statement on the riots in France
For more up-to-date information, follow me on Instagram @TedDeutch, X/Twitter @AJCCEO, and LinkedIn, as well as AJC on X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram.
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