Cosmetics Heir to Lead World Jewish Congress

NY Times ^ | 6/11/07 | STEPHANIE STROM

[kiriath_jearim]

Ronald S. Lauder, the cosmetics magnate, won his bid to become the first elected president of the World Jewish Congress, the tiny nonprofit group that faced down some of the world’s largest banks to win billions for Holocaust victims but is now struggling to recover from scandals resulting from lax financial controls.

Mr. Lauder succeeds another billionaire, Edgar M. Bronfman, whose decades-long patronage of the organization gave it a prominence and prestige that was the envy of most other Jewish organizations.

[Stepan12]

First, a whiskey salesman? Now, a lipstick salesman? These are the leaders of the Jewish people? We are doomed /sarc

[Red Badger]

Benjamin Netanyahu was a furniture salesman..........

[Bruinator]

When I lived in Austria. Lauder was the Ambassador.

[Red Badger]

Ambassadorships to cushy places are bought and paid for by campaign contributions.........I couldn’t afford even Botswana........