David Harris

David Harris served as CEO of American Jewish Committee (AJC) from 1990 to 2022.

The organization was described by The New York Times as “the dean of American Jewish organizations,” and by French President Nicolas Sarkozy as “the most effective, influential, and respected American Jewish organization.”

Harris was referred to by the late Israeli President and Nobel Laureate Shimon Peres as “the foreign minister of the Jewish people.” He is the most decorated Jewish organizational leader in U.S. history, including from the Ukrainian government, and is the recipient of four honorary doctorates, the most, in 2022, from Brandeis University.

Throughout the past five decades, Harris played a pivotal role in shaping critical global issues — from the rescue of Ethiopian Jewry and Soviet Jewry (including two detentions by Soviet authorities) to helping expand Israel’s diplomatic footprint throughout the world, his contributions have been far-reaching.
Harris has also been deeply committed to the post-communist transition of Central and East European countries to strong democratic foundations anchored in the transatlantic security framework. Under his leadership for three decades, AJC was outspokenly supportive of Ukrainian independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

He lives with his wife in New York.