René Cassin, a leading Jewish human rights organization, has announced the appointment of barrister Jonathan Metzer as the new chair of its trustee board. The charity, which is named after the French-Jewish co-author of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, aims to use Jewish experience and values to advocate for the rights of minorities.
Metzer, a specialist in human rights law at 1 Crown Office Row Chambers, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity, stating, “My commitment to human rights derives largely from my experience growing up in a strongly identifying Jewish family partly descended from refugees from the Holocaust. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was a response to those atrocities, a concrete expression of a global determination that they should never again be allowed to happen.” He added, “To be leading the charity named after the Declaration’s co-author is a great honor and a tremendous responsibility at a time when populist nationalism is on the march.”
Metzer replaces outgoing Chair Danny Silverstone, who has led René Cassin since 2014. Silverstone praised Metzer’s appointment, saying, “I am delighted to hand over to Jonathan Metzer as our new chair. His appointment will bring an exciting mix of experience, focus, commitment, and energy to the role.” He also expressed his confidence in the organization’s future, stating, “I leave confident that René Cassin’s future will be bright.”
René Cassin’s Executive Director, Mia Hasenson-Gross, also welcomed Metzer’s appointment, saying, “Danny has left René Cassin in great shape, and anyone concerned with human rights in the UK should be extremely grateful for his stewardship and hard work. With his expertise and energy, Jonathan is the ideal person to drive René Cassin forward in the next stage of our development. I very much look forward to working with him.”
Pressat is proud to distribute this news on behalf of René Cassin. For more information, please visit https://pressat.co.uk/.
