Oskar Deutsch
Born
Vienna, Austria
NationalityAustrian
Alma materVienna University of Economics and Business
OccupationPresident of the Jewish Community of Vienna
PredecessorAriel Muzicant

Oskar Deutsch (born in Vienna) is an Austrian entrepreneur, and since 2012 President of the Jewish Community of Vienna (IKG) and the Federal Association of Jewish Religious Communities in Austria.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

Biography

Deutsch attended the American International School Vienna, and studied at the Vienna University of Economics and Business.[8][9] After working in various positions in the family-owned coffee trading company Alvorada in Vösendorf, he was managing director.[10][11][12]

He has been a member of the Cultural Council of the Israelite Community in Vienna since 1993. In 1997 Deutsch co-founded the electoral list Atid (“Jewish Future”) together with Ariel Muzicant.[13][14][15] In 1999 he became vice president of the religious community. In addition, he is chairman of the Maccabi Vienna sports club, and in 2011 was the head of the organizing committee of the 13th European Maccabiah Games in Vienna.[11][16][17]

After Deutsch was elected President of the IKG on February 21, 2012, as the successor to the resigned Ariel Muzicant, confirmation was given on November 29, 2012, by the newly elected IKG Board of Directors.[18] Deutsch's election was overshadowed by the ban on Ronald Lauder from the World Jewish Congress after the latter allegedly wanted to help Deutsch's opponents come to power with an injection of money.[19][20] On January 13, 2013, after a reconciliation between Lauder and Deutsch, the trespass warning was lifted.[21][22]

After the 2020 Vienna attack on 2 November, Deutsch said that while the shooting was near the city's main synagogue, it wasn't clear whether the building was targeted.[23]

In December 2020 Deutsch apologised for allowing non-prioritised individuals, including himself, to receive doses of the coronavirus vaccine meant for at risk members of the Jewish community.[24]

Works

References

  1. ^ "Oskar Deutsch ist neuer Präsident der Israelitischen Kultusgemeinde". OTS.at. February 21, 2012.
  2. ^ Christof Danz (November 27, 2018). "Jewish Life in Vienna - A Conversation with Oskar Deutsch, President of the Jewish Community Vienna".
  3. ^ Ahren, Raphael (December 12, 2019). "Austrian parliament sets stage for overwhelming condemnation of BDS". Times of Israel.
  4. ^ Ahren, Raphael (May 20, 2019). "Austrian Jewish head praises downfall of far-right leader; Oskar Deutsch says community's boycott of Freedom Party validated, after faction head Heinz-Christian Strache forced to resign amid corruption scandal". Times of Israel.
  5. ^ Ahren, Raphael (February 7, 2019). "Austrian Jewish leader: No reason for Israel to end boycott of far-right FPOe; Oskar Deutsch, accompanying Austria's president here this week, praises Jerusalem's no-contact stance on FPOe as 'Jewish foreign policy,' says the party is 'obviously' anti-Semitic". Times of Israel.
  6. ^ "Austrian Jewish leader fights to keep far-right out of government; Despite his plea that Freedom Party not be part of coalition, Oskar Deutch says 'I don't think that the state of Austria will listen'". Times of Israel. October 23, 2019.
  7. ^ "Austrian Jewish leaders deny normalization plan with far-right party". Jewish Journal. June 8, 2016.
  8. ^ "Die Geduld kam mit den Jahren". June 13, 2012.
  9. ^ "Deutsch will IKG stärker öffnen". wien.orf.at. February 22, 2012.
  10. ^ "Deutsch folgt Muzicant als Chef der Kultusgemeinde". Die Presse. February 22, 2012.
  11. ^ a b "A Coffee Roaster leads the Jewish Community; Oskar Deutsch will become President of the Austrian Jewish Community". Jewish News From Austria. February 22, 2012.
  12. ^ "Oskar Deutsch: Neuer IKG-Chef will offene jüdische Gemeinde". Nachrichten. February 23, 2012.
  13. ^ "ATID | Jüdische Zukunft – Team Oskar Deutsch".
  14. ^ Margaretha Kopeinig (November 20, 2017). "Liste "Atid" und Oskar Deutsch gewinnen Kultusratswahl". Kurier.
  15. ^ "Oskar Deutsch ist leider ein Rssist". Die Juedische.
  16. ^ Sara Friedman (April 12, 2012). ""We don't live in a ghetto"; Meeting Oskar Deutsch, the new head of Vienna's Jewish community". The Vienna Review.
  17. ^ Caecilia Smekal (December 5, 2011). ""Jede Hilfe bekommen, die nötig war"; Oskar Deutsch ist Organisator der European Maccabi Games". Kurier.
  18. ^ "Leitung". Archived from the original on 2020-10-24. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
  19. ^ Brooks, Derek (December 6, 2012). "Austrian Jewish group bans billionaire Lauder in election spat". Reuters.[dead link]
  20. ^ Cnaan Liphshiz (December 12, 2012). "In Europe, charges of Ron Lauder tinkering in Jewish politics causes a stir". St. Louis Jewish Light.
  21. ^ "Konflikt zwischen Kultusgemeinde und Lauder gelöst; Oskar Deutsch, Präsident der Israelitischen Kultusgemeinde, und Ronald Lauder, Präsident des World Jewish Congress, haben ihre Differenzen überwunden. Das Hausverbot gegen Lauder wurde aufgehoben". ORF.at. January 24, 2013.
  22. ^ "Austrian Jewish leader mends fences with Ron Lauder; Oskar Deutsch, president of Austria's IKG Jewish organization, alleged that the head of the World Jewish Congress had interfered in the community's leadership election". Haaretz. January 25, 2013.
  23. ^ Doom, Justin (November 2, 2020). "At least 1 dead, 10 wounded in 'apparent terrorist attack' in Vienna: Police". ABC7 Los Angeles.
  24. ^ "Austrian Jewish community leader apologizes for wrongly administered COVID vaccines". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 6 January 2021. Retrieved 2022-02-21.
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