Who We Are
Board of Directors
Bernardo Benes - President and CEO. [Read more about Bernardo Benes.]
Tony Lopez-Ibanez - Vice President- A retired industrialist who lives in Charlotte, NC. Very active and supportive of the Catholic Church, member of the Malta association and the YMCA.
Denis Kleinfeld - Secretary - a principal of both The Kleinfeld Law Firm, LLP with offices in Miami and London , Kleinfeld Global Services, LLC in the Virgin Islands and General Counsel of Four Points Family Office LLC in the Virgin Islands. He serves as a strategic legal advisor to affluent families and closely held businesses on sophisticated national and international income tax, estate tax, investment and transaction planning, and asset protection planning matters.
Octavio Verdeja, CPA - Treasurer- Senior Partner, Verdeja & De Armas, Certified Public Accountants- Former President, South Florida Health Panning Council and United Way of Miami Dade.
Dr. Raul Moncarz, Ph. D. - Vice Treasurer. Vice Provost Emeritus of Biscayne Bay Campus of Florida International University, Miami, Fl. USA. Professor Emeritus of Finance . Fulbright Scholarship.
Salomon Kassin - a Colombian-American investment banker living in Miami. Interested in edcumenical and interreligious activities.
Ambler H. Moss, Jr. - Professor of International Studies at the University of Miami, Fl. and of counsel to the law firm Greenber Traurig. Previously he was Director of the Dante B. Fascell North South Center (1984-2004). US Ambassador to Panama (1978=1982).
Members of the Advisory Board
Jorge Cardinal Mejia, born in Buenos Aires , Argentina , In 1986 Cardinal Mejia was appointed by Pope John Paul II to arrange his visit to the Synagogue of Rome- April/13/1986. He was former Archivist and Librarian of the Vatican . He is Co-Chairman of the Bilateral Commission with the Jews.
Cardinal William Henry Keeler was born in San Antonio, Texas. While studying
at the Pontifical Gregorian University on Rome he was ordained to the priesthood
in 1955.
He became Bishop in 1979. He was elected President of the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops in November 1992. He was very effective and
became a legendary force in building interfaith bonds, particularly for
furthering Catholic-Jewish dialogue. In November 26, 1994 Pope John Paul II
appointed him as Cardinal. He has served as Archbishop of Baltimore, MD, from
1989 to October 1, 2007 when he became Archbishop Emeritus.
Bishop Thomas Wenski, of Orlando , Bishop Wenski was appointed Bishop of Orlando on Nov. 13, 2004 by John Paul II. At the same type he was elected Chairman of the USCCB International Policy Committee.
Rev. Msgr. James F. Checchio, JCD, MBA, Rector of the Pontifical
North American College in Rome. Msgr. Checchio is an alumnus of the College
of the Class of 1992. He was ordained priest on June 20, 1992 in the Cathedral
of Camden, New Jersey. He was appointed Vice-Rector for Administration of the
College on August 1, 2003 for a five year period. On January 16, 2006 he was
appointed Rector by the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education.
Rabbi Eric J. Greenberg, Director of Interfaith Policy of the Anti Defamation League (ADL).
Dr. Eugene J. Fisher - Associate Director of the Secretariat of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. He is also a Consultor- only American-to the Holy See's Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews. Dr. Fisher is the author of many books on Christian-Jewish relations. He has received during his 30 years of association with the bishops' conference. He has been the recipient of numerous awards from both Jewish and Catholic organizations.
Jerzy Kluger - the Jewish childhood friend of who later became Pope John II. Both were born in Wadowice, a small town in Poland, There are two books "A letter to a Jewish Friend' and "The Hidden Pope" that explain this very close relationship that lasted until Pope John Paul II died in April 4, 2005.
US Senator Richard D. Stone - D. FL. (1974-1980) - retired. Dick lives in Washington, DC and keeps very active in world affairs. He is very interested in ecumenical activities.
Rabbi Emeritus Solomon Schiff - for over forty years Rabbi Schiff was Executive Vice President of the South Florida Rabbinical Association of Greater Miami. It was Rabbi Schiff who arranged the meeting of Pope John Paul II with the Jewish community of the United State that took place in Miami in 1987.
Rabbi Emeritus Mayer Abramowitz - Conservative-Temple Menorah, Miami Beach. Former President of the Rabbinical Association of Greater Miami and Dean of the Jewish Leadership Institute.
David Lawrence Jr., retired after 35 years in newspapering, most recently as Publisher of the Miami Herald. He is nationally known child advocate and President of the Early Childhood Initiative Foundation
Rabbi David Rosen, KCSG, International Director of Interreligious Affairs of the American Jewish Committee. Jerusalem, Israel. A very respected worldwide authority and recognized leader in ecumenical affairs.
Rabbi Ron Kronish, Director of the Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel (ICCI) since 1992. Rabbi Ron Kronish is also a noted Rabbi, educator, author, lecturer and speaker.
Samuel H. Miller, Cochairman of the Board and Treasurer, Forest City Enterprises, Inc. He is actively engaged in the Cleveland community and is nationally recognized leader in the Jewish Community where he has served in very senior positions. Among many others he has received an Honorary Doctors Degree from Notre Dame College.
Marcos Kerbel - a banker and Professor of International Banking at Florida International University, Miami. Mr. Kerbel has served as President of the Cuban Hebrew Congregation, Miami Beach.