Jacob Stein, who served as chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations during the Yom Kippur War of 1973, has died.

Stein died on Dec. 8, the first night of Chanukah.

As the Presidents Conference chairman during the Yom Kippur War, he reportedly was influential in convincing the Nixon administration to send immediate military aid to Israel.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

“Jack was a great leader, devoted to his community, people, and country,” Richard Stone and Malcolm Hoenlein, respectively the chairman and executive vice chairman of the Presidents Conference, said in a statement. “He remained deeply involved with the Conference for decades after his tenure as chairman. He served during a time of serious challenges with total dedication and demonstrated unique qualities of leadership throughout.”

In 1981, Stein served as a full-time adviser in the Reagan administration and hosted the first Chanukah party at the White House. He served on the U.S. ambassadorial staff to the United Nations and to the Human Rights commission in Geneva.

Stein served as president of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism and was a founder of Temple Israel of Great Neck on Long Island, in suburban New York.

A graduate of Columbia University, Stein operated a chain of clothing stores in the Northeast and in the 1950s he became a real estate developer on Long Island.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount