Charles O. Kaufman

Charles O. Kaufman, a native of Dallas, Texas, comes from a long line of Zionists. A leader in B’nai B’rith for more than 40 years, he completed his term as the 32nd International President at the end of 2021. He’s represented B’nai B’rith around the world at the United Nations in New York, at the Human Rights Council in Geneva and at UNESCO in Paris; and in Texas at the state legislature, testifying on behalf of anti-BDS legislation, which overwhelmingly passed both houses and was signed into law.  His focus on world Jewry goes back 30 years, when in 1992, he initiated and promoted a petition that generated more than 10,000 signatures calling for the freedom of Syrian Jews under the rule of Hafez Assad. B’nai B’rith subsequently worked through its office at the United Nations and with other groups to secure the emigration of thousands of Syrian Jews. In his professional career, Kaufman has worked in various aspects of media, first as a journalist, a columnist, business editor; then, as a publisher of target market publications for a media strategies firm, Kaufman Communications; and currently is a senior faculty member in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Texas State University. He is the author of two books, Engaging Public Relations, A Creative Planning Approach; and Ideapower: A Practical Guide to Building Winning Public Relations Campaigns, both published by Kendall Hunt. He and his wife, Vonne, a retired audiologist, live in Austin, Texas, have two children and three grandchildren. Kaufman has degrees from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., and The University of Texas at Austin. He has also worked on behalf of the Jewish community in various capacities, from religious institutions to Maccabi USA/Sports for Israel and the Levi Hospital of Hot Springs, Arkansas.