Rabbi Marc Schneier

Philanthropist and Activist
World Jewish Congress

Rabbi Marc Schneier is a pioneer and advocate for the restoration and unification of ethnic groups and faith communities throughout the United States and abroad. With the formation of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, Rabbi Schneier’s life’s work became the rebuilding of U.S. Black-Jewish alliances and the establishment of Muslim-Jewish and Evangelical Christian-Muslim global relations. It was in 1990 that Rabbi Schneier’s establishment of The Hampton Synagogue created the first Jewish community in the Hamptons, planting a seed in the Hamptons for Jewish life. Nearly thirty years later The Hampton Synagogue has become the bedrock of thriving Jewish community and philanthropy in the United States. From his native New York to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Singapore, South America, and Europe Rabbi Schneier spurred discussion and positive exchange between Jews and Muslims. He has devoted years urging faiths to focus on what unifies them rather than what divides them. Rabbi Schneier’s unique ability to inspire compassion and a desire for understanding amongst differing faiths has granted him many opportunities to honor and further his work. Rabbi Schneier was appointed Special Advisor by the King of Bahrain to the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence in Manama, in 2018 he was the first rabbi to lead a Jewish congregational mission to a Gulf Country, and he led the first evangelical Christian mission to Azerbaijan in Muslim-majority country. Rabbi Schneier continues his work to bring peace and brotherhood to faiths worldwide through patience, understanding, and conversation.