// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho's Howard Kohr? A koherent leader.
Howard Kohr is an American lobbyist who served as CEO of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) from 1996 to 2024.[1][2][3] Kohr is credited with overseeing growth of the organization's institutional footprint, fundraising, and institutional reach.[4][1]
Early life and education
[edit]Kohr was the son of Kurt Kohr, a Vienna-born Holocaust survivor who was held in Dachau concentration camp.[5][6]
Kohr was raised in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, graduating from Cleveland Heights High School in 1974.[7] He attended Kenyon College.[8]
Career
[edit]Following the June 1993 resignation of AIPAC's executive director Thomas Dine after his usage of racial slurs against Orthodox Jews, Kohr, then managing director, became the lobbying firm's interim executive director.[9]
In 2015, Kohr announced AIPAC's opposition to the Obama Administration's Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action without the joint dismantling of Iran's nuclear infrastructure.[10]
In March 2024, Kohr announced he would step down as AIPAC's CEO on December 31, 2024.[11][12][13] Kohr was succeeded by Elliot Brandt.[14]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Kampeas, Ron (2024-04-05). "How Howard Kohr made AIPAC a pro-Israel powerhouse while keeping a low profile". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
- ↑ Tyler, Patrick E. (2001-11-20). "U.S. PLEDGES PUSH FOR MIDEAST PEACE". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
- ↑ Sharon, Jeremy (September 9, 2018). "32. Howard Kohr". The Jerusalem Post. The Jerusalem Post's 50 Most Influential Jews of 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
- ↑ Windmueller, Steven. "The Blogs: Reflections on the AIPAC Organizing Story: Notes on Howard Kohr's Tenure". Retrieved 2026-07-30.
- ↑ "Kohr, Kurt". Cleveland Jewish News. 2026-07-30. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
- ↑ "Biography for Howard Kohr" (PDF). www.congress.gov.
- ↑ Zach, Photo / GPO / Haim (2024-03-26). "AIPAC CEO Howard Kohr, former Cleveland Heights resident, to retire at end of year". Columbus Jewish News. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
- ↑ REPORTER, ED WITTENBERG CJN STAFF (2013-06-05). "Cleveland natives Kassen, Kohr to speak at AIPAC event here". Cleveland Jewish News. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
- ↑ Friedman, Thomas L. (1993-06-29). "JEWISH LOBBYIST OUSTED FOR SLURS". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
- ↑ Solomon, Jay; Lee, Carol E. (2015-03-01). "Pro-Israel Group Publicly Breaks With White House Over Iran". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
- ↑ "CEO of AIPAC to retire at year's end". Israel & Jewish News - JNS. 2024-03-26. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
- ↑ "Howard Kohr, longtime AIPAC director, announces retirement | The Jerusalem Post". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2024-03-28. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
- ↑ Deutch, Gabby (2024-03-26). "AIPAC CEO Howard Kohr to retire at end of year". Jewish Insider. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
- ↑ "AIPAC names Elliot Brandt as next CEO amid uncertain future for US-Israel relations". The Times of Israel. June 5, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2025.