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Greensboro attorney Kathy Manning was sworn in Monday as the first board chairwoman of one of the most influential Jewish organizations in the world.

“This is really amazing for the Jewish community of Greensboro and for the general community of Greensboro,” said Rabbi Eli Havivi of Beth David Synagogue. He was among a contingency of  60 local people attending a Greensboro Jewish Federation reception in Washington.

“Here’s a major organization, which is aimed toward mostly Jews and the Jewish community and Israel, but really has a reach all over the world and helps non-Jews as well, and the head of it is our Kathy Manning,” Havivi said.

Manning is responsible for managing a board of directors and determining the direction of the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly, including the U.S. and Canada.  The organization is sort of a United Way of the Jewish world. It is an umbrella group for 157 organized Jewish federations and more than 400 smaller networking communities.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a keynote speech earlier in the day.

“She is, as we speak, meeting with President (Barack) Obama about the threat of Iran to Israel and threats to democracy as well as other international issues,”  Marilyn Chandler, executive director of the Greensboro chapter, said of Manning. She champions parent empowerment efforts at Greensboro’s poorest schools.

“She has so much to share in the way of her intelligence, her deep humility, her respect for others, her great sense of humor, and she has a clear vision of where she would like to lead our organization into the future.”

Contact Nancy McLaughlin at 373-7049 or nancy.mclaughlin@news-record.com