Name:
Bernice Manocherian
AIPAC Role:
Member of AIPAC's Board of Directors
Professional Profile/Associations:
Long-time leader in pro-Israel political and philanthropic networks. Connected to the Manocherian Brothers real estate firm, a major New York property management group now led by her son; trustee of the Abettor Foundation, which donates heavily to the American Jewish Committee, UJA, Women's International Zionist Organization (WIZO), Hadassah, and the American Israel Education Foundation (AIEF). Member of the Museum of Jewish Heritage's Luncheon Committee and benefactor of SelfHelp. Former AIPAC president (2004–2006) who led the organization during the 2005 federal espionage investigation and indictment of AIPAC officials Steven Rosen and Keith Weissman for illegally obtaining and disseminating classified U.S. government information. Named as a defendant in Rosen's $21 million defamation lawsuit; claims against her were dismissed on statute of limitations grounds.
Accountability:
As a member of AIPAC's Board of Directors, Bernice Manocherian bears individual legal responsibility for the organization's conduct. Under U.S. nonprofit law, board members hold fiduciary duties to ensure organizational compliance with applicable legal standards, implement oversight systems for core activities, and respond to credible information about organizational wrongdoing. In Stern v. Lucy Webb Hayes (1974), the federal district court held that nonprofit directors who fail to supervise organizational decisions breach their fiduciary obligations. In In re Lemington Home for the Aged (3d Cir. 2015), the Third Circuit upheld $2.25 million in damages against nonprofit directors who ignored red flags and failed to exercise reasonable oversight.
