In the autumn of 1993, Chaim Herzog, former President of Israel, and Ronald S. Lauder, businessman and philanthropist, president of the Lauder Foundation, agreed to co-chair an International Honorary Committee whose mission would be to rally support for the Museum project, get global organizations involved, and coordinate international activities. Thanks to the efforts of the International Honorary Committee the first public presentation of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews project abroad took place on 23 May at the Consulate General of Poland in New York. It was attended by 150 people.