Sign In Forgot Password
Home

Temple Beth El Blog

Raising Our Progressive Voice in Israel

01/02/2025 12:16:05 PM

Jan2

By Rabbi Jon Prosnit and Jane Taves

There is an election coming up soon! Yes, another one. This election is a very different and powerful opportunity for us to raise our voices. As Reform Jews in the United States, we are being invited to vote for representatives to the World Zionist Congress. 

The 2025 WZC election voting will take place March 10–May 4. Voting will be done online. You will be able to vote at home on your own electronic device, or you can vote when you are at Temple Beth El, where we will have volunteers ready to help.

What is the World Zionist Congress?

The World Zionist Congress (WZC) is a democratically elected international body that convenes every five years. It is the key opportunity for Diaspora Jews like us to have a voice in Israel, to stand up for pluralism, equality, and a path to peace. The WZC controls over a $1 billion budget pivotal to securing an Israel that supports our Reform Jewish values. 

Why is this important to us?

We care very much about the future and direction of Israel. We certainly do not always agree with the government or decisions made by Israel’s leaders. And this is exactly why we want to seize this opportunity to have a voice in Israel’s decision-making in a meaningful way. 

We are not allowed to vote for Members of Knesset. But we are encouraged to vote for the WZC. The WZC is hugely influential, not only over the allocation of a huge budget, but also regarding appointments to run agencies and National Institutions, including the Jewish Agency. It is important to us to work towards the largest possible Reform representation to make these decisions. For this reason, we have volunteered to co-chair the WZC election campaign for Temple Beth El. 

Jane Taves is also honored to be a member of the Reform slate of delegates we are working to elect. A vote for this slate is a vote for Jane to be able to represent us at the Congress in October 2025.

What’s at stake?

Our opponents in the WZC campaign are highly motivated religious fundamentalists whose vision for the future of Israel is diametrically opposed to ours. They are organizing to destroy what we value, including: 

  • Chipping away at Israel’s democracy 
  • Rolling back gains for gender equity, LGBTQ+ rights, and religious pluralism 
  • Stripping our Israeli Reform clergy—especially our women rabbis—and our Reform communities of their rights, funding, and infrastructure 
  • Making sure that our converts and children are not welcome in the Jewish state 
  • Blocking any hope of Palestinian self-determination and safety 

Their vision writes Reform Jews out of the next chapter of Jewish history, and will turn Israel into a pariah state, making Jews in Israel and around the world less safe. 

Our success in this campaign depends on building a team in our congregation to spread the word and encourage our members to vote. We would love you to join us! Contact us at jtaves3@gmail.com or rabbiprosnit@tbemadison.org with questions and to volunteer for the team. 

We invite you also to join us for a pre-Shabbat talk about Israel on January 24 at 6:00 pm to learn more and share your thoughts and questions. More details are available on the Temple Beth El calendar.

We look forward to working with all of you to get out the vote for this critical election.
 

January 16, 2025 16 Tevet 5785