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Your Voice Matters: World Zionist Congress Election in 2020

09/24/2019 10:03:00 AM

Sep24

by Jane Taves

We are entering election season! No, not (quite yet) the US presidential election. Another important election happens in early 2020: the election for delegates to the World Zionist Congress (WZC) of the World Zionist Organization (WZO).

 

This election takes place every five years. You may remember seeing laptops set up in our Weinstein Community Court in 2015 and being asked to vote for the ARZA (Association of Reform Zionists of America) slate. But you may not have understood exactly what you were voting for or why this election is so important to Reform Jews in North America.

 

Here’s why it matters: The World Zionist Organization was established in 1897 by the Zionist movement to help bring about the founding of a Jewish state. When the state was founded in 1948, this organization continued for a new purpose: More than 50 percent of all Jews still lived outside of the state of Israel, and it gave Diaspora Jews a political voice in the state.

 

Today, the WZO is still a place where our voices can have direct influence and power in Israel. If you are feeling frustrated with the policies of the Israeli administration, this election is the only way that North American Jews can weigh in democratically about these issues. Don’t miss your opportunity to do that!

 

Why do the World Zionist Congress elections matter for our Reform movement and for us at Temple Beth El?

  • Funding: Based on the elections of 2015, the Reform movement in Israel now receives over $4 million US dollars annually from the WZO. These funds are critical to support our Reform Jewish communities.
  • Political power: A strong delegation to the WZO means we can appoint key professionals who share our Reform Jewish values to leadership positions within the national institutions in Israel.
  • Influence: A strong showing in this election lets us influence Israeli society in matters of conversion, marriage and divorce, religious pluralism, gender rights, settlements, and combating racism.

 

How do these elections accomplish this?

  • The United States has a total of 145 delegates to the WZO. This is by far the largest number of delegates from any country outside of Israel, so we can greatly influence the overall makeup of the Congress. Your vote determines how many of those 145 delegates represent the Reform movement.
  • Today the Reform movement worldwide holds 36 percent of the seats in the WZO. This strong bloc has allowed us to have influence in critical Israeli issues. As an example, the head of the Jewish Agency, Isaac Herzog, is from this faction. But this bloc is not large enough to impact decisions as strongly as we would like. We must increase this number in the next election.

 

A Personal Note

 

In 2015, Kendra Sager and I had the privilege of attending the last World Zionist Congress in Jerusalem. We saw the passion of Reform Jews from around the world to keep Israel both a Jewish and a democratic state, one that reflects our values of inclusiveness and pluralism and acknowledges more than one way to be Jewish in Israel.

 

We also saw the passion of those who would like to marginalize Reform Judaism in Israel, who embrace the ultra-Orthodox hold on matters involving worship, conversion, marriage, who is considered a rabbi, and who is considered a Jew.

 

For the North American Reform Jewish community, this election is by far the most important tool for weighing in on matters of funding, political power, and influence in Israel.

 

What You Can Do

 

  • Make a promise to yourself that you will vote for the ARZA Reform slate when the elections open on January 21, 2020.
  • Share this message with your family and friends and encourage them to vote. Every Jew who is at least 18 years old is qualified to vote. You do not need to be a member of a congregation.

The Temple Beth El campaign team, headed by Kendra Sager, will let you know about opportunities between now and January 21 to learn more about the impact of this election and how you can help. Please connect with us if you have questions and ideas about this campaign and how to engage our congregation.

 

Please join us to spread the word about the WZC election and make Reform Jewish voices heard in Israel.  

 
March 28, 2024 18 Adar II 5784