A CALL TO ACTION: Every four years, the World Zionist Congress (the representative body of diaspora Jewry for Israel) holds a parliamentary vote to determine its global representative voice. After this year’s successful vote, ARZA (the political voice of Reform, Progressive and Liberal Religious Zionists in the World Zionist Congress), won a plurality of votes casted. And best of all, our own Rabbi Gimbel is a voting delegate in the Congress!
While many of you were so helpful in getting out the vote during the elections, even with a plurality of votes, in the wake of an unprecedented and completely unacceptable political and ideological challenge to our values by leaders of the right-wing and Haredi Zionist parties, we could lose our voice in Israel. These parties have come to an “Agreement on Principles” designed to diminish and marginalize the Reform, Conservative, and Reconstructionist Movements – which comprise more than 20 percent of elected WZC delegates. These progressive Movements make up the dominant majority of the membership of important legacy Zionist organizations, including Hadassah, WIZO, B’nai Brith, and NA’AMAT. If the World Zionist Congress ratifies this agreement, the World Zionist Organization and Israeli National Institutions will no longer be at the table in which all Jewish Zionist viewpoints are recognized and respected.
This is not a symbolic gesture or organization. In fact, the World Zionist Organization promotes Israel education in Jewish communities around the world, including our own Shin Shin program. We support rich, diverse, inclusive Israel education, and the WZO should continue to do so.
As of this message, the World Zionist Congress is currently convening, and we urgently need additional help from you. HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO:
If you have connections to Hadassah, WIZO, B’nai Brith, or NA’AMAT, please reach out to them and urge them to stand with us and our shared values. You can also email the Israeli consulate or embassy. Suggested text for you to copy and paste can be found here: https://urj.org/blog/urgent-call-action-stop-wzc-ratification-right-wing-agreement-principles
Please join us in this campaign, and please let Rabbi Gimbel, rabbigimbel@cbisd.org, know once you have reached out. Many thanks in advance for your ongoing support!
-The Beth Israel Clergy Team