March/April 2025 Clergy Column

At the time of this writing, we are in the early, tentative days of a ceasefire, that I pray holds, and allows the long, arduous work of building a peace that might last to begin. It has been hard, over these last seventeen months, to really take into account the many other facets of life in Israel, beyond the headlines and beyond the war and all the destruction left in its wake.

Even in the midst of this terrible war, there is still a complexity and nuance in Israeli society and landscape of Israel that can go overlooked from far away. This is the Israel that I remember most fondly from my time spent living there during my first year of rabbinical school. It is a place of many tensions: between Israel and her neighbors, between secular and religious Jews, between the left and the right, between competing visions of what Israel’s future should look like. And right now, there are major decisions to be made that will impact the future of Israel’s handling of issues around gender equality, religious tolerance and pluralism.

Every five years, Jews around the world have an opportunity for their voices to be heard in Israel. From March 10 until May 4, the Beth Am community — and any self-identifying Jew in the United States — has the opportunity to cast their vote in the World Zionist Congress (WZC) elections. These elections are our opportunity — as American Reform Jews — to have a direct influence on the decisions and policies that will shape the landscape of some of the major social issues being discussed in Israel. We might feel at times as if Israel is too distant, too complex, for us to have a voice there. But these elections allow us to make an impact on how these decisions — affecting nearly $1 billion in funds to be distributed by the WZC — will be made. This year, in partnership with the Union for Reform Judaism and the Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA), we are encouraging you to vote for the “Vote Reform” slate.

The World Zionist Congress is the decision-making body for the World Zionist Organization, which was founded by Theodor Herzl in 1897, as a way to bring the voices (and funds) of world Jewry together as the “Parliament of the Jewish People.” The WZO utilizes the Zionist Congress to establish its policies and internally elect leadership to the bodies which define executive policy, departmental direction and budget decisions — each of which impact life inside Israel. The World Zionist Congress remains the only forum in Jewish life comprised of delegates reflecting a broad spectrum of ideological and political perspectives chosen in democratic elections throughout the world. As such, it commands the attention of Israel’s decision makers and serves as world Jewry’s mouthpiece in Israel. The “Vote Reform” slate is committed to:

• Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish State and defend its people from terror.
• A strong, secure, democratic and Jewish Israel, as envisioned in its Declaration of Independence.
• A secure Israel alongside a peaceful Palestinian state is vital for stability.
• Religious equality where all Jewish traditions and forms of observance are respected, with full recognition of liberal Movements and an end to the ultra-Orthodox monopoly as the recognized religious authority.
• Regional security through peace and stability for Israel, Palestinians and neighbors.
• Full equality under the law for all Israelis, including minorities, women and LGBTQ+ people. 

These are the core issues that the Reform movement is advocating in the World Zionist Congress, which distributes vital funds to the many Israeli Progressive Jewish organizations, like the Israel Religious Action Center, the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism and the Hebrew Union College. As Reform Jews, we strive to create a world in which gender equality is the rule – where men and women can pray, work and live together as equals deserving of the same respect and honor. We envision and work for a society in which all denominations are treated fairly and with respect – and all of us are seen as Jews, regardless of our level of observance. And we believe that there must be efforts made to achieve lasting peace, security and stability for Israel, the Palestinians and the Middle East region. Due to ARZA’s success in the previous elections, they were able to join with Israeli political parties to influence Israeli society in matters of conversion, marriage and divorce, religious pluralism, gender rights and combating racism.

At their core, these elections directly impact key decisions of how funds are distributed, which organizations receive funding and how much. The allocations the WZO makes to the several Jewish religious streams in Israel are determined by the number of its delegates elected to the World Zionist Congress. The World Zionist Organization, the Jewish Agency for Israel and the Jewish National Fund allocate essential funds to our movement based on the size of our representation. This is why it is so important that we vote, and that we encourage our friends to do so as well.

Voting is simple: as long as you are 18 or older, identify as Jewish and are willing to part with a small administrative fee of $5, you are eligible to vote in this election. It only takes a few minutes — vote for the “Vote Reform” slate to make your voice heard in Israel. “Vote Reform,” to help ensure an Israel that continues to reflect our most cherished Jewish values.

To receive notification when voting opens and/or to vote, please visit betham.org/wzc-vote2025.

Rabbi Heath Watenmaker
rabbi_watenmaker@betham.org