A Congressional election some of you can vote in. In January. Elect a slate for the World Zionist Congress
- You have to be18 years old before January 21, 2020.
- You have to be Jewish. The way they describe it: You have to self-identify as Jewish.
- You have to be a Zionist. You have to agree to the Jerusalem Program which is the World Zionist Organization’s expression of Zionism (My interpretation is below. Google the Jerusalem Program to read the official language.)
-
- Agree the Jewish people are united in their tie to the State of Israel and its capitol, Jerusalem.
- Support the immigration of Jews to the State of Israel, and the integration of the immigrants into Israeli society.
- Support strengthening Israel as a Jewish, Zionist and democratic state that strives for peace and world-betterment, that strives to be an exemplary society that respects the diversity of the Jewish people.
- Maintain the distinctiveness of the Jewish people by furthering Jewish, Hebrew, and Zionist education, by fostering Jewish values and Hebrew as Israel’s national language
- Defend the rights of Jews as individuals and as a nation, the national Zionist interests of the Jewish people, and oppose all manifestations of anti-Semitism.
- Settle Israel as an expression of practical Zionism.
- Pay voting processing fee (I think it is $7.50) – the cost of supporting an independent agency to operate and oversee the election.
This is a chance to vote against Benyamin Netanyahu. Members of the Knesset are the Israeli delegates to the World Zionist Conference. It is an opportunity to give Zionism a progressive voice.
I will vote for the slate supported by ARZA (Reform and Progressive Religious Zionists). The slate gives Progressive Jews to be a powerful voice in discussions about Israel. Effective organization in 2015 gained ARZA’s slate nearly 40% of the voting delegates and the largest bloc at the World Zionist Congress.
Other groups will be better organized for 2020. ARZA can sustain its influence if more progressive Jews vote. Sign up now so that ARZA will remind you to vote on January 21. Go to https://arza.org/. A pop-up will show up in a second or two asking you to fill in information so you can be reminded to vote. It will ask you for a Congregation. If you are not a member of any Congregation, leave it blank. If it doesn’t let you leave it blank, insert my congregation — Temple Shaaray Teifla of New York City. No one will ask you to pay dues. Read more about the World Zionist Congress and ARZA’s Platform at that same website https://arza.org/