4 SHEVAT 5780 • JANUARY 30, 2020 • VOLUME XXXXI, NUMBER 3 • PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID, SYRACUSE, NY
World Zionist Congress elections presents “rare opportunity” to strengthen global Jewish community BY SHIRYN GHERMEZIAN (JNS) – Jews in the United States are voting online for slates that represent diverse political beliefs, religious denominations and cultural traditions vying for a seat in the 38th World Zionist Congress, set to convene in October 2020 in Jerusalem. Thousands of American Jews are expected to cast their ballots in the elections for the WZC, also known as “the parliament of the Jewish people,” before polls close on March 11. A total of 1,800 candidates across a record number of 15 slates are hoping to secure the available 152 seats the United States holds in the Congress, and as such, have a say in decisions made about the Jewish state and world Jewry over the next five years. Voting began on January 21. “American delegates make up nearly 30 percent of the Congress. This election presents a rare opportunity for us to participate in strengthening the Jewish community both in the United States, Israel and worldwide,” said the American Zionist Movement, the U.S. federation in
the World Zionist Organization and the election’s organizer. Eligible voters must be age 18 or older, identify as Jewish, be a permanent resident in the United States (and not voting or planning to vote in the March 2 Israeli general elections), and affirm their commitment to the Jerusalem Program, the official platform of the World Zionist Organization. To register and for information about the groups running, visit ZionistElection.org. Those elected from the United States will join the remaining 500 elected delegates from Israel and around the world at the 38th World Zionist Congress to make decisions regarding four key institutions (the World Zionist Organization, Keren Hayesod, Keren Kayemet LeIsrael–Jewish National Fund and the Jewish Agency for Israel), and its allocation of nearly $1 billion annually to support Israel and Jews around the world. After the delegates are elected, the Congress forms a Zionist Council proportionate to the total number of delegates in the Congress, and they meet at least once a year. The Zionist Council governs the
World Zionist Organization, serves as the general assembly of the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund, and holds half the seats on both the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Board of Governors and the board of Keren Hayesod. Together, the four organizations have a budget of $1 billion per year, and the delegates can advise and work in cooperation with the leadership of these groups on direction, strategies and actions. Theodor Herzl, considered the father of modern-day Zionism, convened the first Zionist Congress in 1897 in Basel, Switzerland. WZC is the only democratically elected global Jewish forum. A total of 56,000 people voted in the last election in 2015. In that election, the slate of the Reform movement got 56 spots on the Congress, the Conservative movement got 25 and the main Orthodox delegation received 24. The rest of the seats were split among other parties. The 15 slates running in the 2020 World Zionist Congress elections are: Eretz Hakodesh: Led by Pesach Lerner, president of the Coalition for Jewish Values,
which represents more than 1,000 Orthodox rabbis in matters of American public policy. The slate’s name, meaning “the Holy Land,” promotes “Jewish values based on the Torah,” and its delegates represent “the yeshivah, Chassidic, Sephardic and Israeli Torah communities” of the United States. Vote Reform: A combination of the Reform and Reconstructionist movements, the party is committed to religious pluralism and equality within Judaism and in Israel; combating racism, discrimination and hatred; security in the Middle East; a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and ensuring that public Jewish funding does not fund projects in settlements in, what Weinberg called, “non-consensus areas.” The list is headed by Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism. Israel Shelanu: Translated into “Our Israel,” this slate was formed by Israelis living in America seeking to represent Israeli-Americans. It calls for a more “open and pluralistic Jewish culture,” See “Zionist” on page 5
Examining Jewish identity and Israel engagement on Birthright’s 20th anniversary BY ELIANA RUDEE (JNS) – During January, Taglit Birthright will celebrate a major anniversary, representing two decades of the 10-day trips that have impacted the lives of more than 750,000 emerging Jewish adults worldwide. The program was founded by Jewish philanthropists Charles Bronfman and Michael Steinhardt, with support from private donors and the Israeli government, to spur involvement by North American youth who were becoming increasingly disassociated with their Jewish roots. It initially was geared for ages 18-26, though the target age has been extended. While young Jews around the world can participate, the large majority have been those from the United States and Canada. Len Saxe, who in his role as professor of contemporary Jewish studies at Brandeis University has written extensively on the
Cole Keister with unnamed Birthright friends. (Photo courtesy of JNS)
impact of Birthright, told JNS of “the enormous impact that the program has on the lives of people who participate.” By comparing those who have applied for and participated in Birthright, versus those who applied but did not participate, Saxe has traced the lives of various groups of participants six, 12, 18, 24 and 36 months post-program to find that “Birthright is a pivotal movement that changed the trajectory of engagement with Jewish life.” According to his “conservative estimates through complex modeling,” those who go on a Birthright trip are 50 percent more likely to marry another Jew and raise Jewish children. Additionally, Jewish identity, connection to a Jewish community and connection to Israel each increase significantly more for those who participated. Upon returning to Portland State University from his Birthright trip in winter 2015, Cole Keister found that “BDS [had come] to campus” through a motion by the “very anti-Israel” student government that passed the movement to boycott Israel by 23-3. “The language they were using was off the normal BDS script,” he told JNS. “They were calling out Jewish people and weren’t even being anti-Israel, just straight up antisemitic.” Birthright, he said, catapulted his journey to becoming president of the Israel group on his campus following the onslaught of anti-Israel and antisemitic sentiment there. “I have created dozens of events and collab-
Natalie (right) and Katherine (center) Dubin posed along the waterfront in Israel with an unnamed Birthright friend. (Photo by Natalie Dubin) orations with other student groups, [such as] the Filipino student union, African student
association and more,” he said. “I have learned to be a leader. I went on Birthright, and now here I am.” According to Saxe, Keister’s story is not an outlier. Most participants, he said, come with positive views on Israel, and even those who are critical of the policies of the Israeli government typically express a strong connection to the Jewish state. “Participants start out with a fairly high connection and association. And this is what is remarkable about Birthright – it is deeply enhanced by the experience. Those who were connected to Israel become very connected,” he noted. “There
See “Birthright” on page 7
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE B’nai B’rith Canada
Local author talk
Tu B’Shevat
In an interview, the CEO of B’nai Local author Jeffrey Gorney will Local congregations announce B’rith Canada paints a portrait of speak at the Jewish Genealogy their Tu B’Shevat seders and Society’s February 9 meeting. Canadian Jewry. celebrations. Story on page 3 Story on page 2 Stories on page 4
PLUS Classifieds................................ 3 Simcha & Party Planning..... 6 Calendar Highlights............... 6 Obituaries................................. 7