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VOTE NOW!! by Brett Krichiver, Student Rabbi As I stepped off the plane for the first time, I felt that I would never be able to explain to my family back home the feeling I was having. I knew the ground at the Ben Gurion Airport wasn't exactly holy; but touching it first with my feet, then my hands, then my lips for a brief second, I felt a sense of belonging. I had not yet met the people. I had not yet experienced the acute frustration of bringing my own sense of religion to this place that claimed to be my home. And so, in my naive heart, I was home. One of the most important issues facing the Reform Jewish community in America as we peer into the twenty first century, is the redefinition of our relationship with Israel. The Orthodox stronghold on all issues relating to religion and religious practice has only strengthened since my first visit in 1990. Can we find our place as liberal Jews there? Will we visit? Should we send money? Can we consider this small, foreign-feeling country, as our own? Especially as the threat of terrorism strikes closer to home than ever before, how does our understanding of Israel as the Jewish homeland change? In June of this year, the World Zionist Congress will hold elections in Israel. The World Zionist Congress is the only international forum where American Jews have direct influence on critical issues facing Israel and the relationship of Israel to the world Jewish community. The WZO wields considerable influence over how our charitable contributions, through the UJC and the Jewish Agency, are spent in Israel. Most of us do not consider where our money goes, we merely feel good about giving. The harsh reality is that historically Reform Judaism has been under-represented in Israel in every way: politically, religious, socially, financially. The majority of Jewish American dollars has come from liberal Jews, and the majority of these dollars have gone directly to Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox institutions in Israel, many of whom work hard to convince visitors that theirs is the only way. It is our sacred task to fight for our rights and for the rights of Reform Jews in Israel. We are fighting for these rights every day. Winning this election will enable us to impact the masses of Israeli society in the manner befitting a great movement. This election is about more than the Reform movement in Israel; it is about the legitimacy of the Reform movement in North America. Our movement is experiencing tremendous growth in Israel. Since the last World Zionist Congress, the annual allocation for the Reform movement in Israel has doubled, giving us millions more for the construction of synagogues and schools, in addition to scores of other worthy programs. This is a substantial amount of funding, which the Reform movement should at least maintain, and ideally increase. This can happen only through another campaign victory. Modern technology makes it easier than ever to vote. Although forms are available at the Temple, you can also register online at www.VoteReformJudaism.com. This will take you to the ARZA/World Union website devoted to the upcoming election. There you can read about what other organizations in North America are doing, what past elections have meant for liberal Jews in Israel, and find out how you can help! To register, each individual is required to fill out their own registration form, sign a statement saying that you support Israel, and pay a $4 registration fee. Each form returned by mail must be placed in its own envelope. The payment must be made with a personal check or credit card. To be eligible to vote, you must be Jewish, a U.S. resident, and at least 18 years of age. All registered voters will receive a ballot in the mail in early 2002. You can cast your vote for the Reform slate by marking this ballot and returning it to the WZO's American Elections Committee. You must register in order to vote! |