The World Zionist Congress Elections


Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

THE 2006 WORLD ZIONIST CONGRESS ELECTIONS

Adopted by the 116th Annual Convention

of the Central Conference of American Rabbis

Houston, TX

March, 2005

WHEREAS, the World Zionist Organization is a worldwide democratic organization which brings Jews together to strengthen Jewish life in Israel and around the world, through the allocations of Jewish communal funds and work of its own agencies,

AND WHEREAS, the policies and budgets of the WZO and the Jewish Agency are set by elected representatives from Israel and around the world at its World Zionist Congress,

AND WHEREAS, elections for the WZO Congress, held once every four or five years, are the only democratic national institution allowing all American Jews to have their voice heard on the Zionist agenda,

AND WHEREAS, the World Zionist Organization will be holding its 35th Congress in June of 2006,

AND WHEREAS, North American Jews and other Jewish communities worldwide will be electing representatives to the 35th World Zionist Organization Congress in the Spring of 2006, with voter registration commencing in the Fall of 2005,

AND WHEREAS, the results of the elections have a major impact not only on the relative strength of Zionist organizations within the American Jewish community, but on the future direction of Israel and world Jewry,

AND WHEREAS ARZA, the Association of Reform Zionists of America, and ARZA Canada are the Zionist arms of the North American Reform Movement, and the vehicles through which North American Reform Jewry has been represented in the last two World Zionist Congresses,

AND WHEREAS, in the most recent elections to the World Zionist Congress the ARZA delegation received 48% of the vote (1997) and 42% of the vote (2002), both representing a plurality of votes cast in the United States,

AND WHEREAS, these elections have resulted in a dramatic increase of support for the values and programs of Progressive Judaism in Israel, in the FSU and throughout the world,

AND WHEREAS, the CCAR has shown strong, ongoing and continual support for ARZA throughout the past three decades, and

AND WHEREAS, the CCAR recognizes its role as partner with ARZA, ARZA Canada and the URJ in working towards the strongest possible vote for ARZA in the upcoming WZO elections,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the CCAR:

  • Urge its members and their eligible family members to register and vote in the upcoming election,

  • Call on its members to do all that they can within their respective constituencies, initially to maximize voter registration and subsequently to inspire voting for the ARZA slate in the upcoming election, including addressing issues pertaining to ARZA, Progressive Judaism and the World Zionist Congress in some way on the High Holy Days, and

  • Ask rabbis to use the upcoming election as an opportunity to educate themselves and others as to the importance of Progressive Judaism in Israel, and how ARZA.s support for peace, pluralism, and democratic ideals has been constant and unequivocal.

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