Vote for Liberal and Democratic Values in Israel: June 5-15

Your opportunity to have a say in the future of Israel and global Jewish priorities

The World Zionist Congress election is your opportunity to have a say in the future of Israel and global Jewish priorities. $1 billion in funding is at stake, and your vote for the liberal and progressive slates ensures that values like Democracy, Equality, and Peace are represented.

I lived in Israel for one year at the turn of the century [ask me at some point what it was like on New Year’s Eve of Y2K]. Throughout that year, I vividly remember seeing posters and bumper stickers throughout Jerusalem reading “Yesh yoter mi derech echad l’hiyot Yehudi”, “There Is More Than One Way To Be Jewish”, and feeling pride swell in my heart. While this simple statement seems obvious to us in Canada, it was part of a new and critically important campaign by the Reform movement in Israel, advocating for religious pluralism. At the time, and since then,  liberal and egalitarian Jews in Israel have been fighting for:

• an egalitarian prayer and gathering space at the Kotel;

• the right for Women of the Wall (and all women) to bring in a sefer Torah to the women’s section at the Kotel;

• recognition of Reform and Conservative conversions and marriages;

• public buses to run on Shabbat in Tel Aviv and elsewhere;

• state funding for non ultra-Orthodox rabbis and land for liberal synagogues;

• religious pluralism within and beyond Judaism in the country, and on and on…

Fighting for liberal and egalitarian values

These strides fought in the Knesset, the courts, and in local and municipal levels send a message that we love and care for Israel. That we wish to see it realize its potential as a vibrant and diverse Jewish, Democratic state. That prejudice and hatred towards Jews and non-Jews in Israel is anathema to what the country ought to stand for. For me, standing up for this vision of the State of Israel does not mean supporting the current right-wing government. I disagree with its conduct of the war in Gaza, its pursuit of settlement expansion in the West Bank, its opposition to a two-state solution, and its broad efforts to undermine democracy and religious pluralism within Israel.

Where can we find hope and optimism right now?

First, let us look to Israelis themselves. A substantial percentage of Israelis do not support the current government or its measures. Thousands upon thousands march in the streets throughout the country in protest, demanding pluralism, democracy, an end to the war, and a return of the hostages. They want to live peacefully and securely in a civil society and they want to be proud of their country and its leadership. Rabbi Micah Greenstein reminds us that:

every day in Israel, citizens with moral clarity are rising up and taking to the streets to defend democracy and Israel’s future.  This is the leadership Israel so urgently needs from within.  And what is sadly unknown among [Canadian] Jews, is that Israel’s Reform Movement is at the forefront of working to counter the crisis.  They are developing a strategy for the role of the Reform Movement in rebuilding the country, defending democracy and advancing a just and inclusive vision of Judaism; to save the soul of the Jewish state from religious and nationalist extremism; to create a society where different Jewish expressions live not in opposition, but in harmony.  A society with room for all.

Today, there are about 430,000 Israelis who identify themselves as Reform Jews.  Over 70% of secular Israelis prefer synagogues without a gender partition, and 40% of Israelis believe that Israel should take global Jewish perspective into account on matters of religion and state.

The Reform Movement has become a vital and growing voice in Israeli society, shaping a Jewish future rooted in democracy, pluralism and global connection.

Next, let us look to what we can do from here to realize the dreams we have for Israel. We can vote in the upcoming World Zionist Conference.

What is the World Zionist Congress?

The World Zionist Congress (WZC) is a central nongovernmental institution in Israel. Often called “The Parliament of the Jewish People,” the WZC convenes every five years to bring together representatives from Jewish communities around the world to decide on key issues affecting the Jewish people in Israel and globally. The Congress elects the leadership that sets policies and influences the allocation of significant funding of about $1 billion annually. It plays a crucial role in supporting activities worldwide which promote Jewish identity and combat antisemitism.

The current WZO election is happening right now and Canada’s voting dates are June 5-15

Why vote?

• Ultra-orthodox organizations won a large number of seats in the WZC in 2020 and are trying to consolidate and increase their power in 2025.

• Unless more liberal voters vote in the 2025 election, the ultra-Orthodox slate will increase their power in the WZC and threaten Israel’s democracy. They support Israel becoming a theocracy governed by a strict interpretation of the Torah, which would make Israel a pariah state, leaving none of us safe anywhere in the world.

• Extremist groups want to: strip Israeli Reform and Masorti (Conservative) clergy and communities of their rights and funding; reject Reform and Conservative conversions and question the authenticity of our children’s Jewish identity; abuse and misuse funding for West Bank expansion; demand gender segregation in Israeli society; roll back gains for religious pluralism, gender equality, and LGBTQ+ rights; and undermine Israel’s democracy with anti-democratic and racist policies. 

• Your voice and your vote matters!

Who is eligible to vote?

In order to vote, one must be:  

• 18 or over 

• Self-identified as Jewish  

• Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident 

How does one vote? 

For instructions on how to register and vote, please go to www.arzacanada.org,  www.votehatikvah.ca or https://mercaz.ca/wzo-2025/, three liberal organizations which I recommend.

Is there a fee to vote?

There is a $2 fee to register that covers the administrative costs of the election. Payment can be made by credit card. The payment also serves to prevent fraud by making sure that individuals are voting and are only doing so once. 

What’s next? Want to learn more? 

Consider attending the upcoming webinar “WZO Voting 101” hosted by Darchei Noam on Sunday, June 8, 2025. 7:00-9:00 pm on Zoom.

Register for the program and receive zoom link by clicking here.

The Keynote address will be given by Joan Garson, previous chair of the Canadian Zionist Federation. She will explain the origins and history of the World Zionist Organization and the part that Canadian Jews can play in the upcoming worldwide elections. 

The session will include presentations from Canadian representatives of:

• ARZA Canada (Association of Reform Zionists of America-Canada), 

• MERCAZ-Canada (The Canadian home of Masorti/Conservative Judaism)  

• HATIKVAH Canada (Democratic Israel) 

Please join me in voting for an Israel that feeds our souls and aligns with our democratic, pluralistic, and egalitarian values.

With hope for us all,

Rabbi Ilyse Glickman

Please let me know what you think about today’s offering: rabbiglickman@djctoronto.com. I look forward to the conversation.