Dear Friend,

It is no news that we are experiencing difficult days of extreme challenges, both in Israel and in the United States. I have been writing about this often in recent months. But this week I’ve got some news for you.
 
While we have not managed to have elections for the Israeli parliament yet, there are elections that are going on right now that are as critical – elections to the parliament of the Jewish people. And guess what – you can vote in these elections and help us continue our work for a Jewish and democratic Israel.

The elections to the World Zionist Congress will determine who will fill senior positions in the World Zionist Organization, the Jewish Agency, and the Jewish National Fund, and how their huge annual budgets will be distributed.

Israel’s government traditionally funds heavily Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox religious services and institutions. These days, according to the 2025 national budget that is being discussed in the Knesset, billions of additional Israeli Shekels are going to be transferred to them. In contrast, the Reform movement – which offers services that hundreds of thousands of Israelis are interested in - receives only a fraction of government funding and support.

While IRAC persistently fights this discrimination within Israel through the courts, one way to fix this injustice is the budgets allocated by the Zionist institutions. These budgets are required to maintain a thriving liberal Judaism in Israel and to allow us to advance freedom of religion and equality for all Israelis, regardless of religion, race, or gender.

But now all this is under threat of being abolished.

Five years ago, a new ultra-Orthodox faction called The Holy Land (Eretz HaKodesh) entered the Zionist Congress. Now, in these current elections, they are running a campaign based entirely on opposing Reform Judaism and IRAC’s struggles, claiming that we must be stopped, and that our many achievements must be reversed. These include our opposition to illegal gender segregation on buses, our demand that legally mandated core curriculum studies be included in ultra-Orthodox education, and that kosher phone service does not block critical life-saving hotlines, such as LGBTQ hotlines. This faction wants to transfer huge budgets to the ultra-Orthodox sector, which already receives enormous government budgets disproportionate to their share of the population, and to cut further the budgets for the under-served Israeli Reform Movement, impairing our ability to continue working for a liberal Israel.

This is where you come in!

A full third of the seats in the World Zionist Congress are determined by votes from the US. Voting in the US began on March 10 and will extend through May 4. Anyone who lives in the United States, identifies as a Jew, is over the age of 18, and did not vote in the last Knesset elections can vote. It's a simple, online procedure, and requires only a very low $5.00 processing fee.

The Holy Land faction is recruiting hundreds of thousands of voters to undermine us. We need every one of you to vote for the Reform faction to withstand this assault so we can continue our work for democracy and civil rights in Israel.

This is one of the most meaningful things you can do to support us. I'm asking you to vote and encourage family and friends, community members, and everyone you know to vote Reform!

It's easy to feel discouraged and hopeless when we are besieged by such enormous challenges. But now, right now, today, at this critical moment, you have a golden opportunity to take a stand for liberal Jewish values, for a democratic and pluralistic Israel where people can choose the way to be Jewish. When you vote Reform you raise a Jewish voice for a liberal democratic Israel in which we can take pride.

VOTE REFORM!

Sincerely,

Orly Erez-Likhovski

IRAC says Vote Reform: 5 Minutes and 5 Dollars Can help Secure 5 years of Pluralism and Democracy in the WZC!

A vote for the Reform Movement in the World Zionist Congress elections is a vote for our values: equality, democracy, pluralism, justice, and peace in Israel, rooted in our love and support for the people and the state of Israel.

Vote Reform! Vote Now! Spread the word!
https://www.vote4reform.org/
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Thank you for caring about Israel's future as a democratic, egalitarian, just, and pluralistic society! As we partner together in such difficult times your continued support and partnership is very important to us. You can support our work through an annual or monthly donation or by arranging an event to share our work with your community.

If you are planning a trip to Israel or holding an event at your congregation about Israel, consider including IRAC in your plans! Contact us to invite IRAC to your community event or to coordinate with us to create an event with IRAC.