Dear TEE community,

Elections for the 39th World Zionist Congress will take place this year from March 10  to May 4. Founded by Theodor Herzl in 1897, the Congress is the legislative body of the World Zionist Organization (WZO). Its 500 delegates meet every five years and are elected by Jews around the globe.

The Congress allocates approximately $1 billion each year ($5 billion each election cycle). The composition of the delegates has a significant influence on how those funds are distributed.  American Jews comprise the second largest block of voters, after Israelis, and our votes directly impact whether WZO money supports religious pluralism, civil rights, and economic justice in Israel.

To vote in the US election, you must:

  1. Be Jewish (and not part of another religion)
  2. Be 18 years or older by June 30, 2025
  3. Be a US citizen or a legal permanent resident in the US
  4. Maintain your primary residence in the US
  5. Accept the Jerusalem Program*
  6. Not have voted in the November 2022 Knesset election (and will not vote in any future Knesset election held prior to July 28, 2025)

Registration and voting will open on March 10, 2025. Voting will be online and paper ballots will be available on request. The fee to register and vote is $5, which goes to cover the operating costs of the election.

Voting in the WZC elections is by slate, rather than individual candidates. The two slates representing Reform/progressive positions are those of URJ/ARZA and Hatikvah. Information on their respective platforms and further instructions on how to vote can be found on their websites: https://www.vote4reform.org/ and https://www.hatikvahslate.net/. A list of all the slates is available at https://azm.org/upcoming-us-world-zionist-congress-election-sees-surge-in-slates/.

I will be voting in the Congress elections because I think it is important for American Jews to do all they can to support democratic and inclusive institutions in Israel at this moment. Without our participation, billions more dollars will be directed at settlements and Jewish supremacist organizations. Because we have a chance to divert at least some of that money to groups that reflect our Reform and American values, I believe we have an obligation to do so. I hope you agree and will join me in participating in this election.

Rabbi Drorah Setel

*The text of the Jerusalem Program is available at https://azm.org/wzo/jerusalem-program/.