World
ON i HE COVER
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Theodor Herzl, highlighted by circle, at the first World
Zionist Congress in 1897 in Basel, Switzerland
The Jerusalem Program
Before you cast your vote on the
direction of Zionism, you must show
your commitment to the principles
of Zionism by accepting the
Jerusalem Program.
The World Zionist Congress
adopted the list of ideals and princi-
ples in 1951 and revised the program
in 1968. The growing power of the
Association of Reform Zionists of
America and its allies in the World
Union for Progressive Judaism
helped push the Zionist Geoeral
Council to revamp the Jerusalem
Program in June 2004.
The current Jerusalem Program
follows.
Zionism, the national liberation
movement of the Jewish people,
brought about the establishment of
the State of Israel, and views a
Jewish, Zionist, democratic and
secure State of Israel to be the
expression of the common responsi-
bility of the Jewish people for its
continuity and future.
Foundations of Zionism are:
• The unity of the Jewish people, its
bond to its historic homeland Eretz
Yisrael, and the centrality of the
State of Israel and Jerusalem, its
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January 5 • 2006
capital, in the life of the nation.
• Aliyah to Israel from all countries
and the effective integration of all
immigrants into Israeli society.
• Strengthening Israel as a Jewish,
Zionist and democratic state and
shaping it as an exemplary society
with a unique moral and spiritual
character, marked by mutual respect
for the multi-faceted Jewish people,
rooted in the vision of the prophets,
striving for peace and contributing
to the betterment of the world.
• Ensuring the future and the dis-
tinctiveness of the Jewish people by
furthering Jewish, Hebrew and
Zionist education, fostering spiritual
and cultural values and teaching
Hebrew as the national language.
• Nurturing mutual Jewish responsi-
bility, defending the rights of Jews
as individuals and as a nation, repre-
senting the national Zionist interests
of the Jewish people and struggling
against all manifestations of anti-
Semitism.
• Settling the country as an expres-
sion of practical Zionism.
new ideas. They influence the
leadership of the Jewish Agency.
You may say,'Why is this impor-
tant?' The Jewish Agency has a
budget. That money can be going
to broad programs and big
ideas."
Voting a certain way can affect
funding and policies for educa-
tion, welfare and social justice,
agrees Rabbi Robert Golub of
New York, executive director of
Mercaz USA. There is no ques-
tion that each party hopes to win
increased funding for its particu-
lar outreach efforts, camps, edu-
cational programs and more. But
he fears, as do others, that failing
to vote in the democratic election
for the world's Jewish parliament
sends a message of not caring.
"Israel is concerned about the
diaspora," Rabbi Golub says, "and
diaspora Jewry should be con-
cerned just as well with the qual-
ity of life in the State of Israel."
Religious Issues
In the last election in 2002,
about 85 percent of the
American votes went to the
dominant Jewish religious
movements in the United
States: a Reform-
Reconstructionist alliance in
first, Conservatives in second
and various Orthodox groups in
third. Religious pluralism in
Israel is a top agenda item for
the non-Orthodox groups as
well as other many of the other
slates.
Paula Edelstein, who repre-
sents the Reform movement on
the WZO executive board and
heads JAFI's Israel Committee,
said the growing strength of
progressive parties in the
Congress has forced the Jewish
Agency "to acknowledge the
multifaceted nature of Jewish
society."
Rabbi Golub of Mercaz says
it's important for Israel, which
doesn't have powerful Reform
and Conservative movements,
"to see that world Jewry is
organized in a different man-
ner. One can't assume what's
normal at home is the norm
elsewhere."
The Congress had an impas-
sioned debate about religious
pluralism during its 33rd ses-
sion in 1997, and there has
been an impact.
"Certainly, Israeli policy in
questions of church and state
have changed," Rabbi Golub
said, citing the recognition of
non-Orthodox conversions
completed outside Israel as one
of the most significant changes.
But the very changes they
seek have spurred the Religious
Zionists, who are running in a
coalition under the "Vote
Torah" banner.
"If you vote for representa-
tives from the Religious Zionist
slate, you will protect the 3,000-
year-old traditions of our peo-
ple," the Vote Torah Web site
says, warning, "If you don't
vote, the values you hold dear
will be jeopardized."
Electoral Outreach
The goal for these elections
was 200,000 registrants, says
AZM's Rubinstein, but that total
appears to be out of reach. She
said a figure well above 100,000
is realistic.
In the end, she said, the
AZNI's job is to set up a good
voting system and to make
available as much information
as possible about the Congress,
the WZO and JAFI. Turnout and
campaigning are the responsi-
bility of the organizations, she
says.
Local candidates are running
for different reasons. As might
be expected, the younger candi-
dates are hoping to be part of
history and have an effect on it.
"As a strong Zionist, I can
think of nothing more amazing