world Birthright Calls from page 25 Reform Zionists of America, believes Jewish communal funds should be "devoted primarily to strengthening Jewish identity ... and identity with Israel is in direct proportion to identity with Judaism!" He called it the "key challenge for 21st-century American Jews. "If in fact Birthright has been suc- cessful in instilling something per- manent, then we should be able to see significant [gifts] from well-to-do Birthright alumni who become philan- thropists," Rabbi Hirsch said. But, he cautioned, that there needs to be a "formalized partnership between Birthright and the central Jewish insti- tutions that sustain Jewish identity" in order to maintain the excitement of Birthright through long-term affiliation. When Birthright Israel began, it relied on Hillel and other organizations to recruit participants and conduct the trips. But the number of young people clamoring to go has reached such levels — 41,000 in North America applied in February but there are funds for only 25,000 — that the foundation began organizing community-sponsored buses. That allows local donors — indi- viduals and federations — to commit to support a given number of spots to cut the waiting list in their community; the cost of the trips is shared with Birthright Israel. "About 20 percent of our cam- paign total last year came from donor response to this initiative Finkelstein said. The foundation has just created 10 regional councils of lay leaders across the country, along with alumni councils and a growing number of local groups. And it will be holding a VIP mission this summer for adults who have donat- ed at least $10,000 so they can experi- ence a little of the trip for themselves. Gideon Mark, CEO of Taglit- Birthright Israel, said there has been a "huge increase in demand in the U.S. and in other countries" and that his worldwide budget this year of $88 mil- lion must jump to $131 million in two years to handle the goal of 51,000 par- ticipants. Asked about the fundraising to date of Birthright Israel, he noted that Taglit- Birthright Israel operates in 54 coun- tries and offers tours in 30 languages. Therefore, Mark said, other fundraising efforts are under way in South America — especially Brazil and Argentina — and are just starting in Western Europe. All of these campaigns are critical because $100 million pledged by Israel over the next three years is a challenge grant that requires the organization to raise more than two dollars for every dollar Israel contributes, a total of near- ly $240 million, Mark said. 26 May 26 2011 Republican Jews Blast Ron Paul's Presidential Bid WASHINGTON (JTA) — The Republican Jewish Coalition blasted U.S. Rep. Ron Paul before he announced his third bid for the presidency. "As Americans who are committed to a strong and vigorous foreign policy, we are deeply concerned about the prospective presi- dential campaign of Congressman Ron Pair the RJC's executive director, Matt Brooks, said in a May 12 state- ment about the Texas lawmaker. "While Rep. Paul plans to run as a Republican, his views and past record place him far outside of the Republican mainstream!' Paul launched his campaign for the Republican nomination last week. Like his son, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Paul has advocated cutting $3 billion in annu- al defense assistance to Israel, as well as to deny funding to its Arab neighbors. In 2008, Paul mounted an insurgent campaign for the Republican presidential nomination and built a passionate base of support with his libertarian views and denunciations of American foreign policy. He was not a serious contender, however, in the primaries. Paul had run as the Libertarian Party's presidential candidate in 1988. "His candidacy, as we've seen in his past presidential campaigns, will appeal to a very narrow constituency in the U.S. electorate Brooks said. "Throughout his public service, Paul has espoused a dangerous isolationist vision for the U.S. and our role in the world. He has been a virulent and harsh critic of Israel during his tenure in Congress!' Reform Zionist Group Barred From Modern Orthodox School SYDNEY, Australia (JTA) — A Zionist youth movement accused Australia's largest Jewish school of "discriminating" against its leaders by banning them from canvassing students on its campus. Netzer, the youth wing of the Progressive/Reform movement, launched a petition May 13 against Moriah College saying that it is the only Zionist youth movement "prohibited from acting with- in the school grounds" and that it has been "consistently barred from partici- pating in all Moriah College events." The petition had more than 400 signa- tories within 24 hours of launching. Brett Kaye, Moriah's head of Jewish life and learning, told JTA that "Moriah College has always operated within its modern Orthodox Zionist ethos. It is the longstanding policy of Moriah not to allow Netzer, the Reform Zionist youth movement, to promote its activities on our campus because their religious plat- form is in conflict with Moriah's religious ethos." Moriah is a coeducational Modern Orthodox Jewish school with 1,600 stu- dents from preschool to high school. Netzer accepts that Moriah "may believe that many students may not con- nect with Netzer's ideology," but called on the college to "allow their students to use the critical thought that the college aims to foster" to make up their own minds about whether to join the Zionist youth movement. The Union for Progressive Judaism has backed its youth wing, saying that earlier this year its Netzer Sydney group wrote to the school to request entry but never received a response. Wisconsin's Sen. Kohl Won't Seek Re-election WASHINGTON (JTA) — U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) said he will not seek to retain his seat. Kohl (D-Wis.), who was re-elected to the Senate for a fourth term in 2006 with an over- whelming majority of the vote, suggested in a news conference May 13 that his age, 76, was a factor in his decision. Sen. Kohl "I've always believed it is better to leave a job a little too early than a little too late Kohl said. "The interest and energy I had for this job will find a new home." Wisconsin, with a Jewish population of fewer than 30,000 in a state of 5.6 mil- lion, for years had boasted two Jewish senators until Russ Feingold, who had served with Kohl since 1993, was ousted in the Republicans' 2010 election surge. Kohl's retirement further endangers the Democrats' precarious Senate major- ity. Speculation last week was that Feingold or U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin would run to replace him as the Democratic candidate. ADL, Reform Oppose USAID Plan On Church-State Issue WASHINGTON (JTA) — The Anti- Defamation League and the Reform movement have raised objections to plans by the U.S Agency for International Development to directly fund the build- ing of houses of worship. Commenting on the overseas aid agency's proposal, the groups said that such assistance would violate the U.S. Constitution's Establishment Clause and the agency's own rules. "The new, untried, expansive standard is subject to abuse and raises real con- cerns about the potential for discrimina- tion and preferential treatment among religions:' the ADL said. Rabbi David Saperstein, the director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, joined other supporters of church-state separation in signing a let- ter prepared by Melissa Rogers, the direc- tor of the Center for Religion and Public Affairs at Wake Forest University, a divin- ity school. The letter said the new policy would violate the Establishment Clause. The new policy would allow "acquisi- tion, construction, or rehabilitation of structures that are used, in whole or in part, for inherently religious activities:' although it qualifies that the aid must have "a secular purpose, is made gener- ally available to a wide range of organiza- tions and beneficiaries which are defined without reference to religion, has the effect of furthering a development objec- tive, the criteria upon which structures are selected for acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation are religiously neutral, and the selection criteria are amenable to neutral application." Drew Bailey, the USAID press officer, rejected the critics' arguments, saying the agency's rule banning funding as it stands "unduly restricts and interferes with our ability to effectively implement U.S. foreign assistance programs over- seas. The letter prepared by Rogers offered a different take. "The proposed rule reflects the belief that government policies only need to have a secular purpose and neutral cri- teria to pass constitutional muster. That is wrong," it said. "A program may be a model of neutrality yet still invite con- stitutional violations if it permits direct government aid to be used for religious activities." ZOA Seeks U.S. Embassy Move To Jerusalem WASHINGTON (JTA) — A Zionist Organization of America mission to Congress lobbied for bills that would move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and cut off assistance to the Palestinian Authority if it declares statehood. Some 400 delegates met with an array of lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate on May 12. They lobbied for bills that would remove the presidential waiver from existing legislation mandating the embassy's move from Tel Aviv and that would cut off funding to the Palestinian Authority if it declares statehood unilat- erally. The P.A. has denied such plans, but it is lobbying for international recognition of such a state. The ZOA delegates also urged lawmak- ers to examine existing law to seek ways to cut off the P.A. as long as it is allied with Hamas, the Gaza Strip-based terror- ist group.