Shabbat Greetings
This week’s portion, Tetzaveh (Exodus 27:20-30:10), marks the first time we encounter the idea of a hereditary elite within the Jewish people – Aaron and his male descendants – and their role to minister in the Sanctuary. For the first time we find the Torah speaking about robes of office: those of the priests and the High Priest worn while officiating in the sacred place. It opens up a whole dimension of Judaism – namely, the aesthetic.
All these phenomena are related to the Mishkan, the Sanctuary, the subject of the preceding chapters. They emerge from the project of making a “home” for the infinite God within finite space.
It is common to divide the religious life in Judaism into two dimensions. On the one side, the priesthood and the Sanctuary, and on the other, the prophets and the people. Today, we talk about the people.
There is an election coming up soon! Yes, another one. This election is a very different and powerful opportunity for us to raise our voices. As Reform Jews in the United States, we are being invited to vote for representatives to the World Zionist Congress.
The 2025 WZC election voting will take place March 10–May 4. Voting will be done online. You will be able to vote at home on your own electronic device, or you can vote when you are at Temple Shalom, where we will have volunteers ready to help.
What is the World Zionist Congress? The World Zionist Congress (WZC) is a democratically elected international body that convenes every five years. It is the key opportunity for Diaspora Jews like us to have a voice in Israel, to stand up for pluralism, equality, and a path to peace. The WZC controls over a $1 billion budget pivotal to securing an Israel that supports our Reform Jewish values.
Why is this important to us? We care very much about the future and direction of Israel. We certainly do not always agree with the government or decisions made by Israel’s leaders. And this is exactly why we want to seize this opportunity to have a voice in Israel’s decision-making in a meaningful way.
We are not allowed to vote for Members of Knesset. But we are encouraged to vote for the WZC. The WZC is hugely influential, not only over the allocation of a huge budget, but also regarding appointments to run agencies and National Institutions, including the Jewish Agency. It is important to us to work towards the largest possible Reform representation to make these decisions. For this reason, Karen Winograd has volunteered to chair the WZC election campaign for Temple Shalom.
Our own Alyson Rubin (Malinger) is also honored to be a member of the Reform slate of delegates we are working to elect. A vote for this slate is a vote for Aly to be able to represent us at the Congress in October 2025.
What’s at stake? Our opponents in the WZC campaign are highly motivated religious fundamentalists whose vision for the future of Israel is diametrically opposed to ours. They are organizing to destroy what we value, including:
- Chipping away at Israel’s democracy
- Rolling back gains for gender equity, LGBTQ+ rights, and religious pluralism
- Stripping our Israeli Reform clergy—especially our women rabbis—and our Reform communities of their rights, funding, and infrastructure
- Making sure that our converts and children are not welcome in the Jewish state
- Blocking any hope of Palestinian self-determination and safety
Their vision writes Reform Jews out of the next chapter of Jewish history, and will turn Israel into a pariah state, making Jews in Israel and around the world less safe. Our success in this campaign depends on building a team in our congregation to spread the word and encourage our members to vote.
SHABBAT SHALOM