MERCAZ Newsletter — Fall 2006

WZO CONGRESS: MERCAZ MOVES “KADIMA”

Nearly twenty years ago, when the Conservative Movement sent its first elected delegates to a Zionist Congress, the 18 MERCAZ representatives found themselves assigned to a back section at the Jerusalem Convention Center. This remained its assigned section at the next three congresses, despite gains in the MERCAZ delegation from the United States and around the world, from 18 mandates in 1987 to 47 in 2002.

However, when arriving at this year’s 35th Zionist Congress, the MERCAZ representatives – 55 elected delegates and a similar number of alternate delegates – and their World Council/Masorti Olami counterparts took their places front and center as befitting an important partner in what was now the largest Zionist political faction. Now, twenty years after its first congress, MERCAZ had moved “kadima”; MERCAZ had moved forward.

Together with its Israeli faction partners from the Kadima and Pensioners Parties and the Noar HaZioni youth movement, MERCAZ had moved up front for the four-day Congress. And it was from this position that the MERCAZ delegates, representing more than a dozen countries from around the world, helped pass important resolutions on religious pluralism, ecology and WZO reform, actions which demonstrate, as the Congress banner read, that “the [Zionist] dream still matters”.

However, before MERCAZ could work effectively in the halls of the Congress, the Conservative Movement delegation had to attend Zionist Congress “boot camp”: four days of site visits and orientation meetings in order to become fully acquainted with the position of the Masorti Movement in Israel and throughout the world, the issues facing the World Zionist Organzation today and the odd and unique features of Zionist parliamentary procedure.

The MERCAZ preparatory meetings began with an uplifting musical experience, courtesy of the United Synagogue’s Project Reconnect. Visits the next day to the Schechter Institute, the Yotzer Or Community and the Fuchsberg Center showed the important work that Masorti institutions are doing in Israel and the continued significance of the annual $1.7 million Jewish Agency “stream funding” allocation.

A spiritually rewarding Shabbat awaited the MERCAZ delegation. Because of the large number of MERCAZ representatives from non-English speaking countries, Rabbi Vernon Kurtz, president of both MERCAZ USA and MERCAZ Olami, delivered a welcome address simultaneously in Hebrew and English. Following a festive tribute program to Rabbi Joe Wernik on his retirement as Executive Vice President of MERCAZ Olami and Masorti Olami and an inspiring morning minyan at the Masorti Kotel at Robinson’s Arch, the MERCAZ delegation was now ready to get down to Congress business.

But before things began, the MERCAZ representatives needed to develop their positions for and against the nearly one hundred resolutions that had been submitted by the various parties. They also had to become familiar with the esoteric parliamentary procedures that rule the Zionist Congress. For example, an appeal to Roberts Rules of Order has no meaning at the world Jewish parliament. Similarly, a call “to table a resolution” means the opposite of what it signifies in American circles.

More importantly, the MERCAZ delegation had to become adept at demanding a “votum separatum”, a strange creation of the Zionist Congress which allows the maker of a motion or amendment that has been defeated in committee to bring his or her dissenting minority opinion directly for a vote by the entire Congress at the resolutions plenary session. Fortunately, by the end of the 4-day orientation meeting, MERCAZ delegates could “votum separatum” with the best of them! Now, onward to the Congress!

Of course, as with any political convention, there are always two streams of activity going on simultaneously. The first is the official Congress program with its sessions, plenaries, lectures, etc. The second are the unofficial political meetings where the horse trading takes place. With Rabbis Vernon Kurtz and Joe Wernik and Dr. David Breakstone, the MERCAZ representative on the Zionist Executive, at the lead, MERCAZ and its 55 mandates began the negotiations.

Traditionally, MERCAZ had been linked in a loose coalition with the Labor Party and its left-of-center allies, including the Reform Movement’s ARZA organization. This coalition remained in effect for nearly 20 years, because the Likud Party was allied with the Orthodox Mizrachi Party. This time, however, the traditional Israeli two-party division was turned upside down by the new Kadima Party that was created last year from centrist elements coming from Labor and Likud.

In the recent Israeli elections, Kadima emerged as the largest party in the Knesset and, as a result, entered the Congress with 60 mandates, ahead of the other Israeli parties. Yet, because Labor, Likud and Mizrachi were receiving a number of additional mandates from affiliates throughout the Diaspora, Kadima risked losing the top party position at the Congress, even after signing up the Pensioners and HaNoar HaZioni, unless a new ally from abroad was found.

Here was MERCAZ’ opportunity. With its 55 mandates, it easily would raise Kadima up above its Israeli rivals on the left and the right. At the same time, MERCAZ could legitimately cede the title of “senior partner” to the larger Israeli party in the new faction and thereby give Prime Minister Ehud Olmert the lead position at the Congress befitting his party.

But in order to secure MERCAZ’ partnership, Kadima had to meet its demands. They included: continued control of the WZO Department of Zionist Activities, expanded funding for Masorti congregations in South America and Europe, increased MERCAZ representation on the Boards of Directors of the Keren Kayemet LeYisrael and the Pincus Fund and the appointment of a MERCAZ Deputy Chairman of the Zionist General Council, all this in addition to maintenance of the annual Jewish Agency Stream Funding allocation for Masorti institutions in Israel.

Just as importantly, the new partnership provided important symbolic advances for the cause of religious pluralism. In contrast to President Moshe Katzav’s refusal to call the leader of the Reform Movement “rabbi”, Prime Minister Olmert, in a speech to the Zionist Congress, went out of his way to greet Rabbi Kurtz, who was seated on the dais, as “Kvod HaRav” (Honorable Rabbi). In addition, in his letter announcing the formation of the new faction, the Prime Minister saluted the Conservative Movement as “representing the middle road that Maimonides praised – a golden path of tradition that distances itself from all extremes and advances a vision of unity through tradition, faith and Jewish heritage.”

As Rabbi Vernon Kurtz said, “Joining with Kadima and our other partners to form the Siah HaMeuhedet (United Faction) was an important step for the Conservative/Masorti Movement and for MERCAZ in particular. We are now working in tandem with the ruling party in the Israeli Knesset to further the goals of Zionism, Jewish-Zionist education and aliyah, as well as our particular issues of religious pluralism and ecology.”

“This is an important breakthrough for us as it is the first time that we, as a Movement, are working so closely with the Prime Minister of the State of Israel and his party. It means important recognition for us and our work and an opportunity to work with Kadima to further their work in the Zionist Movement. It is beneficial for both groups, and I look forward to a challenging and productive four-year working arrangement.”