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FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK
This past June, I was privileged to lead the MERCAZ USA delegation
to Israel for the annual meetings of the WZO's Zionist General Council,
the Jewish Agency Assembly and its Board of Governors. Prior to
the sessions, representatives of MERCAZ chapters from throughout
the world joined under the leadership of our Executive Vice President,
Rabbi Joe Wernik, for two days of meetings.
The first order of business was to elect a new president for MERCAZ
Olami, to complete the final year of the four-year term made vacant
by the death last fall of our good friend Roy Clements, z”l.
I feel honored to have been asked to follow in Roy's footsteps as
the new MERCAZ Olami president, a position that I will hold in tandem
with the Presidency of MERCAZ USA for the completion of my current
2-year term, and to have the privilege of leading the MERCAZ Olami
delegation to the upcoming World Zionist Congress.
In addition, the MERCAZ representatives, who came from the United
States, Canada, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, England, France, Russia
and Israel, deliberated upon the future of the Zionist Movement
and our specific role in it. Each of the chapters is preparing for
the elections to the World Zionist Congress, which will be held
next June in Jerusalem. Our own MERCAZ USA chapter currently is
deeply involved in promoting the elections that began on July 1st
and will run through early 2006. Elsewhere in this bulletin is important
information about how to register to vote. I strongly urge you to
take advantage of this opportunity to have a voice at the 2006 World
Zionist Congress by registering for the Zionist elections and for
voting for MERCAZ USA.
Finally, during our MERCAZ Olami meetings, I challenged the MERCAZ
delegates to compose an international Conservative Zionist mission
statement that would convey our ideology and form the basis for
each chapter's election platform. Discussions in Jerusalem were
followed by email deliberations, in which representatives of the
various chapters had the opportunity to give input.
I am very privileged to share the new MERCAZ Olami mission statement.
I believe that it succeeds well in conveying our unique perspective
as Conservative Jews on Zionism and Israel and in providing a distinctive
Zionist voice. I encourage you to read it, study it and, if you
have any comments, please be in contact with me.
MERCAZ OLAMI MISSION STATEMENT
MERCAZ OLAMI is the Zionist Organization of the worldwide Conservative/Masorti
Movement representing Conservative/Masorti Judaism within the World
Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency for Israel.
MERCAZ OLAMI sees Zionism as an invaluable tool for strengthening
Jewish identity and combating assimilation. It calls for linking
Jewish communities throughout the Diaspora with Israel through tourism,
Jewish education, Hebrew language study, ‘people-to-people’
partnerships, short- and long-term Israel programs and Aliyah.
Conservative/Masorti Judaism was the first of the modern religious
movements to embrace Zionism and has steadfastly remained at the
forefront of the effort to promote its values: the centrality of
Israel in the life and consciousness of the Jewish People and the
unity of the Jewish People wherever they may live.
Our connection to the Land and the State of Israel and its capital
Jerusalem begins first and foremost with our People's 4000-year
covenant with the Divine. This covenant has imposed upon us the
responsibility not only to support and defend the State of Israel
but also to create in Zion an exemplary Jewish society that is a
national home — democratic and pluralistic — for all Jews,
secure and at peace with its Arab neighbors, committed to protecting
its environment and natural resources, respecting the rights of
all of its citizens and supporting all streams of Jewish practice.
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