These words were shared to close out a Heart to Heart: Pre-Passover program with Israeli and North American Reform Rabbis on Monday, April 8, 2025.

I want to share with you 5 “P”s regarding the World Zionist Congress election and why every one of us who is Jewish needs to vote.

#1 – Partnership

The partnership between our Israeli Progressive Movement and our North American Reform Movement is critical to the Jewish world. My Israeli progressive colleagues are my compass. As I develop my stance on critical issues in Israel that reverberate here in the US, I look to my Israeli colleagues for grounding and guidance.

#2 – Power

For those of us who are Jewish, some of us can vote in Knesset elections and some of us can vote in World Zionist Congress elections. Five billion dollars of the World Zionist Congress budget allocations over the next five years will be determined. As we know, budgets reflect ideology, philosophy and values. These elections determine who will be at the table of the World Zionist Congress. So many of me and my colleagues are on the slate and so much is at stake.

#3 – Pluralism

Last month, the American Jewish Archives published the digitized collection of my father’s, Rabbi Alexander Schindler’s, z”l, papers. I just started reading through his early sermons. On April 19, 1972, in speaking to the National Federation of Temple Brotherhoods, my father said: “Even while I speak, representatives of Israel’s religious party are preparing the Knesset for a revision of the Law of Return which would limit admission to lsrael only to those Jews who are Jews “according to the halachah,” – that is to say, non-Jaws who were converted to Judaism by Reform ~ or Conservative rabbis are not to be admitted. In the view of the Israeli rabbinic establishment, neither they, nor their children, not their children’s children even unto the thousandth generation. And this, despite the fact that such converts consider themselves Jews, that they live as Jews, that they rear their children as Jews and that they want to give crowning expression to their Jewishness by choosing aliyah to Israel, determined to share that community’s fate.”

Today we are still struggling for a pluralistic Israel. Our vote advances a pluralistic, egalitarian and more just Israel.

#4 – Pesach

This coming motzei Shabbat (Saturday night), we will sit around our tables and speak of our liberation in the past and of our liberation that is yet to be and that is so desperately needed.

The World Zionoist Congress is a step that all those at your seder tables can take to actualize that vision. If you are Israeli, reach out to your Diaspora peers and ask them to vote in the World Zionist Congress elections and tell them why it matters to you. If you are in North America, please use our Vote Reform placecards and Seder Supplement.

#5 – Peace

The World Zionist Congress elections helps us to advance peace. L’Shana Haba’ah B’Yerushalayim, next year in a Jerusalem of peace, in an Israel of peace, in a world of peace.

Photo by Reiseuhu on Unsplash.