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World Zionist Congress Election Underway
Jewish
Post Article, 1997
The American Zionist Movement (AZM) announced that
149,400 American
Jews, registered to vote in the 1997 Zionist election,
are receiving ballots mailed
out recently. Voters will choose among ten slates of candidates
to the 33rd
World Zionist Congress, to be held this December in Jerusalem.
The American
Zionist Movement's delegation of 145 will be the largest
one representing a
Diaspora community and will be democratically elected by
all U.S. Zionists who
are registered to vote. Delegations from other areas of
the world are being
chosen by agreement of Zionist organizations or by election.
In Israel, the
Knesset elections serve as the basis for their allocation
of delegates.
Avraham Burg, Chairman of the World Zionist Organization
(WZO),
congratulated the American Zionist Movement on the preparations
for the
elections, saying, "I am committed to upholding the
WZO Constitution and the
democratic process. AZM's achievement is an example that
the entire Jewish
world can follow." Mel Salberg, President of the American
Zionist Movement,
acknowledged Burg's remarks, saying "The Zionist elections
process in the
United States is a model of democracy in action. I am pleased
that the Chairman
recognized AZM's important contribution and the tremendous
efforts expended."
He went on to say "Kudos are due AZM Executive Director
Karen Rubinstein
and Elections Coordinator Lee Ilan. Both worked long and
diligently to bring the
elections to this point. Special thanks to Moshe Kagan,
Chairman of the U.S.
Elections Committee, who accomplished what many believed
impossible --
Kagan shepherded these elections through to their conclusion."
Slates running in this year's election are American
Friends of Meretz,
Revisionist Zionists of America, Association of Reform
Zionists of America,
Religious Zionist Movement, American Zionists for Unity
and Tolerance
(Baltimore Zionist District), Labor Zionist Movement, Mercaz
U.S.A., Zionist
Organization of America, American Friends of Likud, and
World Confederation
of United Zionists. Completed ballots must be received
by 30 September, and
election results will be available a few days afterward.
All Jewish adults who reside permanently in the
United States are eligible to
register to vote. The registration process involved completing
a registration form,
accepting the Jerusalem Program (which delineates the aims
of Zionist), and
paying a $2 registration fee. Those who did not register
before the deadline of 22
June will not be able to do so now. The American Arbitration
Association (AAA)
was selected to run the elections. The hiring of an independent,
election agency,
together with the registration process, was done to ensure
proper election.
Registered voters who lost their material or do not receive
ballots by early
September should request a duplicate ballot by calling
the AAA at 8--0405-
7244.
Jewish Anti-Semitism
Against Other Jews
Yet another account from a Masorti Jew. The writer is the Noam youth
group leader at Kehilat Maayanot, in Jerusalem.
The events depicted made front page of every Israeli newspaper as well
as
both TV channels and all radio stations.
Masorti Movement RAISRAEL@JTSA.EDU
Rabbinical Assembly of Israel Tel:972-2-678-2433
4 Rav Ashi Street Fax:972-2-678-2441
Jerusalem, ISRAEL
From: Marne Rochester <marne@jpost.co.il>
I now know what Sinat Hinam, senseless hatred, is first hand. And
ironically, it was at the Kotel that I experienced this. It was because
of
senseless hatred that the Beit Mikdash was destroyed 2,000 years ago.
Didn't we learn our lesson back then?
After a night of studying, about 100 non Orthodox Jews gathered for
Shavuot prayers and to celebrate the giving of the Torah at the Kotel. We
tried to find a place off to the side so as not to antagonize Haredim. But
they found us.
At the beginning there were a few hecklers, but then their numbers grew.
The police came over to try to protect us from them. But about half way
through the reading of the Book of Ruth, the police requested that women
take off their tallitot to try to calm down the Haredim. But it didn't
work.
The police then told us to hurry up. They weren't sure how much longer
they
could hold off the Haredim. While I was reading from the Torah, they
attempted to drown us out. I tried reading louder and they got louder and
louder. They were getting more aggressive. The atmosphere was very
volatile, and again the police came over and told us we would have to
move.
They cleared a path for us, and it was then that I saw what the police
were protecting us from. There were thousands of Haredim up and down the
stairs and balconies and surrounding us shouting at us in English and
Hebrew Nazis, Goyim, Reform Jews go away, and You're worse than the Nazis.
For a Jew to call another Jew Nazi, I've never seen such hatred. The
anti-Semitism I experienced living in the States doesn't even start to
compare to this hatred of Jews against Jew. They were spitting and
throwing things on us and the Safer Torah. A little girl got hit in the
head with a rock. When the police were trying to escort us out they tried
to get to us and started pushing the police and soldiers who then had to
push back. I've never been so frightened and saddened. We were there to
celebrate Judaism.
We then found a spot on the other side of the gates and the Haredim
followed us. Again the police said we would have to move for our own
protection, and they accompanied us to a place a little up the road still
within the walls. On the way we had water and coffee thrown on us and the
Sefar Torah.
Eventually, we continued praying with only a few shouts from passersby
and
a few religious people looking on curiously. At one point when someone
shouted Nazis at us, he was immediately rebuked by an orthodox women who
told him to stop and said to him, They're Jews!
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