Related Blog Posts on Israel and World Zionist Congress

I came across a deeply troubling poll released by the Israel Democracy Institute. It found that 79% of Israeli Jews reported being “not so troubled” or “not troubled at all” by reports of famine and humanitarian suffering in Gaza. I imagine an equally large number of Palestinians are not troubled by the suffering of Israeli hostages. It made me think, how can we ever end this war if we can’t end the war on empathy?

I was shocked when Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, named me one of 2025’s 18 American Zionist Women You Should Know. I don’t feel I deserve this honor.

This week, as Shabbat approaches, we gather in community to pray for the shelter of peace in Israel and at home. 

Even as I'm writing this piece, I'm missing my Israel trip. It was by far the best trip of my life. It was a month and a half of new experiences, opportunities, and community.

In the pages of a hand-drawn picture book, your story first unfolded before me, telling the tale of my parents' first journey together to your distant lands.

Israeli artist Sam Griffin's paintings, forged in the crisis of war, convey the human capacity for healing and hope for a peaceful future for Israel and humankind.

This year, Yom HaAtzmaut, Israel's Independence Day, finds me in a place that the past 10 years have not: in my birth country, the United States. My journey to and from Israel includes chapters that people can instinctively understand: a year of protesting judicial overhaul in Israel, the events of October 7th, and the bitter war in which we are still immersed.

The events of October 7th left an indelible mark on Israeli society, reshaping the nation in ways that have yet to be fully realized, and will be felt for generations. The solidarity so many Jewish communities around the world have expressed, along with emotional, financial, and actionable support, have been sources of hope and resilience.

In 2025, you have a unique opportunity to help ensure Israel remains a free, democratic and pluralistic society for all Jews by voting in the World Zionist Congress elections.

As a college student studying during a year abroad at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem years ago, I participated in programs offered by the Reform Movement’s Religious Action Center (RAC), which trained students to advocate for civil and human rights through a Jewish lens. That experience defined my Judaism as one rooted in action and activism.