Ki Teitse was my son’s Bar Mitzvah portion so I was happy to be asked to do the service this week as it prompted some good memories. The portion is full of prohibitions, a whole lot of ‘thou shalt nots’,  mostly anachronistic now so it is hard to make analogies to modern life. The very last paragraph focuses, apparently out of nowhere, on Amalek, a forerunner of Haman, and his attack on the Hebrews from the rear when they were exhausted. We are then exhorted to blot his name from the face of the Earth. This has always puzzled me as surely if the story wasn’t referred to annually, the probability is much higher that the name would have been forgotten.

My son’s d’var focused on racism with a commitment to work against it in his life…that apple didn’t fall too far from this tree.

 Elul is the time to assess how we live our lives. We can examine the organizations and agencies we support to make sure that what we are doing is in agreement with what we believe, with the values we hold. It is sometimes difficult as an individual to know just how we can make a difference in the world. We cannot on our own have much impact on governments or the society in which we live, but by how we choose to spend our time and money, we can be part of the solution to repair the world.

 I am a member of ARZA, the Association of Reform Zionists of America. I sit on the Board of Directors of ARZA Canada as a rep from our Board of trustees as well as on the Board of The Canadian Zionist Federation as an ARZA rep. I am a lifelong Zionist. ‘What is a Zionist?’ you may ask. A Zionist is someone who believes in the reality of a Jewish State in the Middle East… in other words, someone who believes in Israel’s right to exist as a sovereign nation with its own official language, laws and culture. This in no way implies a belief in or agreement with a particular government or the policies of that government.

 In Canada, we might well disagree with the policies and practices of a particular government—federal, provincial or local, but no-one would assume from that position that we dispute the right of the country to exist. Just apply that to the last couple of decades of the government to our south to see that position… does disagreement with the policies of their legally elected government or the behavior of their president suggest that the country should be annihilated. Of course not! Similarly, why does disagreement with the current government of Israel make so many people believe that the country has been de-legitimized?

So, what does ARZA do?

ARZA works to extend an understanding of Modern Day Israel within the context of the realities Israel faces in the world. We want Israel to live in safety and security. The vast majority of Jews – both in Israel and abroad – think that there is an inherent right and a net positive for there to be a Jewish State in its ancestral homeland.

ARZA’s vision is for our Reform Jewish Canadian community to have a strong connection to Israel as our spiritual home and have meaningful bonds with our Reform colleagues and congregations in Israel.

 ARZA works to secure civil rights for a just and egalitarian Israel based on Israeli law and Jewish tradition for: Women, Olim (new immigrants),   Converts to Judaism,   The LGBTQ+ community        and for Religious pluralism.

ARZA works towards a true democracy in Israel with all the human strands that live there fairly represented and respected. ARZA also works to end extremism,  hatred and  an orthodox monopoly on Judaism…   And that is why I support ARZA…

 ARZA Canada is committed to the ideals of progressive Zionism. and represents the Reform Jewish community on issues that impact Israel and Zionism.

We strive to engage our congregations and members through education, programming, advocacy, support for study in Israel and promotion of travel to Israel.

 ARZA Canada stands for a love of the land, the state and the people of Israel, our Jewish homeland.

 ARZA Canada applies Reform Jewish values to our progressive ideology.

ARZA Canada is dedicated to educating our community about the complex reality in Israel and presenting it in a balanced and nuanced way.

 ARZA Canada has a vision of what Israel can become and is dedicated to work towards that ideal. To fulfill the prophetic vision of the state of Israel, ARZA Canada works to ensure that Israel provides justice and democracy for all its inhabitants.

  As an affiliate of the URJ, we work:

 To increase each Reform Jew’s relationship with Israel and make Israel a core component of every Reform Jew’s identity

  • To recommit the North American Reform Movement to Zionist ideals and leverage our combined resources devoted to the cause, including formally and explicitly identifying the Reform Movement as a Zionist Movement
  • To increase financial and political support for, and grow, the Reform Movement in Israel.
  • To strengthen the Reform Movement’s standing in Israeli society and in her political system.
  • To provide for more effective Israel advocacy in North America and Israel 

 If like us, you believe that Israel should be as we pray, a beacon of hope and that it should demonstrate social justice, equality, religious pluralism and the values that are important to Reform Jews, then supporting ARZA makes sense.