בֶּ֚קַע לַגֻּלְגֹּ֔לֶת מַחֲצִ֥ית הַשֶּׁ֖קֶל בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ לְכֹ֨ל הָעֹבֵ֜ר עַל־הַפְּקֻדִ֗ים מִבֶּ֨ן עֶשְׂרִ֤ים שָׁנָה֙ וָמַ֔עְלָה לְשֵׁשׁ־מֵא֥וֹת אֶ֙לֶף֙ וּשְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת אֲלָפִ֔ים וַחֲמֵ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת וַחֲמִשִּֽׁים׃ (שמות לח:כו) “…a half-shekel a head, half a shekel by the sanctuary weight, for each one who was entered in the records, from the age of twenty years up, 603,550 men.” (Exodus 38:26)   I’ve never entirely understood how exactly B’nai Yisrael, having left slavery in Egypt and now sojourning through the desert, had pocket money. Still, the Torah assumes that they did and proceeded to establish one of the most significant practices that contributed to forming the foundation of our civilization.   The half-shekel was a biblical tax/offering (mentioned in Parashat Ki Tissa and in this week’s Parasha Pekudei) that emphasized equality by requiring each male over age 20 to contribute a fixed amount (a half-shekel), regardless of one’s wealth. This ensured a shared responsibility in (later eras) maintaining the ancient Temple in Jerusalem and fostering communal unity. The instruction to be counted was not only about establishing the principle of equality but a way to shoulder the burden of society equally amongst all the people.   Presumably, the half-shekel was an amount that everyone could afford. We are told that each person was required to give a fixed amount. The rich could not give more, and the poor could not give less (Ki Tissa – Exodus 30:15). This reminds us that we don’t have to do something elaborate to make a difference and that those who shoulder this burden can do so equally.   When the official Zionist Movement commenced with the First World Zionist Congress held in Basel, Switzerland in 1897, they instituted the principle that Membership in the Zionist Organization was open to any individual or group that accepted the Basel Program (now called the Jerusalem Program) and that everyone paid dues. They intentionally dubbed those dues the “Zionist shekel,” thus linking the modern-day Zionist enterprise to the direct continuation of the biblical kingdom. Any Jewish person 18 years of age or over could buy a shekel and, from the age of 21, could be elected as a delegate to the Congress. The revenue from the sale of the shekalim was used for Zionist activities. The number of delegates each country sent to the Congress was determined based on the number of shekalim sold there.   At this moment, we are asking all American Jews to contribute their half-shekel. In today’s world, the half-shekel is a $5 administrative fee that one must pay to vote in the World Zionist Congress elections. We can compare this fee to the biblical Half-Shekel. It serves as a symbol of equal participation in which every Jewish voter—regardless of one’s financial status—has the same influence over how Zionist funds are directed and how we Reform Jews can directly support our Reform Movement in Israel.   Contributing the proverbial “half-shekel” (or $5) is a relatively minor form of financial commitment translating to political and ideological engagement. It reinforces the idea that Zionism is shaped by the collective contributions of Jews worldwide. Voting in the WZC is, in a modern sense, akin to donating the Half-Shekel, as it determines how resources are allocated within Israel and the global Jewish community.   Instituting the half-shekel was an attempt to level the playing field, but this week in Israel, we saw a near-direct reversal of this sense of equality.   This week, in a 66-52 vote, the Knesset passed the 2025 Israeli budget, avoiding a government collapse and warding off new elections. The total budget—the largest in Israeli history—is NIS 620 billion (roughly $170 billion), representing a 21 percent rise in spending over 2024.   Understandably, additional funding was allocated to the Defense establishment, as Israel is still facing a war on multiple fronts. Incredulously, earlier this month, the Israeli cabinet approved the allocation of NIS 5 billion ($1.3 billion) in coalition funds, including over a billion shekels for yeshivot. Various Haredi institutions and causes are set to receive hundreds of millions in additional funding. It is sheer irony for the Haredi parties to receive increased allocations while their leaders dance at weddings where people chanted, “We would rather die than enlist!” The behavior of the governing coalition flies squarely in the face of the concept of the half-shekel. It is an infuriating display of pure selfishness and lack of consideration for anyone but themselves. You might think that the ultra-Orthodox would say that since we refuse to serve in the Israeli armed forces, we should at least make sure that those who protect us and put their lives on the line on our behalf should have their taxes reduced and their benefits increased.   But you would be wrong. What’s more?   On Thursday, the Knesset passed a bill to change the composition of the Judicial Appointments Committee and place the panel under the control of politicians. This move is widely regarded as a blow to democratic due process. This is the first time in Israel’s history that politicians will practically control the process of choosing judges, where up until now, judges were selected through a committee comprised of the coalition, opposition, and the non-partisan Israeli Bar Association. The Supreme Court’s power as a separate branch of the Israeli government will be reduced. At the same time, the role of the Israel Bar Association (as a non-partisan player in the judicial appointments) will be eliminated.   Here’s what members of the opposition had to say about it: “Moments ago, the Israeli government passed a law that has one objective – to ensure that judges are subjected to the will of politicians. In the next government, we will annul the law restructuring the Judicial Appointments Committee. We will reinstitute the judicial appointment process as a fair and professional committee.”   “…while 59 hostages are still being held in Gaza. Instead of concentrating all efforts on returning them and mending the rifts within the nation, this government has returned to the same legislature that fragmented the country before October 7.” (See here to see Opposition Knesset Members hold signs with the number “59” on them – the number of current hostages still held in Gaza – as the coalition Knesset votes on the 2025 budget.)   “This is a struggle of night versus day, of democracy’s loyalists versus its annihilators, and we will hold down the fort so that it will not fall,” said Israel’s Bar Association head Amit Becher.   Although this law will not go into effect until the next round of elections (scheduled for October 2026), one must understand the high stakes of the context in which it was changed.   The Supreme Court is dealing with a series of important and sensitive cases, including petitions against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s dismissal of Shin Bet security service head Ronen Bar, the reappointment of Itamar Ben-Gvir as national security minister, and the law changing how the judicial ombudsman is selected. The Court will soon hear petitions against Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara’s proposed dismissal and the judicial appointments law if it is passed.   Here is the bottom line: Israel’s current leadership has openly prioritized one segment of society over another. It has displayed disdain for those who have been rotting in Gazan dungeons for 536 days due to its failure to bring them home, and, in order to preserve its hold on power, it continues to reward those who take for themselves and don’t give back.   If this makes you upset, if you care about the future of the State of Israel, and you don’t vote in the Knesset, then you must VOTE REFORM in the World Zionist Congress elections and get everyone else you know to do so as well.  Your $5 (or half-shekel) will be counted. You will help to make sure that these resources will not fall into the hands of those who see it as their mission to weaken liberal Jewry, will not be given to those who continue to avoid shouldering the burden of society, and will not be allocated to those who are actively working to dismantle Israeli democracy.   Return to your biblical roots, spend $5 and 5 minutes for the future of the Jewish State and the Jewish People.