For Immediate Release: April 16, 2023
WORLD ZIONIST CONGRESS THIS WEEK: AZM LEADS US DELEGATION TO ISRAEL
More than 150 American Jewish Zionist delegates will attend the World Zionist Congress (WZC) in Jerusalem this week, April 19-21, under the leadership of the American Zionist Movement (AZM), the umbrella Zionist federation in the United States. The US delegation with representatives from 20 different organizations is the largest national delegation outside of Israel and comprises one third of the elected representatives to this international “parliament of the Jewish people.”
There have been 38 Zionist Congresses held since Theodor Herzl convened the first WZC in 1897, in which five Americans participated. This special gathering is being held in-person in Jerusalem to coincide with celebrations of Israel’s 75th anniversary and as an “extraordinary” continuation of the 38th WZC, which was held virtually in October 2020 during the pandemic. Delegates from 40 countries around the world will participate.
“The US delegation to the Zionist Congress, reflecting the wide diversity of the American Jewish community, heads to Israel at an auspicious time. We will gather together, in the spirit of Herzl, to celebrate the modern miracle of 75 years of our Jewish national homeland. This Congress also enables Diaspora Zionists to engage in important dialogue with our colleagues in Israel at a time when many important issues are being considered”, said Deborah Isaac, President, and Herbert Block, Executive Director, of AZM.
In 2020 AZM facilitated the election for US representatives to the WZC, in which 123,575 American Jews from all 50 states voted. The WZC is the ideological and policy-making body of the Zionist movement, influencing the policies of Israel’s National Institutions: World Zionist Organization (WZO), Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), Jewish National Fund-Keren Kayemet Leyisrael (JNF) and Keren Hayesod which together allocate nearly $1 billion annually in funding in support of Israel and Jewish communities around the world.
More information on the Zionist Congress, proposed resolutions and the American delegation is available on the AZM website at: https://azm.org/wzc2023. The WZO press release follows below.
The American Zionist Movement (AZM) is comprised of 42 national Jewish Zionist organizations and works across a broad ideological, political and religious spectrum linking the American Jewish community together in support of Israel, Zionism and the Jewish people. AZM is the U.S. Zionist Federation in the World Zionist Organization.
April 11, 2023 WZO Press Release: Extraordinary World Zionist Congress to take place in Jerusalem 19-21 April,2023.
In the shadow of security tensions, over two thousand Jewish leaders and young people from Israel and the world will attend the Extraordinary World Zionist Congress in Jerusalem.
The congress with the participation of President Isaac Herzog, will be held for three days from 19 -21 April, 2023 at the Jerusalem International Convention Center. The participants will discuss strengthening the relationship between the various segments of the Jewish people, the challenges of Zionism today and more. Similarly, hundreds of entrepreneurs will be hosted to discuss the implementation of Theodor Herzl’s original vision of 1897 in 2023.
Yaakov Hagoel Chairman of the World Zionist Organization stated. “We are proud to host the thousands of Jewish leaders and entrepreneurs who come from all over the world precisely in the shadow of the current security tensions in Israel as a sign of Zionist unity and solidarity.”
In the shadow of security tensions, a large and unusual Zionist manifestation will take place this week. Over 2000 Jewish leaders and youth from Israel and around the world will attend the Extraordinary Zionist Congress of the World Zionist Organization to mark the 75th anniversary of the State of Israel and the 125th anniversary of the first Zionist Congress in Basel. A number of events will take place simultaneously including the Herzl Forum for Social and Economic Entrepreneurship with the participation of over 300 entrepreneurs and who will seek to implement Herzl’s vision in practice.
In August 2022,as part of the events marking the 125th anniversary of the First Zionist Congress, entrepreneurs were invited to Basel to attend the Herzl Forum for Social and Economic Entrepreneurship to meet, create connections, brainstorm, collaborate and discuss how it is possible to influence the future to improve the life and well-being of humanity. Thanks to the participants, Theodor Herzl’s vision has new and current meaning and the activity of the entrepreneurs continues in the ‘Herzl Forum for Social-Economic Entrepreneurship’. At the upcoming meeting, the forum will deal with ideas, initiatives and projects to help Israel become more advanced in the areas defined in the 17 goals of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – SDG’s, and which can be seen as part of the vision for maintaining a healthy society.
Yaakov Hagoel, Chairman of the World Zionist Organization stated: “We are proud to host the thousands of Jewish leaders and entrepreneurs who are coming to the Zionist Congress in Jerusalem in the shadow of the security tensions in Israel, as a sign of Zionist unity and solidarity on the occasion of the celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the State of Israel and marking the 125th anniversary of the first Zionist Congress in Basel. The current events in Israeli society require us to remember that we are brothers and it doesn’t matter where you are from in the world. Theodor Herzl’s vision did not only include the establishment of the Jewish State in the Land of Israel, but also the establishment of an economic and social entrepreneurial society committed to creating a better world. The thousands of young men and women and leaders who will attend the Congress will discuss the challenges facing the Jewish world and also marketing the State of Israel back in their countries of origin and communities as a Jewish State based on the democratic and social vision of Theodor Herzl.”
The World Zionist Congress is a gathering of representatives of Jewish Zionists from 40 countries around the world. The Congress is the supreme body in terms of legislation and outlining the policies of the World Zionist Organization, a kind of universal Jewish parliament. The congress delegates are elected representatives from the Zionist Federations all over the world who are members of the World Zionist Organization.
A youth conference for informal education and young leadership will also take place. Among the participants will be 1000 young Israelis who will meet with young people from around the world. The young people aged 18-23 come from 14 global Zionist youth movements from a variety of countries. A youth conference meeting will be held including roundtable meetings that will discuss issues related to Zionism, the State of Israel and the relationship between Israel and the Diaspora. These are young people who are considered leaders or have leadership potential in the Jewish communities to which they belong. A large number of the young Jews attending are members of the the many Zionist Youth Movements such as ‘Bnei Akiva’, ‘Hanoar Hatzioni’, ‘Betar’, ‘Habonim Dror’, ‘Hashomer Hatzair’,’Maccabi’, ‘Magashimey Herut’, ‘Marom’, ‘ Young Judaea’, ‘The Scouts’, ‘Netzer’, ‘Noam’ and others. The young people come from a variety of countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Russia, Ukraine, Netherlands, Mexico, Belgium, Bulgaria, Ecuador, Great Britain, South Africa, Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, Italy, Spain, New Zealand, Venezuela, Sweden, Denmark and Israel.
Sergio Edelstein, member of the executive of the World Zionist Organization in charge of the youth conference said: “The connection between the young people who are members of Zionist youth movements who will lead Diaspora Jewry and the State of Israel in the future are a strategic asset for the State of Israel. As educators, it is our duty to educate to build a bridge between the Diaspora and the State of Israel .A country with 75 years of prosperity, a country that is a home. A home that welcomes every Jew who wishes to live in it, where Jews live as the norm, a home where every citizen receives equal rights.”
Gusti Yehoshua Braverman, member of the executive of the World Zionist Organization said: “The Zionist Congress is gathering in Jerusalem after a delay of two and a half years caused by the corona virus and in the shadow of a difficult dispute in Israel that threatens the internal cohesion that is so essential to deal with the external threat. I believe that the leaders of the Zionist movement who come from all over the world and who provide all the political views and current trends, know as they also knew controversies in the past , to call on the government of Israel to unite around the Jewish world and promise that the ‘Third Temple'(The State of Israel) will continue to be founded on the principles of a Jewish and democratic state. The home of the Jewish people wherever they are.”
For more details:
Michael Jankelowitz, Liaison to International Media, Spokespersons Unit World Zionist Organization
mjankelowitz@gmail.com // +972.52.2799840
