At a specially convened meeting of the American Zionist Federation national board yesterday, the Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARTZA) was officially welcomed to the ranks of the AZF by a vote of 40-19 with 6 abstentions. The national board, according to AZF president Faye Schenk, was called into special session in order to permit ARIZA to submit its own slate of candidates for election to the forthcoming World Zionist Congress. The slates of each member organization must be in by Oct. 13 and elections for delegates will take place in early December.
While the World Union of Progressive Judaism already belongs to the World Zionist Organization, this is the first time that American Reform Judaism on an individual Zionist membership basis will have a voice in Zionist affairs. The acceptance of ARTZA to the AZF is expected to precipitate applications by other organizations including the Conservative movement and the American Sephardi Federation which is an AZF affiliate.
“The World Zionist Congress is perhaps the most democratic institution in contemporary Jewish life,” Mrs. Schenk said. “It is therefore especially important for Jewish movements with strong Zionist sentiments to take their rightful place in this quadrennial forum.”
Carmella Carr, AZF executive director, said “The addition of ARTZA on the American Jewish scene will provide a broader base for the Zionist movement in the U.S. particularly in areas rooted in Reform Judaism outside the New York Metropolitan area.”
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