Volunteer Opportunity with ARZA Canada
ARZA Canada seeks a new board member to serve as Treasurer.
ARZA Canada (the Association of Reform Zionists of America – Canada) is affiliated with the Reform Jewish Community of Canada and the Union for Reform Judaism North America.
ARZA 2024 • Now More Than Ever
With over 4,400 members, our mandate is to connect with Reform communities throughout Canada, foster connections with and strengthen our ties to the Reform Movement in Israel, and work to realize the vision of Reform Zionism.
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Judith Wiley and Jeff Denaburg
Co-Chairs, ARZA Canada
Helping victims of October 7
The Jewish National Fund (JNF) recently announced it will allocate $220 million to rebuild infrastructure and help Israeli communities near Gaza. The ARZENU team at the JNF played a large role to ensure this funding.
ARZENU is the Reform faction in the World Zionist Congress, composed of seats won by Reform Zionist groups worldwide, including ARZA Canada. ARZENU is large enough to secure senior positions in national institutions such as JNF (KKL in Hebrew).
Yair Lootsteen, of Israel’s Reform Movement, is Deputy Chair of JNF-KKL. Yair and other ARZENU representatives in JNF-KKL led the drive to secure this funding for the victims of October 7. They ensured the funding will be spent on infrastructure – buildings, agriculture, roads – as well as strengthening communities through education and youth movements. Importantly, they prevented the diversion of funds to political causes.
About 10% of the funding is dedicated to rebuilding Kibbutz Nir Oz, which was the hardest hit community on October 7.
A house at Kibbutz Nir Oz after October 7
This type of accomplishment demonstrates how we in Canada can make a difference in Israel, by supporting the ARZENU faction in the WZC, via ARZA Canada.
Working for all Israelis – family reunification
When Maharetu made Aliyah from Ethiopia in 2003, he had to leave his two daughters behind. Despite years of effort, he wasn’t able to break though the wall of bureaucracy keeping his daughters in a refugee camp.
The Reform Movement’s Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) stepped in to help. One daughter was permitted to join Maharetu in 2022 and, thanks to IRAC, his second daughter arrived at Ben Gurion Airport last month.
Maharetu reunited with daughters Banchi and Masrat in Israel
Israel’s Reform movement receives funding from the national institutions based on our success in the WZC. With support of Reform Jews across the world, IRAC does important work for the benefit of all Israelis.
You can support life-changing work of Israel’s Reform Movement (IMPJ) and the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC), by donating here.
New podcast – Israeli Puzzle
Israeli Puzzle is a new podcast series offers insights into Israel and Israeli history. Its goal is to provide important information that isn’t widely known, in an entertaining format.
We wish you and your family a year of health, happiness and peace.
L’shana tova
Judith Wiley and Jeff Denaburg
Co-Chairs, ARZA Canada
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Upcoming Events
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Digital Leaders for Progressive Judaism
The World Union For Progressive Judaism is offering a program to develop “Digital Leaders”, who will learn about the values of progressive Judaism and how to share them on social media. The program includes leadership training with time in Israel.
Click here for more information.
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STAY TUNED FOR UPCOMING EVENTS
Podcasts
Miriam Pearlman, immediate past president of ARZA Canada, discusses the impact of Israel’s new government with fellow leaders in a Canadian Jewish News Daily podcast:
About ARZA Canada
Travel to Israel
Arza Canada Privacy Policy
The Privacy Commission of Canada states the following:
Non-profit organizations are not subject to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) when they do not engage in commercial activities.
The following activities are not considered commercial and are not subject to PIPEDA:
- collecting membership fees
- compiling a list of members’ names and addresses/email addresses
- mailing out newsletters
As you know, ARZA Canada represents Canadian Reform Zionists with members in all of Canada’s Reform congregations. Though independent of the sister organization, ARZA, in the United States, it is an affiliate of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and Reform Jewish Community of Canada (RJCC). We are writing to address how ARZA Canada maintains its membership records, and in particular its commitment to the privacy of our members.
Accurate membership records are important to the entire Reform Jewish Community of Canada given that the size of our membership determines our influence on Zionist policies in Canada and in Israel. ARZA Canada members come through congregational solicitation and activism, and so annually it is provided lists of its members from Canadian Reform congregations such as yours in order to confirm individual memberships. This is deeply appreciated.
ARZA Canada has strong privacy practices to ensure the confidentiality of this membership information. It is used by ARZA Canada to communicate with our members and engage them in the activities of ARZA Canada, including joint programs with RJCC and our congregations.
For more please click here.
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