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 8,400 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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Lee Weisser
President
Flow like water
Shalom Chaverim/Chaverot,
At this time of immense divisions and increasing polarization, let’s celebrate all efforts to come together in meaningful ways.
Davkah – precisely now – let’s follow the example of the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism (IMPJ) to strengthen the partnerships we have with other faith communities.
As water, we can wear down rock.
As water, we can overcome what is hard.
As water, we can create a new path together.
The Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism (IMPJ) recently held several interfaith celebrations to celebrate Sukkot.
Rabbi Naamah Dafni Kelen holds the lulav and etrog at Or Chadash in Haifa
Also in Haifa, the Leo Baeck School was the site of an interfaith service and workshop during Sukkot.
Singing a song for Sukkat Shalom, a sukkah of peace, for all.
Students, Rabbi Ofek Meir and guests at Leo Baeck School
The speakers at Leo Baeck were:
Sheikh Muhammad Sharif Uda – head of Ahmadiyya sector of Islam in Israel
David Goren – Reform Buddhist
Hani Al Far – responsible for shared society at Leo Baeck School
Rabbi Ariella Graetz Bar Tuv – Rabbi at Emet v’Shalom in the western Galilee
Israel’s Reform Movement wins a prize for their shared society work
The Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism (IMPJ) was recently awarded a prize from Abraham Initiatives for their work in diminishing racism during the war through their shared society efforts. Since IMPJ is not an NGO that is focused solely on shared society, this is an important recognition.
IMPJ congregations throughout the country hold language and cultural exchange meetings between their members and their Arab neighbours, including art exhibitions and yoga classes. These activities are starting up again now, after the chagim.
IMPJ is also a member of various forums for shared society — the Tag Meir Coalition and the Shatil Forum for a Shared Life. As part of these forums, they join events such as the flower march, the interfaith march for peace and human rights, and the day of pain/day of hope.
May we go forward in hope and true dialogue.
Lee Weisser
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Upcoming Events
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From the Shalom Hartman Institute:
With a startling rise in anti-Israel activism and antisemitism on campus, how can Jewish communities understand and respond to these dynamics?
Campus resources for this moment - click here
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ARZA US
October 29
12:30 p.m. ET/ 9:30 a.m. PT
This series explores the history and background of Zionism as an idea and reflects on how we as North American Reform Jews can think about Zionism in different ways as we explore life in a post-October 7th world.
Join Rabbi Josh Weinberg and master educator and philosopher Dr. Zohar Raviv of Birthright Israel for a discussion on contemporary Zionism across the Israel-Diaspora divide.
Register here
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Wednesday October 30 - 12 pm ET, online
Temple Emanu-El Beth Sholom, Montreal
At a time when Israel has been in the headlines and in our hearts, we offer this series as an opportunity to hear a range of voices directly from Israel and engage in conversation.
Moderated by Rabbi Grushcow.
Rabbi Yael Vurgan, raised in a secular family in Rishon L’Zion, is a leading figure in contemporary Reform Judaism. Since 2018, she has served as the Regional Rabbi for the Shaar HaNegev regional council, where she oversees spiritual matters for ten kibbutzim near the Gaza border. Her work, especially following the events of October 7th, has made her a pillar of spiritual comfort and support in her community.
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Israel Dialogues Fall 2024
Holy Blossom Temple, online only
First, we have the pleasure of welcoming Alan Baker on October 31st for his presentation
“After Sinwar and Nasrallah- What is Next for Israel?” Alan is a respected international law expert, the former Israeli Ambassador to Canada, and a Director at the Jerusalem Centre for Security and Foreign Affairs.
Then on November 7th, we will welcome Dr. Limor Yehuda. Dr. Yehuda is a successful lawyer, now academic, who served as a member of the Israeli Supreme Courts legal team underneath Chief Justice Aharon Bakar. Recently Dr. Yehuda was published in Foreign Affairs, and her session will discuss the potential future of a two-state solution in a post October 7th reality.
A week later our friend, Prof. Asher Susser, will return to discuss the always-fluid current events of the region. He is Professor Emeritus at Tel Aviv University and the former Director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern Studies. Each time he is with us, his unique insights and exceptional scholarship are especially appreciated.
Prof. Meir Litvak, the Chair of the Department of Middle Eastern and African History at Tel Aviv University will join us again the first week of December. Professor Litvak is an expert on Iran and is uniquely equipped to discuss the various Iranian proxies as well as the regime itself. He will present on the goals of Iranian domestic, international, and digital influence.
Finally on December 13th, Alon Pinkas will return to our program. Alon is a respected diplomat, former Consul General of Israel in New York City, served as the foreign policy advisor to Ehud Barak, and is a regular commentator on Western news programs and in the “foreign” press. Alon will discuss domestic Israeli issues and ‘the day after’ in Gaza.
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Building Bridges Series – Kvell at the Well
Kolot Mayim, Victoria
Register here
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Saturday November 9 - 7 pm
Temple Emanu-El & Zoom
Speaker - Shalom Orzach from the iCenter
Join us for an inspiring in-person and online event featuring Shalom Orzach, a renowned Jewish educator visiting from Jerusalem. A senior educator at the iCenter and expert in experiential Jewish education, Shalom has worked with global organizations such as Birthright, the Jewish Agency, and more. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from one of today’s leading voices in Jewish education.
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Wednesday November 13 - 7 pm
Holy Blossom Temple
Deborah Lyons, Canada’s Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism
The Special Envoy will discuss the forthcoming handbook on antisemitism and, through a moderated discussion with our Advocacy Committee, will help concerned members understand what they can constructively do to respond to this serious and growing issue affecting so many in our community.
Register here to attend in person. The event will also be livestreamed for those who are unable to attend in person.
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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
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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.
Meet Our Executive
Lee Weisser
President
Miriam Pearlman
Immediate Past President
Len Bates
Liaison to Reform Jewish Community of Canada
Cheryl Englander
Vice-President
Jeff Denaburg
Vice-President
Dorothy Millman
Vice-President
Valerie Whitefield
Vice-President
Judith Wiley
Secretary
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