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.
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.
North American Reform Jews sing Hatikvah for Israel’s 75th Birthday
Lee Weisser
President
URGENT: Take action today to defeat
the proposed NDP motion on Palestine
Shalom Chaverim/Chaverot,
You may have heard that the Federal NDP is bringing a motion to the House of Commons on March 18 and — although it is not binding — it needs to be defeated.
UJA and CIJA are mounting a campaign to contact MPs to lobby them to vote against this motion. They are using calling software that is easy to use with a script that automatically picks MPs to be targeted.
I am asking you to volunteer to help contact MPs this week. The instructions are below.
Let’s make sure our voices are heard. We need to tell MPs to vote AGAINST THIS MOTION.
What is the NDP motion?
Among other demands, the motion calls for the immediate and unilateral recognition of a Palestinian State by Canada.
Why do we need to object to the motion?
- The motion foregoes the necessary bilateral negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority and will leave critical issues unresolved, including borders and the status of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees.
- Since the Montevideo Convention of 1933, international law has traditionally required that four criteria be satisfied before the recognition of an entity as an independent sovereign state can be considered – a permanent population, a defined territory, a government, and the capacity to conduct international relations. Three of these are missing for Palestinians.
- AND MOST CRITICALLY IN ALL OF THIS: The motion would mean de facto unilateral recognition of Hamas, a Canadian-listed terrorist organization, as the government of Gaza.
How you can participate
- Share your email address with [email protected]. You may have to wait until UJA processes your email before you can login to CallHub.
- Login to Call Hub using the website or downloading the CallHub app to your phone. (NOTE: the CallHub app is designed for iPhone users only.)
- Create an account on CallHub using the email you provided to confirm your participation. Your CallHub account will automatically sync with the MP list for calling, and you’ll be provided with the necessary script for your calls. Make your calls following the instructions provided on CallHub.
- After each call, leave a brief note through the CallHub app on how it went.
- Continue making calls as frequently as possible until March 18th.
ARZA Canada board members will be actively participating in this calling campaign as a team.
Together with your voice, we can make a difference.
With appreciation,
Lee Weisser
President, ARZA Canada
You can help Israel from home!
Volunteer as an online English language mentor through English B’Yachad.
Create new possibilities for young Israeli adults from underserved Israeli communities. Support their economic empowerment to contribute to Israel’s success.
Find out more at https://youtu.be/AW73EKa99TQ?list=TLGGdCrpRXhyHxIyMTEyMjAyMw
Visit http://www.skillvolunteerisrael.org/
Contact [email protected]
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events:
Israel Dialogues - Holy Blossom Temple and ARZA Canada
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.
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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