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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Judith Wiley and Jeff Denaburg
Co-Chairs, ARZA Canada
Speaking truth to the extremists
Shalom Chaverim,
You should know the name Rabbi Gilad Kariv. He’s an ordained Rabbi, a Lawyer, and has been a member of the Knesset since 2021. He’s the first Reform Rabbi elected to the Knesset.
Rabbi Gilad Kariv is one of the most outspoken critics of the policies of the current extremist government. He uses his Knesset podium to castigate the government for the damage it’s doing to Israel’s democracy, Israel’s security and Israel’s social fabric.
MK Rabbi Gilad Kariv addressing the Knesset
This speech in the Knesset during Chanukah has gone viral, as he directly challenged the government for violating not just the fundamentals of morality but the fundamentals of Judaism as well.
Before entering the Knesset, Rabbi Kariv was the Executive Director of Israel’s Reform movement (IMPJ).
Fighting for our rights in Holon – take action
The city of Holon has 200,000 residents and 100 Orthodox synagogues. For 15 years Israel’s Reform movement has been fighting to build just one synagogue for the Reform congregation, Kehilkat Kodesh v’Chol, which has hundreds of members but no permanent home.
After surmounting a myriad of legal and bureaucratic hurdles, the community finally reached an agreement with the city last year, but the mayor reneged on the agreement.
Please send a letter to the Mayor of Holon to demand a Reform synagogue in Holon, by clicking here.
Here’s Rabbi Kariv protesting this injustice in the Knesset.
Even as we continue to support Israel in its battles with terrorist enemies, we recognize that the current government also represents a danger to the country, and we need to help the majority of Israelis who oppose its extremist policies.
As a member of ARZA Canada, you’re helping to support our Reform colleagues in Israel and to promote an Israel that is Jewish and democratic, committed to tolerance and equal rights for all its citizens.
L’Shalom
Judith Wiley and Jeff Denaburg
Co-Chairs, ARZA Canada
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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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The Role and Voice of Liberal Judaism in Canada Post-October 7
Sunday, February 2, 2025 - 11 am PT/2 pm ET
Kolot Mayim, Victoria
Rabbi Dan Moskovitz, Senior Rabbi of Temple Sholom, Vancouver, will share his thoughts about the keys to Jewish survival throughout history and within the context of the contemporary challenges of the 21st Century. He will explore fundamental Jewish teachings and cultural expressions that have helped Jews and Judaism survive and thrive through millennia of persecution and trauma.
Zoom registration: click here
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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
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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