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
Help our Israeli colleagues respond to the current emergency
Thank you for voting in the WZC elections. We hope to have the results shortly.
Your vote was an extremely important way to support the Reform Movement in Israel.
Right now, our friends in Israel need our financial help too. Read the letter (edited) below from Anna Kislanski, CEO of the Israel Reform Movement. She explains why the need is so great and how your dollars will be put to use.
June 2025 | Sivan 5785
Dear friends,
In the past few days, Israelis have been facing a reality we hoped never to experience. Following Israel’s large-scale preemptive strike—Operation Am K’Lavi (“Operation Rising Lion,” Numbers 23:24)—Iran has launched an unprecedented wave of direct attacks on our country. Sirens and alerts have echoed across Israel, with missiles and drones striking city centers. Communities are already strained by months of war.
With direct missile hits on civilian areas, resulting in casualties and displacement, the Israel Reform Movement and our congregations are mobilizing for the days and weeks ahead.
Even in the midst of crisis however, our communities are finding ways to come together…
Here are some examples:
We are:
- Expanding support for Bayit B’Kehilla, our housing program for young adults with disabilities. With their daily routines disrupted, additional staff are needed to assist them and provide structure and emotional support.
- Ensuring continuity for our Mechina programs in Jaffa and Holon. With two weeks left in the program year, we are working urgently to find alternative sites with proper shelter so students—who are also key volunteers in their cities—can finish the year together, in safety.
Mechina participants sheltering for the night.
- Supporting Noar Telem, our youth movement. Some of our youth coordinators have been drafted, and we are working to ensure continued programming and support for our teens, many of whom are themselves active volunteers.
- Responding to the needs of our Russian-speaking communities, who are facing renewed trauma and require culturally sensitive emotional and psychological care.
- Assisting families of those called to reserve duty, including parents caring for young children without school or childcare, and parents whose children have been sent to the front lines.
You can help!
Donate to our emergency response. Please mark your gift as for IMPJ emergency activities.
Together, we draw strength from our communities, our values, and from you, our friends and partners around the world. We will get through this together.
Yours in peace,
Anna
Be part of the Emergency Response to the current crisis in Israel.
With thanks,
Judith Wiley and Jeff Denaburg
Co-Chairs, ARZA Canada
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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
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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.
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