Canadian Reform Movement Statement on War with Iran
The Reform Jewish Community of Canada (RJCC), Reform Rabbis of Canada (RROC) and ARZA Canada stand with the people of Israel and Iran in their common struggle against Iran’s tyrannical dictatorship.
We appreciate the position of the Government of Canada, as stated by Prime Minister Mark Carney on Saturday morning.
The Prime Minister was clear in his support for military action against the ruling regime in Iran, intended to:
- Prevent Iran’s rulers from developing nuclear weapons
- End Iran’s support for regional terrorist proxy groups
- End repression and violence against the people of Iran
The Prime Minister also said that “Canada reaffirms Israel’s right to defend itself and to ensure the security of its people.”
We support efforts to make the Middle East a safer place for all. We pray that this can be achieved quickly with the minimum possible harm to civilians. We grieve for innocent civilians in Israel, Iran, and throughout the region already killed or injured in this war.
We pray for Shalom and a brighter future for Israel and her neighbours.
| Shield Israel with Your love, Spread over her Your canopy of peace | הָגֵן עָלֶיהָ בְּאֶבְרַת חַסְדֶּךָ וּפְרֹשׁ עָלֶיהָ סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמֶךָ |
Signed,
Kim Werker
President, Reform Jewish Community of Canada
Rabbi Yael Splansky
Chair, Reform Rabbis of Canada
Judith Wiley and Jeff Denaburg
Co-Chairs, ARZA Canada
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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What’s New
The Center for Israel Education
75 people and things that form a mosaic of Israel’s past, present and future.
Judith Wiley and Jeff Denaburg
Co-Chairs, ARZA Canada
Israeli Reform Leadership in a Time of War
Shalom Chaverim,
Shalom Chaverim,
One of the fundamental principles of liberal Zionism is that all forms of Judaism should feel that Israel is their home. All streams of Judaism should feel welcome, respected and able to practice Judaism according to the minhag of their community.
Praying at the egalitarian platform at the Kotel
For some years, the desire of liberal Jews to practice egalitarian prayer at the Kotel has been a source of tension with the ultra-Orthodox authorities who oversee the Kotel. The government set up a stopgap solution 20 years ago – a temporary platform at the south end of the wall, away from the main section, where egalitarian prayer was permitted.
In 2016 all sides agreed on a permanent solution, and the government committed to complete it. However, there has never been action on this plan.
The temporary solution for egalitarian prayer at the Kotel
Even the makeshift solution that has been in place for 20 years is now in jeopardy. If you’d like to know more about this issue, and to take action, please visit the ARZA Resources and Information page.
Enhance Your Seder
These days our Judaism looms large. How does our current situation, full of both anxiety and determination, relate to the foundational story of the Exodus? The Pesach Seder is a great opportunity to ask questions like this.
Allow our brothers and sisters in Israel’s Reform Movement (IMPJ) to add meaningful discussion to your seder.
Passover, Freedom and Democracy |
Women in the Haggadah |
On the IMPJ Pesach page, you can find:
- New Flavors for the Seder Plate – interesting questions relevant to our time
- Passover, Freedom and Democracy – supplemental readings and discussion questions from the Reform movement’s social action arm, the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC)
- Passover After October 7th – Haggadah reflections from a Reform Rabbi evacuated from her home in the Western Gallilee.
- Women in the Haggadah – a women’s perspective – including thought-provoking materials such as “The Four Daughters”
It’s an impressive assortment of materials that can help you bring important discussions into the open.
We wish you and your family a Chag Pesach Same’ach.
We all think of our Israeli mishpachah – wishing them safety, good shelter and peace in the near future.
Judith Wiley and Jeff Denaburg
Co-Chairs, ARZA Canada
Upcoming Event:
Shaping the Israel We Want: Mobilization Rooted in Compassion and Responsibility 
A half-day event with Israeli and diaspora Jewish leaders as we delve into the role Canadian Jews have in shaping the future we want to see in Israel. A future centered on peace and democratic renewal, grounded in courage, compassion, and the Jewish values that define us.
Toronto – April 12, 2026 – 1pm – 5pm – Get Tickets – Location: The Quay, 100 Queens Quay East
Ottawa – April 14, 2026 – 7pm – 9pm – RSVP Now – Location: Soloway Jewish Community Centre, 21 Nadolny Sachs Private
Montreal – April 15, 2026 – 7pm – 9pm – RSVP Now – Location: Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom, 4100 Sherbrooke St W
Click here for more information.
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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.
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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.
•••
Shaping the Israel We Want: Mobilization Rooted in Compassion and Responsibility
A half-day event with Israeli and diaspora Jewish leaders as we delve into the role Canadian Jews have in shaping the future we want to see in Israel. A future centered on peace and democratic renewal, grounded in courage, compassion, and the Jewish values that define us.
Toronto – April 12, 2026 – 1pm – 5pm – Get Tickets – Location: The Quay, 100 Queens Quay East
Ottawa – April 14, 2026 – 7pm – 9pm – RSVP Now – Location: Soloway Jewish Community Centre, 21 Nadolny Sachs Private
Montreal – April 15, 2026 – 7pm – 9pm – RSVP Now – Location: Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom, 4100 Sherbrooke St W
Click here for more information.
Israel Dialogues
April 16 – Religious Dimensions of the Middle East Conflict: Actors and Opportunities
Rabbi Daniel Roth, Director of Mosaica
Rabbi Dr. Daniel Roth is the director of Mosaica, an Israeli NGO advancing community mediation and dialogue in Israel. Roth’s work focuses on the network of insider religious mediators who help prevent, mitigate, and mediate crisis situations throughout Israel, the Middle East, and beyond. Roth also works to connect religious leaders to the national network of community mediation and dialogue centers throughout Israel including in the Arab sector and in mixed Jewish-Arab cities and areas, which Mosaica professionally supports through a tender of the Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs.
April 30 – The Inverted Funnel of Information and the Creation of a False Consensus: The Case of the ‘Genocide’ Allegations in Gaza
Dr. Danny Orbach
Dr. Danny Orbach is an Associate Professor of History and Asian Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He specializes in military history, political assassinations and coups, military adventurism, illegal orders, dynamics of military atrocities and the history of intelligence and espionage. His books were translated to numerous languages, including Thai, Japanese, Hebrew, French, Hungarian, Italian and Spanish. Orbach is currently writing a history of Jus in Bello (the rules of armed conflict) in the Imperial Japanese Army. Dr. Orbach will lecture on one of the most oft repeated libels of the last few years, that Israel committed a genocide.
This is an online program. Register here
Click here for recordings of past sessions.
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Israel in Depth – Reform Day of Learning
May 17, 2026 from 12 to 5 PM ET on zoom
This is an opportunity for congregational lay leaders and professionals to hear from experts, ask big questions, and connect with others who are working in similar spaces. This half-day training was developed for this moment, to address the challenges and responsibilities facing the Jewish community in a post-October 7 world.
This session will draw on material created for the ARZA Canada curriculum for Israel – Navigating Shared Spaces.
This is an opportunity for those seeking deeper grounding, moral clarity, and leadership and educational tools for engaging Israel in a complex time through a Reform Movement lens!
Register here. Cost is US$36.
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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