Emergency Appeal for Our Israeli Reform Community
Shalom Chaverim,
“The continued Iranian and Hezbollah missile attacks have resulted in a reality of constant sirens, nights in and out of bomb shelters, and incredible levels of loss by the growing numbers personally impacted. We exist in a deepening sense of instability.” Anna Kislanski, CEO of Israel’s Reform Movement (IMPJ) – watch here.
Our Reform brothers and sisters in Israel are going to great lengths to support their communities, even while they themselves are under attack. They have asked for our support.
Let’s help them! DONATE HERE
You Can Help – Education Materials and Emergency Programming
With schools and other communal programs closed, Israel’s Reform Movement is preparing special communal programming and educational resources to help congregations and schools address the emotional and spiritual challenges of this moment.
Rescue workers outside a Tel Aviv building damaged by fire from Iran
Let’s help them! Please join us to raise $30,000 for this emergency appeal, by April 17.
All donations are welcome and will go directly to enhance the safety and emotional well-being of Israelis. Donations of $180 or more will help us reach our goal faster.
Please DONATE HERE.
Reform Values in Action
With the war raging, the Reform movement’s Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) successfully pressed the government to provide 100 bomb shelters to Bedouin communities.
Israel’s Reform movement works on behalf of all Israelis, especially the least privileged, such as minorities.
Mo’adim l’simcha,
Judith Wiley and Jeff Denaburg
Co-Chairs, ARZA Canada
Upcoming Events:
Is Zionism in Crisis?
Rabbi Lawrence Englander
Sunday, April 12 – 12 noon to 1 PM (ET)
Temple Sinai, Toronto (in person and online)
Join Temple Sinai’s Rabbi Larry Englander for a powerful and thought-provoking community workshop that will dive deep into the evolving conversation around Zionism, Israel, and the Middle East. Explore how we can move beyond polarization to build understanding rooted in Jewish values, resilience, and strength.
Together, we’ll seek to answer:
- How do we cut through extremist narratives and reclaim our own voice?
- What does Zionism mean today in a changing world?
- How do we confront the growing antisemitism that is linked with anti-Zionism?
- How can we foster community, togetherness, and meaningful activism?
For more information, and to register, click here
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.
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.
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.
We are grateful for our sponsors
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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.
Follow us on Facebook/ARZACANADA
Upcoming Events
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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.
- ••
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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