Upcoming Events:
Everything You Want to Know About the Israeli Elections
Wednesday, Sept. 9, 16 and 23 at 11 AM PT, 2 PM ET
Join the URJ and Israel Policy Forum (IPF) for a webinar breaking down the process and key issues for the October 27 Israeli election.
Join Shanie Reichman from IPF and Rabbi Josh Weinberg from URJ to discuss the procedures for the election, the major stakeholders, and issues most pertinent to Israeli voters. This webinar is part of a series of joint discussions between the URJ and IPF to educate North American Jews on the Israeli election.
To register:
Wed. Sep 9 – Israeli Elections 101 – click here
Wed. Sep. 16 – Security Issues and Geopolitics – click here
Wed. Sep. 23 – Religious Pluralism – click here
•••
A Canary’s Song: Antisemitism in our “Free and Democratic Society”
Tuesday, Sept. 15 from 8:30 AM to 5 PM ET
University of Toronto – in-person or virtual
Twenty leading voices on antisemitism today, and what its resurgence reveals about the health of our democracy.
For more information and to register, click here.
•••
Liberal Zionism: The Search for Middle Ground with Rabbi Englander
Wednesdays, from Oct. 7 to Nov. 25 at 7:00 PM ET
Temple Sinai, Toronto – in-person or virtual
Join us as we respond to the dominant criticisms of Israel and Zionism in a post-October 7 reality, while outlining frameworks for teaching about Israel in a time of war and engaging our communities with courage, compassion, and clarity.
Liberal Zionism: The Search for Middle Ground, led by Rabbi Lawrence Englander and informed by the Shalom Hartman Institute, explores the core tensions and values of Liberal Zionism today.
Topics:
- The Crisis of Liberal Zionism
- Pariah Nation: Countering the Criminalization of Israel
- Is Zionism a Colonial Project?
- Love and Tough Love: Criticism vs. Solidarity
- Warrior Nation: The Militarization of Israeli Society
- The Rise and Challenge of Illiberal Zionism
- The Legacy of Gaza in Israel
- The Legacy of Gaza in the Diaspora
For more information and to register, click here.
•••
Voices from Israel
Starts Wed. Oct. 7 at Noon ET
Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom, Montreal
The “Voices from Israel” program offers an opportunity to hear diverse perspectives directly from speakers, activists, and scholars in Israel during a time of ongoing conflict and heavy news coverage.
To register:
Rabbi Rinat Safania-Shwartz of Shoham, Israel - Oct. 7 at Noon – click here
Professor Gil Troy, The Upcoming Israel Election: A Zionist Reset Moment? – Oct. 13 at Noon – click here
Isabel Kershner, noted Israeli Author and Journalist – Nov. 11 at Noon – click here
Book discussion – The Future is Peace: A Shared Journey Across the Holy Land – Dec. 15 at Noon – click here
•••
Israel’s 2026 Elections: Implications for the Israeli Reform Movement, Religious Pluralism, and Israeli Democracy
Sun. Oct. 11 – 10 AM PT, 1 PM ET
Hosted by the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism (IMPJ) and ARZENU
Israel stands at a pivotal moment. As Israelis prepare to go to the polls, the choices they make will help shape the future of the country’s democracy, the struggle for religious pluralism, and the place of Reform Judaism in Israeli society.
Join us for a timely, nonpartisan online program exploring the election landscape, the key issues shaping the campaign, and the possible political scenarios ahead, asking what they may mean for Israel’s Jewish and democratic character.
The program will feature Tal Schneider, diplomatic and political correspondent for The Times of Israel. Her presentation will be followed by a conversation with Anna Kislanski, CEO of the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism, and Orly Erez-Likhovski, Executive Director of the Israel Religious Action Center, on the implications for the Israeli Reform Movement, religion and state, democratic institutions, equality, and the future of liberal Judaism in Israel.
Register: click here
•••
The New Knesset: Diving Into The 2026 Israeli Elections
Sun. Nov. 8 – Noon ET
Virtual program – Holy Blossom Temple
Jeremy Leigh, master educator from the Hebrew Union College, will join us from Jerusalem to guide us through the outcome of Israel’s election at the end of October.
While it is unlikely that a new Knesset will have already been formed, the votes will have been tallied, the mandate assigned, and Israel’s leaders will be deep in negotiation towards forming the next government!
Who will partner up with who? What new alliances will emerge? Who ‘won?’ the election, and what does that mean for Jews across Israel and across the world? We’ll review the results and predictions, and discuss what they mean for the future of Israel.
To register, click here.
•••
The Herzl 100
David Matlow owns the world’s largest collection of Theodore Herzl memorabilia.
He’s presenting his top 100 artifacts in a series of YouTube videos. To see items 19 to 11, click here.
•••
New podcast
One People – Am Echad
Created by: Rabbi Allison Cohen
One People - Am Echad (עם אחד) is a podcast dedicated to bridging the gap between Israel and the Diaspora. Together, we’ll move beyond the news headlines to discover the stories and unseen realities of the people who live there.
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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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
Upcoming Events:
Everything You Want to Know About the Israeli Elections
Wednesday, Sept. 9, 16 and 23 at 11 AM PT, 2 PM ET
Join the URJ and Israel Policy Forum (IPF) for a webinar breaking down the process and key issues for the October 27 Israeli election.
Join Shanie Reichman from IPF and Rabbi Josh Weinberg from URJ to discuss the procedures for the election, the major stakeholders, and issues most pertinent to Israeli voters. This webinar is part of a series of joint discussions between the URJ and IPF to educate North American Jews on the Israeli election.
To register:
Wed. Sep 9 – Israeli Elections 101 – click here
Wed. Sep. 16 – Security Issues and Geopolitics – click here
Wed. Sep. 23 – Religious Pluralism – click here
•••
A Canary’s Song: Antisemitism in our “Free and Democratic Society”
Tuesday, Sept. 15 from 8:30 AM to 5 PM ET
University of Toronto – in-person or virtual
Twenty leading voices on antisemitism today, and what its resurgence reveals about the health of our democracy.
For more information and to register, click here.
•••
Liberal Zionism: The Search for Middle Ground with Rabbi Englander
Wednesdays, from Oct. 7 to Nov. 25 at 7:00 PM ET
Temple Sinai, Toronto – in-person or virtual
Join us as we respond to the dominant criticisms of Israel and Zionism in a post-October 7 reality, while outlining frameworks for teaching about Israel in a time of war and engaging our communities with courage, compassion, and clarity.
Liberal Zionism: The Search for Middle Ground, led by Rabbi Lawrence Englander and informed by the Shalom Hartman Institute, explores the core tensions and values of Liberal Zionism today.
Topics:
- The Crisis of Liberal Zionism
- Pariah Nation: Countering the Criminalization of Israel
- Is Zionism a Colonial Project?
- Love and Tough Love: Criticism vs. Solidarity
- Warrior Nation: The Militarization of Israeli Society
- The Rise and Challenge of Illiberal Zionism
- The Legacy of Gaza in Israel
- The Legacy of Gaza in the Diaspora
For more information and to register, click here.
•••
Voices from Israel
Starts Wed. Oct. 7 at Noon ET
Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom, Montreal
The “Voices from Israel” program offers an opportunity to hear diverse perspectives directly from speakers, activists, and scholars in Israel during a time of ongoing conflict and heavy news coverage.
To register:
Rabbi Rinat Safania-Shwartz of Shoham, Israel - Oct. 7 at Noon – click here
Professor Gil Troy, The Upcoming Israel Election: A Zionist Reset Moment? – Oct. 13 at Noon – click here
Isabel Kershner, noted Israeli Author and Journalist – Nov. 11 at Noon – click here
Book discussion – The Future is Peace: A Shared Journey Across the Holy Land – Dec. 15 at Noon – click here
•••
Israel’s 2026 Elections: Implications for the Israeli Reform Movement, Religious Pluralism, and Israeli Democracy
Sun. Oct. 11 – 10 AM PT, 1 PM ET
Hosted by the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism (IMPJ) and ARZENU
Israel stands at a pivotal moment. As Israelis prepare to go to the polls, the choices they make will help shape the future of the country’s democracy, the struggle for religious pluralism, and the place of Reform Judaism in Israeli society.
Join us for a timely, nonpartisan online program exploring the election landscape, the key issues shaping the campaign, and the possible political scenarios ahead, asking what they may mean for Israel’s Jewish and democratic character.
The program will feature Tal Schneider, diplomatic and political correspondent for The Times of Israel. Her presentation will be followed by a conversation with Anna Kislanski, CEO of the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism, and Orly Erez-Likhovski, Executive Director of the Israel Religious Action Center, on the implications for the Israeli Reform Movement, religion and state, democratic institutions, equality, and the future of liberal Judaism in Israel.
Register: click here
•••
The New Knesset: Diving Into The 2026 Israeli Elections
Sun. Nov. 8 – Noon ET
Virtual program – Holy Blossom Temple
Jeremy Leigh, master educator from the Hebrew Union College, will join us from Jerusalem to guide us through the outcome of Israel’s election at the end of October.
While it is unlikely that a new Knesset will have already been formed, the votes will have been tallied, the mandate assigned, and Israel’s leaders will be deep in negotiation towards forming the next government!
Who will partner up with who? What new alliances will emerge? Who ‘won?’ the election, and what does that mean for Jews across Israel and across the world? We’ll review the results and predictions, and discuss what they mean for the future of Israel.
To register, click here.
•••
The Herzl 100
David Matlow owns the world’s largest collection of Theodore Herzl memorabilia.
He’s presenting his top 100 artifacts in a series of YouTube videos. To see items 19 to 11, click here.
•••
New podcast
One People – Am Echad
Created by: Rabbi Allison Cohen
One People - Am Echad (עם אחד) is a podcast dedicated to bridging the gap between Israel and the Diaspora. Together, we’ll move beyond the news headlines to discover the stories and unseen realities of the people who live there.
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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