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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Lee Weisser
President
This is YOUR fight
Shalom Chaverim/Chaverot,
We are grateful for the recent visit of Orly Erez Likhovski, Executive Director of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC), for her warmth, and for reminding us of the importance of proclaiming and acting on our values.
ARZA Canada leaders with Orly (on the right) at Holy Blossom
READ: Orly’s newsletter called “Feels Like Home” about her visit to Canada.
WATCH: Orly’s presentation at Temple Sinai
TAKE ACTION: Show your support by making a donation to IRAC.
Declaring our values
Whether it’s discussing what our Jewish values are, or what is most important in the State of Israel, we Jews have a hard time agreeing on anything.
While crafting Israel’s Declaration of Independence, David ben Gurion had to navigate many opinions. In fact, the actual scroll was not even complete when it was signed because the leaders took so long to work out the details!
Nonetheless, the Declaration of Independence is the founding document of the State of Israel and is regarded as an expression of the nation’s vision and its central beliefs. It states:
“THE STATE OF ISRAEL will be open for Jewish immigration and for the Ingathering of the Exiles; it will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; “
At this time of great threat to Israel’s fragile democracy, we must stand strong and work for positive change.
It’s time to stand up as Reform Zionists for:
- An Israel that embraces equal rights for all its citizens.
·An Israel that applies the rule of law equally for all residents.
· An Israel where all citizens contribute to the country’s prosperity and military duty. - An Israel that is strongly democratic, moderate and responsive to the needs of all citizens.
Your support of ARZA Canada means a brighter future for Israel.
- Join ARZA Canada for 2024-2025, either through your synagogue or at arzacanada.org
- Make a donation to ARZA Canada. Contact me directly at: [email protected]
Make your choice today to support our community in Canada and our colleagues in Israel.
L’Shalom
Lee Weisser, President
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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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Arzenu UK presents: Reflecting on October 7
September 12, 19, and 26
2:00 p.m. ET/ 11:00 a.m. PT
As the anniversary of the terrible events of October 7th approaches, join us for a 3-part lecture series in which we reflect on these events in their historical context, as well as looking forward to options for the day after.
Rabbi Lea Muhlstein, immediate past Chair of Arzenu, will be leading this lecture series and will be joined by Rabbi Josh Weinberg, a leading expert on the history of Zionism and State of Israel, URJ VP for Israel and Reform Zionism and Ex. Dir. Of ARZA.
Register Here
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The Z-Word
September 19 and 26, 12:30 p.m. ET/ 9:30 a.m. PT
ARZA (US)
This two-part series will explore the history and background of Zionism as an idea and reflect on how we as North American Reform Jews can think about Zionism in different ways as we explore life in a post-October 7th world.
Part I – How We Got to Where We Are Today
Rabbi Josh Weinberg will be in conversation with Professor Derek Penslar, the William Lee Frost Professor of Jewish History at Harvard University.
Register here
Part II – To be a Zionist in Today’s World: Passion, Complexity, and Misunderstanding
Join Rabbi Josh Weinberg in conversation about what it means to be a Zionist today. What does that mean for the spaces in which we show up, about how others understand us, and how it impacts our behavior?
Register here
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The Largest Canadian Event for the Hostages
Sunday, September 22 | 2:00 PM EST / 11:00 AM PST
Almost one year after the October 7th massacre, cities across Canada are joining forces to commemorate this day. Please join us online for a powerful 15-minute virtual tour of Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, followed by a conversation with a hostage’s family member. The session will be conducted via Zoom in English and in-person at live locations in Toronto and Ottawa.
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Sunday September 29 - 1 pm ET/10 am ET
IMPJ Commemoration of October 7, “In Memory and in Hope”
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September 30 from 9:00 am to midnight ET
A Day of Learning for Our Hostages
Join us on Monday, September 30 from 9:00 am to midnight ET as we gather virtually and at in-person events in partnership with educational organizations in North America and Israel. Together as a community, we will honor the shloshim* of the six hostages murdered last month, show solidarity with the 101 hostages still in captivity, and call on the Israeli government and the international community to prioritize their return.
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Sunday October 6 - 1 pm ET, 10 am PT
World Union for Progressive Judaism
Commemorative Event in multiple languages
Join Progressive/Reform communities from around the world on Sunday, October 6th, for a multilingual ceremony to commemorate the anniversary of the tragic events of October 7th.
To accommodate our global community, the ceremony will take place at two different times, ensuring the ability to participate across all time zones.
10 AM Israel & Moscow / 12:30 PM Mumbai / 3 PM Hong Kong / 6 PM Melbourne / 8 PM Auckland
Register here
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Sunday October 6, 1 pm ET
JSpace Commemorative Event
Please join us online on Sunday, October 6 at 10am PT/1pm ET, along with our presenting partners, the New Israel Fund of Canada and Canadian Friends of Peace Now, as we come together to remember those lost, displaced, and taken captive on October 7 in the horrific Hamas attacks in Israel, those lost and displaced in Gaza since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, and to begin to build a future of shared hope, healing, and compassion.
We will be joined by interfaith leaders in Canada, Israelis, and Palestinians to acknowledge the pain and loss felt on all sides of the conflict and to honour our common desire for peace and a better path forward.
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Monday October 7 – 7 pm Toronto – Location TBA
On October 7th, 2023, everything changed for the Jewish people. Join UJA Federation and our partners as we come together, as one united community, to mark this dark day. Together, we will cherish the memory of those who were murdered. Reaffirm our solidarity with the hostages and their families. And honour the resilience of the wounded and all who survived the deadliest attack on Jewish life since the Holocaust.
To ensure the safety and security of our community, registration is required to attend this event.
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Monday October 7 – Winnipeg
October 7th: Marking One Year
Join us on October 7th as we commemorate the first anniversary of the October 7, 2023 attacks and honour the memory of those murdered by Hamas.
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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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