The World Zionist Congress Election Results are in and We Voted Reform!
As you may have heard, this past spring, American Jews voted for their delegates to the 39th World Zionist Congress, the “parliament of the Jewish people,” which will convene in Jerusalem in October 2025. The election occurs every four or five years in Jerusalem, and offers the most powerful opportunity to have had your voice heard in Israel, make an impact in Jewish communities worldwide, and stand up for Zionism. The representatives who are elected — with one-third of them coming from the United States — will make key decisions on allocating over $1 billion annually to support the most pressing needs across Israeli society and the Diaspora.
The “Vote Reform” slate won, receiving more votes than any of the 22 slates by a wide margin. We got the largest number of votes in the whole history of the World Zionist Congress (“WZC”). Overall, 230,257 votes were recorded in the election for the United States. This is a marked 86% increase from the 123,575 votes in the 2020 elections. In this year’s election, 224,237 valid votes were cast online, and 6,020 valid votes were paper ballots. Does this mean that our beloved Rabbi Jeremy Barras has a secured seat as a delegate? The Reform movement will get approximately 32 seats, and we would have had to have 50+ delegate seats for Rabbi Barras to have secured a seat. In 5 years, let’s try to break this year’s election turnout and vote for the Reform slate! Rabbi Barras, do you think we can do it?
The Reform Movement ran a fair, honorable campaign and held close to our Reform Jewish values. We should all be proud of ourselves, our outstanding clergy, and our Temple Beth Am staff. The Area Election Committee (AEC) conducted a thorough investigation of some serious voting irregularities identified during this year’s election. As a result of the investigation thus far, 18,948 invalid and fraudulent votes were canceled. These invalid votes were not a part of the 230,257 final tally. The completion of the validation and tally of the votes were conducted by the AEC, which also oversees the American election process. The final seats allocated to the various slates are still pending upon further outcome of this investigation.
The Reform movement is the largest United States voice at the WZC. This means that we will be better positioned to fight for democracy in Israel and secure funding for Reform causes. However, we still face significant opponents seeking to deny our rights and oppose our values. We need everyone to stay informed and to continue to advocate for just and fair elections. Other countries around the world are holding their elections throughout the summer. If you have friends or family outside of the country, but are Reform, reach out to them and ask them to be active in their elections. And continue to vote for the Reform movement!
Despite this time of vulnerability and rise in antisemitism, this victory is an expression of our commitment to Israel. We will use our strong Reform voices to continue to push for the release of the hostages and the security of Israel as a Jewish and democratic homeland. Be proud! Be Jewish! Be REFORM!
Yonah Janowitz