The 36th World Zionist Congress runs from June 15 to June 17, 2010. Rabbi Danny Allen, Executive Director of the Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA), is in Jerusalem attending the Congress. Below is part of his series of dispatches.

In the age of 19th century nationalism our own version of national liberation, Zionism, came to life once again in our people. Today, at the 36th World Zionist Congress, Professor Stephen Cohen led an intense two hour conversation on what Zionism is and means now. He divided the current Zionists (and all supporters of Israel) into two groups: Protective and Corrective. Diaspora Protective Zionists tend to feel that Corrective Zionists are often no better than Israel's enemies. Corrective Zionists tend to feel that Protective Zionists--Israel right or wrong--are one cause for the younger generations to be increasingly less supportive of or engaged with Israel. Where do you fall along the continuum of Protective-Corrective Zionism?

With a focus on the future, how should we position the Reform Zionist message through ARZA? Professor Cohen suggests three possibilities:

• The deductive message relies on the authority of the Zionist message. We are a people, a people is entitled to a land; Israel is our land, and ultimate authority is probably divine. 
• The reductive message must be market relevant without regard to any authority needs. Nike is one of the most famous reflective messages with its "Just Do It" tag line.
• The third way, inductive, generally calls for a paradigm shift in both messaging and authority. As we move ARZA forward into the realm of serious development work we will need to explore a third way method and message.

Lobbying is a time honored tradition in any healthy democracy. Our Israel Religious Action Center has a superb staff lobbyist. She has worked inside the Knesset in one or another political capacity for over 20 years. Please let us know when you are traveling to Israel so that you can help us lobby. It is important on occasion for an ARZA trip to spend some time meeting with a member of Knesset either to say thank you for a recent action or to explain why a particular action or attitude is contrary to what we understand to be in the best interest of our people in general and our movement in particular.

Our kids usually deliver words of Torah on the occasion of their B'nei Mitzvah. A couple of weeks ago a young woman celebrated her Bat Mitzvah in one of our congregations. She is the only child in a single parent family. Her Big Sister (a program similar to the Big Brothers/Big Sisters in America), though not a member of our movement encouraged Galya to take the Bat Mitzvah experience seriously. She read her entire Torah portion and the traditional full haftorah.

Her D'var Torah focused on the fact that Samson's mother in the Torah is not named. She asked, what is in a name? What does it mean if you are part of a narrative but are unnamed? When ARZA first entered the World Zionist Organization we were present, but not well known, perhaps not named. Now we are the single largest delegation within the WZO and as the Cheers song says--everyone knows our name. With our collective and supportive efforts our Israel Progressive Movement's name will continue to increase within Israel and help our Jewish Zionist Democratic state continue to work toward being a light unto the nations.

Danny

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