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March 24, 2025 – כ״ד אַדָר תשפ”ה

The Association of Reform Zionists of America deeply mourns the loss of Rabbi Stanley Davids, a past President of ARZA and a champion of Reform Zionism. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1939, Rabbi Davids was ordained from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1965.

Very active in the Jewish community, Rabbi Davids served ARZA as President from 2004-2008. It was through ARZA that Rabbi Davids founded the Reform Zionist Think Tank, an endeavor that led to the historic adoption of the CCAR’s Reform Zionist Platform (Miami 1997), which, among other issues, embraced for the first time Aliyah as a Reform Mitzvah. He is the Honorary Chairman of the Israel Bonds National Rabbinic Cabinet. Rabbi Davids completed more than a decade’s service as an elected member of both the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency and of the Executive of the World Zionist Organization.

In 2015, Rabbi Davids was named an Honorary Fellow (Amit Kavod) of the WZO in appreciation for his many years of distinguished leadership. In May 2016, the Israel Movement of Reform Judaism honored him for his efforts at building bridges between Diaspora Progressive Judaism and the Israeli Reform Movement. He was co-editor of The Fragile Dialogue: New Voices in Liberal Zionism (CCAR Press, 2018), Deepening the Dialogue: Jewish-Americans and Israelis Envisioning the Jewish-Democratic State (CCAR Press, 2019), and Re-forming Judaism: Moments of Disruption in Jewish Thought (CCAR Press, 2023).

I met Stanley over two decades ago, and after retiring from pulpit work and coming on (what he called) “snowbird” Aliyah, he would often join our Talmud and Bible classes at HUC’s Israeli Rabbinic program. He and I would often talk politics, and he would keep me up to date on the latest gossip and the goings on of the North American Reform Movement. It was Stanley who first encouraged me to ‘throw my hat in the ring’ and embark on the next chapter of my life in leading his beloved ARZA. Stanley Davids was a mentor and a friend. He served as my tutor and personal coach as I entered the world of the WZO and Jewish Agency, helping me navigate its complex structures and painstaking politics. He was always available for a late-night call, a cup of coffee, and a stern reminder of what was important in life and for what we fought.

Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the URJ, shared that “Rabbi Stan Davids was a brilliant, indefatigable force for vibrant Reform Jewish life and liberal Zionism.  He raised many disciples throughout his life, and all of us who were mentored by him will continue his holy work of planting seeds of love and connection in Israel and throughout our world.”

Rabbi Bob Orkand, Rabbi Davids’s successor as ARZA President from 2008-2012, reflected on Stanley’s impact. “For many years, Stanley and I were partners in the important work ARZA did on behalf of the Reform Movement in Israel. I was honored to be installed as ARZA President. He was brilliant, funny, and one of the most intelligent people I have ever known. And his love for Resa and their children was an inspiration. He will surely be missed.”

Rabbi Bennett Miller, ARZA Chair 2012-2016, 2018-2020, shared that “Stan Davids was the consummate Zionist leader.  He loved the land of Israel, its people, and the Jewish community everywhere in the world.  He taught Torah from out of Zion whether he was physically present or spiritually so. And he emulated his leadership by raising up generations of Zionist leaders, me among them. I will forever be grateful for his mentorship, friendship, and love.”

Rabbi John Rosove, ARZA Chair 2016-2018, offered the following:  “Stan was sui generis, an extraordinary man, a true leader of our people, and a mensch of the very first order. I have never met anyone like him. I cherish the friendship that I have had for so many years with him. He brought me into the leadership of ARZA, and he and his family are models of what we can accomplish and do on behalf of others and the people of Israel. I will miss him dearly.  Everyone who knew him knew his heart because he was an open book and cared so deeply about the people in his life and the Jewish people.

Daryl Messinger, ARZA Chair, shared that “Rabbi Stanley Davids was a mentor and a role model for me and every ARZA chair.  He was a beacon of strength, hope, and steely determination. Always willing to take up the good fight for the Israel and Reform Zionism that he believed we all must build.”

~~~

Sitting in his living room this past January, I had the good fortune to visit Stan and Resa. I held Stanley’s hand as he grilled me over every aspect of our work. He wanted to know about our leadership and activity, financial health, the Movement in Israel, the inner workings of the Zionist National Institutions, and, of course, our upcoming campaign for the World Zionist Congress elections. He was his whole self with wit, sarcasm, and trademark sense of humor, seamlessly inserting Torah quotes and Jewish historical references. He was full of curiosity and just wanted to know that his life’s work and years of investment, energy, and passion would continue beyond his lifetime.

I asked for one final thing. “Reb Stan,” as I often called him, “I need you to hang on for a couple more months. We need your vote. He squeezed my hand and was silent, nodding his head and with a look that said, “Nothing would bring me more honor, and I hope to do so, but…”

Just last week, Rabbi Stanley Davids cast his last vote for the World Zionist Congress. It was his final act to support and fight for the Movement and the people he loved so dearly. He voted for all those whom he had mentored and taught, for whom he had fought, and who had learned from his example. He was indeed one of a kind, and his memory and legacy will live on. We will continue our work to cherish his legacy and honor his memory.

יהי זכרו ברוך – May the memory of Rabbi Stanley Davids be for a blessing.

Friday March 21, 2025 – כ״א אַדָר תשפ”ה

For many Israelis who are striving to save Israeli democracy, this past Wednesday brought back “nostalgic” feelings of the pre-October 7th reality. Coming in droves by train to the nation’s capital, they carried signs and banners. They revived familiar chants about democracy, the balance of power, and the threat that the Prime Minister’s recent actions pose to Israeli democracy and the safety and security of all those between the river and the sea.

Our Reform Movement came out in force, emphasizing the fact that Reform sees Israel’s democratic and Jewish character as inextricably linked.  While they held signs championing “DEMOCRACY IN THE NAME OF JUDAISM,” they also held signs with two simple words “VOTE REFORM”. In this moment of deep crisis, our Reform Movement leaders are calling out to us here in the United States to support them in the struggle for Israel as a Jewish and Democratic State. They ask us to do one simple step and Vote Reform (#3) in the World Zionist Congress elections. It may be hard to realize that we can have an impact.

The premise for the protests came after a string of highly controversial moves by Prime Minister Netanyahu.

First, on Sunday evening, he fired Shin Bet head Ronen Bar. The Shin Bet is Israel’s equivalent to the FBI, and its leader, Ronen Bar, has served as a critical defense establishment figure throughout the war and as one of Israel’s lead negotiators in working for hostage release and ceasefire agreements.

Second, Netanyahu signed a return agreement with the extremist Kahanist party and its leader, Itamar Ben Gvir, who had left the government in protest over the ceasefire deal. With Ben Gvir back in power and the budget deliberations nearing their March 31 deadline, it is hard to see the PM’s actions as unconnected to his political issues. Ben Gvir’s return also led to a clear escalation in police violence and brutality towards protesters. One protester asked one of the officers to identify himself, as he had no name tag and his face was covered, but the officer refused. “They were completely unrestrained,” he said. “The officer told me, ‘You want me to identify myself? I don’t give a f***ing damn about you. Ben-Gvir is back, you’re all done.'”

Third, the resumption of war. Throughout the week, Israel carried out intense bombing attacks in Gaza, which successfully eliminated several high-ranking Hamas leaders and are said to have killed over 700 Palestinians.

At the beginning of the hostage return deal and ceasefire, many were skeptical whether the deal was ever going to reach Phase II. The pressure from Israel’s extremists to resume the war was too great and there was little pushback from Washington.

It is abundantly clear that more war is not what the people of Gaza want nor what the people of Israel want. Gazans cannot control or restrain Hamas, who seem to be gaining in strength, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has largely ignored the preferences of the Israeli public. Polls consistently show that some 70 percent of Israelis want the negotiated arrangement to continue until all of the hostages are free, even if that means releasing many convicted terrorists and ending the war without the complete eradication of Hamas.

Freed hostages Sasha Troufanov, Yarden Bibas, Iair Horn, and Keith Siegel, who were all returned to Israel during the most recent ceasefire, appeared Tuesday evening at Hostages Square in a desperate appeal to bring home the remaining captives, some of whom they were held with and left behind when they were freed.

Earlier Tuesday, Bibas shared a post on social media saying that he was “petrified” for his friends left in Gaza, and that news of the resumption of fighting triggered flashbacks to his captivity.

“Israel’s decision to return to fighting brings me back to Gaza,” he wrote, “to the moments where I heard the sounds of explosions around me and where I feared for my life as I was afraid that the tunnel where I was being held would collapse.” “My wife and children were kidnapped alive and were brutally murdered in captivity. The military pressure endangers the hostages while an agreement brings them home.”

The firing of Ronen Bar – in clear defiance of the recommendation of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, whose job is also in the crosshairs and who also serves as legal advisor and gatekeeper on preserving checks and balances on the Prime Minister – was regarded as a move that could no longer be tolerated.

Why was he fired?

There is much speculation around this question despite the fact that he was one of the now few responsible adults in the room, putting the needs of the country, the hostages, and their families above politics. Yossi Melman reported in Haaretz that Bar’s investigations on what is known as “Qatar-gate” were getting a bit too close. The head of the Shin Bet carries a unique status. He reports to the Prime Minister, who has the prerogative to dismiss him. However, this has never occurred in Israel’s history.

Additionally, the Shin Bet has the authority to investigate the PM and anyone else suspected of illegal activity. The Qatar-gate scandal in which close aides of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while serving in the prime minister’s office, allegedly received funding from Qatar to promote its image, has the potential to bring treasonous accusations to the highest officeholders. In short, Bar (along with the police) was getting too close, and his dismissal raises suspicions that it was done with intent to obstruct the investigation out of fear that it might implicate Netanyahu as well. This is more scandalous than anything else for which Netanyahu has been accused.

Netanyahu’s office announced Thursday that it would hold a vote on firing Bar at 9:30 p.m., defying the attorney general, who says such a move contravenes protocol, and infuriated the hostage families who saw this move taking priority over the fate of the 59 hostages still in Gaza, 24 of whom are reported to be alive.

MK Rabbi Gilad Kariv summed up the situation succinctly:

“Hamas terrorists must be eliminated, and Israel must act against the renewed organization of Hamas.

However, a government that prioritizes Israel’s security does not return to intense fighting while firing the head of the Shin Bet and aggressively passing legislation that divides the nation. Above all, it does not do so while continuing to abandon our brothers and sisters who are hostages, left abandoned for 529 days.
Another round of destruction and casualties won’t bring back the hostages, nor will it topple Hamas rule. The hostages will only be returned through a deal. Hamas’ rule will only be eradicated through a combination of military actions and political initiatives.

We must not stay silent while the government abandons the hostages, raises its hand against democracy once again, plunders the public coffers, and manages national security policy based on political considerations and continued addiction to Kahanists.

Netanyahu is concerned about the protests led by hostage families and the protests against undemocratic actions, because he knows there is no majority in favor of abandoning the hostages and there is a majority in favor of a regime change.

It is our duty to demonstrate in the streets. For the hostages. For the future of us all.”

 While Israel is at war, and the growing tensions and pressure, both internally and externally, are significant, we, as American Jews, can lend our support and show our Movement in Israel that we are behind them. We can do that with our words and our pocketbooks, but now we face a critical test. Israel’s leaders are watching closely to see who is going to emerge as the predominant voice of American Jewry. If you are concerned by everything that happened this week – for the fate of the hostages, innocent Palestinians, and the future of Israeli democracy, then we ask you and everyone you know to take 5 minutes and $5 dollars and Vote Reform in the World Zionist Congress elections.

The future is too important to sit this one out.

Shabbat Shalom.

Friday, March 14, 2025 – י״ד אַדָר תשפ”ה

The story, as we know it, is all too familiar. The power-hungry megalomaniacal aspiring tyrant and scapegoat artist who whispers conspiracy theories and plots to rid the nation/empire/world of the Jews with the goal of self-advancement and purported heroism.

The Purim story sees the unlikely savior in a woman who takes significant risks and finds herself close to power, not as a meritorious ambassadorial appointment, but rather out of physical beauty – יְפַת־תֹּ֙אַר֙ וְטוֹבַ֣ת מַרְאֶ֔ה  – “the maiden was shapely and beautiful – which demonstrates the lack of resources and power that the Jews of Shushan had.

She found herself in a position of power, able to have influence and eventually save the Jewish people.

I see the Purim story as a precursor to the Zionist story. As age-old powerless Jews facing near extinction, we, through our own means and with the eventual recognition of the community of nations, succeeded in securing our hard-won sovereignty.

The parallel to our modern story persists. Still, in our generation, we see evil plotters who attempt to use their positions of power to weaken the Jewish community and delegitimize the Jewish State.

Zionism, for us, is, at least in part, about power.

It is about the power of sovereignty and the right to our own self-determination.

It is about having the power to protect ourselves and defend against the Hamans and Hitlers, the Ahmadinejads, Nasrallahs, and Sinwars who call openly for and actively seek our destruction – אֶלָּא שֶׁבְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר עוֹמְדִים עָלֵינוּ לְכַלּוֹתֵנו – as we will read next month in our Pesach Haggadot.

The power to defend, protect, and preserve our physical integrity; the power to sustain the wholeness of our גוף – our bodies – must not be a power that corrupts our people’s souls. The great risk that power brings to defend us also brings with it the power to destroy others.

We read in chapter 9 of Megilat Esther:

)  וַיַּכּ֤וּ הַיְּהוּדִים֙ בְּכׇל־אֹ֣יְבֵיהֶ֔ם מַכַּת־חֶ֥רֶב וְהֶ֖רֶג וְאַבְדָ֑ן וַיַּֽעֲשׂ֥וּ בְשֹׂנְאֵיהֶ֖ם כִּרְצוֹנָֽם׃ 

“So the Jews struck at their enemies with the sword, slaying and destroying; they wreaked their will upon their enemies.”  (Esther 9:5)

For some, the danger of unchecked power could lead to the conclusion that it is better to be without power than to risk the notion of power being abused. The 20th-century German-Jewish philosopher Emil Fackenheim reminded us that being powerless is not a virtue and that powerlessness itself can even be corrupt, just as power can.

History has taught the Jewish people that powerlessness can bring about our destruction, and so we Jews must have the power to defend ourselves. Still, power manifests itself in different ways that do not benefit us as a people.

In addition to the risks of abusing power when confronting enemies, the Purim story reminds us that power can also impact our vision for society.

Since the establishment of the State of Israel, Zionists have been competing with one another for whose vision will prevail in the State of Israel.

In November 2022, the citizens of Israel, by a slight majority, chose the most ultra-Orthodox and ultra-Nationalist government in its history and gave it a majority to begin implementing its extremist vision.

As society began to unravel as a consequence, the Jewish people fell victim to the great tragedy experienced by the State of Israel on October 7, 2023. We have learned once again if we didn’t know it before, that what happens in Israel affects Jews around the world.

But: We have the power to shape the vision of the State of Israel.

We need only vote for the Reform Slate in the World Zionist Congress elections currently taking place.

This is a vote to control significant funding, to help our Movement’s vision for what a Jewish democratic state ought to be, to influence and advocate for our liberal Jewish values—equality, justice, democracy…

Our vote in the World Zionist Congress will give us the power, influence, and strength to stand up against those who are seeking to weaken and sideline us.

Our vote is a vote to curb settlement expansion in the West Bank.

It is a vote to champion women’s rights and the rights of the LGBTQ+ community.

It is a vote for the Judaism that we love, learn, teach, and lead for the next generation.

It is a vote to say what Rabbi David Hartman wrote that:

“A Jewish state must not only be a homeland for Jews but a society that embodies the highest ideals of our prophetic tradition—compassion, justice, and equality.”[1]

As we turn to the words and story of the Megilah today, let us be reminded of the importance of having power and using our power to secure the body of Israel and the Jewish people and to fight for our vision of her soul.

Could you help us make that a reality? We can’t do it alone.

All we need to do is Vote!

[1] Rabbi David Hartman, A Heart of Many Rooms

Friday March 6, 2025 – ז׳ אַדָר תשפ”ה

What if I told you that you could do something simple that would have a significant impact on the future of the State of Israel and the Jewish people?

Over the past 5 years, especially the past 16 months, many of us have supported or traveled to Israel, donated, and attended programs with inspiring leaders in our congregations and communities. Those things are critically important, but what if you could make a real impact democratically? It would only take a few minutes to do so, only cost  $5, and your voice would be heard loud and clear throughout the Jewish world.

Once every five years, we Jews all over the world have the right and civic duty to cast our votes and make our Reform voices heard in Israel through the World Zionist Congress (WZC) elections.

On Monday, March 10, voting opens to elect the American delegates to the 2025 World Zionist Congress. By choosing the Vote Reform slate, you are voting for your liberal Jewish values in “The Parliament of the Jewish People.” The Reform representatives you send to the WZC will help set policies and direct the allocation of a $1 billion+ annual budget, which affects Jews around the world. But this election is about far more than simply funding or positions. It’s about something much bigger.

When I moved to New York from Jerusalem in 2013, I re-learned that the first question often asked in America upon meeting someone new is, “What do you do?” Depending on who asked, I explained that I serve as the head of the Zionist wing of the U.S. Reform Movement.

On more than one occasion, some people reacted viscerally to my casual mention of Zionism, the Movement for the National Liberation of the Jewish People, . “Oh, we don’t know each other well enough for you to have used the ‘Z—word’ with me,” explaining that I couldn’t both be a liberal and a Zionist when nothing is farther from the truth.

There is a vast diversity of understanding and interpretation of what Zionism means, and it’s essential that we, as Reform Jews, understand what we are facing in this election.

This moment requires us to stand up and reclaim “Zionism.”

Like all Zionists, we fight for the right to self-determination in our nation-state.

As Reform Zionists, we affirm our connection to the Land, People, and State of Israel and much more.

We’re fighting to preserve Israel not just as the only Jewish State in the world but aspire to see it be a liberal, free, and pluralistic democracy and an open and tolerant society.

We Reform Zionists are fighting against those who hold a completely different vision of what the Jewish State should be, who say that Reform and liberal Judaism are inauthentic and illegitimate expressions of Judaism.

We’re fighting against those who champion the Greater Land of Israel vision[1], and fervently oppose any diplomatic solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Our fight for self-determination as a people means that other peoples are entitled to that right as well, including the Palestinian people.

We’re fighting so that the best interests of women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and Israel’s marginalized minorities will be seen and heard.

We are fighting so that our Reform rabbis and leaders in Israel will be recognized, and their conversions will [continue] to be accepted by the State.

We are fighting to say to the world that Israel is our people’s Homeland, even if it is not our home.

Reform Zionism is about nurturing the soul of the State according to our Jewish values and upholding the values of Israel’s founders, who laid them out clearly in the Declaration of Independence.[2]

Zionism is about our collective responsibility for our people, reminding us that every Jew is responsible for one another.

Zionism is about bringing back those who were taken from their homes and are still languishing in Gaza, and taking care of those who were displaced from their homes and need to rebuild their communities – and not lining the coffers of those who refuse to recognize the State of Israel and shirk military/national service.

Zionism is about reimagining what it means to be Jewish in the Jewish State and offering new, authentic, inclusive, and creative expressions of Jewish life.

Our Zionism is not only about exercising power to defend ourselves and to maintain our sovereignty but also about exercising compassion and care toward the vulnerable and powerless in our midst and under our sovereignty.

We’re faced today with an essential choice because so many in the larger Zionist tent are striving to delegitimize us as Reform Jews. We can choose to fight for our rightful place at the table or to surrender to the extremist powers that seek to weaken and marginalize us as Jews amongst the Jewish people.

So often, we’re told as Diaspora Jews that we shouldn’t have a voice in what happens in the State of Israel. But we know that everything that happens in Israel has a direct effect on us, our security, and our identity as Jews. So, as Zionists, we need to have our voices heard.

Come Monday, I ask that you take one minute to cast your vote for the Vote Reform slate (#3 on the ballot)! Your vote will help our Reform movement secure its place, influence, and funding in Israel and thereby enable us to contribute to shaping the soul of the Jewish State itself.

Let’s take back Zionism for our Reform Movement, our future, and the future of the Jewish people. Vote Reform from March 10 – May 4.

Every vote matters.

Todah Rabah and Shabbat Shalom.

[1] “Greater Israel” generally refers to the notion of expanding Israel’s territory and sovereignty to what proponents of the ideology see as its historic Biblical land. In Israel today, the term is generally understood to mean extending Israel’s sovereignty to the West Bank (of the Jordan River) and, in some interpretations, the previously occupied territories in the Sinai Peninsula, Golan Heights, and Gaza Strip.

[2] “THE STATE OF ISRAEL will be open to the immigration of Jews and for the Ingathering of the Exiles from all countries of their dispersion; will promote the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; will be based on the precepts of liberty, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; will uphold the full social and political equality of all its citizens, without distinction of race, creed or sex; will guarantee full freedom of conscience, worship, education and culture; will safeguard the sanctity and inviolability of the shrines and Holy Places of all religions; and will dedicate itself to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.” (Paragraph 13, Megilat Haatzmaut)