Next Week in Jerusalem
Friday October 24, 2025 – ב׳ חֶשְׁוָן תשפ”ו
“We are here to lay the foundation stone of the house which is to shelter the Jewish nation.”
— Theodor Herzl, Opening Speech at the First Zionist Congress, August 29, 1897
Theodor Herzl did not invent Zionism, nor did he coin the term. Zionism — the belief that the Jewish People are a nation with the right to self-determination in our ancestral homeland — emerged from the collective awakening of 19th-century Jews to both modern nationalism and persistent antisemitism. Herzl’s great contribution was not in originating the idea, but in giving it structure and political form. He unified diverse ideological streams and set the Jewish people on a concrete path toward sovereignty.
The Zionist Congress he convened in Basel, Switzerland, in 1897, marked a historic turning point. For the first time, Jews gathered from across the religious and political spectrum to deliberate, to dream, and to decide — collectively — how to transform an ancient hope into a political reality. It was not easy. Herzl himself faced ridicule, rejection, and seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
Yet he persevered.
At the end of that first Congress, Herzl famously wrote in his diary:
“In Basel I founded the Jewish State. If I said this out loud today, I would be greeted by universal laughter. Perhaps in five years, certainly in fifty, everyone will know it.”
(Theodor Herzl, September 3, 1897)
He was right. And now, 128 years later — with the Jewish State in its 78th year — we gather for the 39th World Zionist Congress, no longer in Europe but in Jerusalem, the capital of that very State Herzl envisioned.
Today, I landed in Jerusalem, joining 66 Reform Jews from the U.S. and dozens more from around the world. Our Reform delegation includes rabbis, cantors, educators, and lay leaders — 11 of whom are under 35 — serving as elected delegates, alternates, and observers. Representing ARZENU, the global network of Reform, Progressive, and Liberal Religious Zionists, we are proud to be part of the largest delegation at this Congress. That strength is because of you — those who organized, voted, inspired, and insisted that Reform Jews have a seat at the table where Israel’s future is written.
For updates, reflections, and behind-the-scenes moments from the Congress, follow our journey on
At the Congress, we will advocate for budgets, leadership roles, and resolutions that reflect our deepest values: religious pluralism, equality, LGBTQ+ rights, peace, and democracy. We are showing up to ensure that our brand of Judaism — open, compassionate, and justice-driven — is represented in Israel’s National Institutions (the World Zionist Organization, the Jewish Agency for Israel, and Keren Kayemeth L’Yisrael–Jewish National Fund) and in Israeli society. We are here to strengthen and support our Reform Movement in Israel as it continues to bring meaning, spirit, and moral clarity to a nation still in formation.
This Congress comes at a moment unlike any other in Jewish history. The war has finally ended. The living hostages have returned home. We await the burial of those whose return will be only to the soil of their homeland. Our hearts hold relief and grief, fear and fierce hope — all at once.
At the same time, Israel’s internal challenges are sharpening. With the war coming to an end (hopefully), the current Netanyahu-led coalition — the most right-wing in Israel’s history — continues to push a legislative agenda that includes efforts to weaken the independence of the judiciary, expand the influence of ultra-Orthodox authorities, and even advance measures that could extend Israeli sovereignty to parts of the West Bank. Leaders from the Religious Zionism and Jewish Power parties speak openly of annexation and entrenching permanent control over Palestinian territories. These moves threaten not only Israel’s democratic fabric but also its moral integrity and international standing. For us, as Reform Zionists, this moment calls for moral courage: to love Israel deeply enough to speak truth in love — to stand for a Zionism that safeguards both Jewish peoplehood and democratic principle.
From the start, we have said: The next chapter of Israel’s history is about to be written. You can either be at the table writing it — or you, your children, and your values can be written out of it. That truth has never been more real. We stand on the precipice of hope and responsibility, determined to help shape an Israel we can all be proud to call home.
While things are looking hopeful in Israel, we know that great challenges remain ahead.
“Zionism is the return to Judaism even before the return to the land of the Jews.”
— Theodor Herzl, Closing Words at the First Zionist Congress, 1897
Herzl’s insight still guides us: that the work of Zionism is not only about reclaiming land, but about renewing soul. The “return to Judaism” he described was a moral and spiritual awakening — a call to remember who we are as a people and what kind of society we aspire to build. It reminds us that the truest expression of Jewish sovereignty is not measured only by borders or armies, but by the ethical life of our nation, by how we treat the vulnerable, protect democracy, and sanctify human dignity.
Yet, as Zionism’s moral core is tested abroad and at home, we face the growing normalization of anti-Zionism in American public life — an ideology that denies the Jewish people the very right Herzl articulated: to live as a free people in our own land. Too often, this rejection of Jewish self-determination disguises itself as political critique, erasing the story of our people’s renewal and resilience. In such times, Herzl’s call to “return to Judaism” becomes a charge to deepen our moral vision: to anchor our Zionism in justice, compassion, and shared responsibility; to see the State of Israel as an invitation and opportunity to fulfill mitzvot in tangible, collective form; to live in Jewish time and Jewish space. For us, Zionism and democracy are not opposing forces, but intertwined commitments — to build a society that embodies the best of Jewish values and universal ethics, and to ensure that the Jewish state remains both Jewish and just.
I look forward to sharing more in the coming days. My deepest gratitude to all those who voted, and to all those who are with us — both physically and virtually — as we make our pilgrimage to Jerusalem for this holy gathering.
Shabbat Shalom and Ḥodesh Tov!