The stakes are high for an inclusive and vibrant Israel, and USCJ prioritized our role as a movement convener to ensure a successful voting turnout during the WZC elections for MERCAZ USA – the Conservative/Masorti voice of Zionism – over the past several months. Through our efforts and the combined efforts of our movement partners (including National Ramah Commission, the Cantors Assembly, Women’s League for Conservative Judaism, Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs, and the Rabbinical Assembly), we activated tens of thousands of people for the election through a multi-pronged campaign. USCJ spearheaded this initiative under the leadership of Rabbi Ashira Konigsburg, Rabbi Jacob Blumenthal, and USCJ President Andy Schaer, who presided over the Steering Committee. Through this collaboration, we had over 250 congregational captains who led efforts in their local congregations, and even had a YALA (Young Adults, Leaders, Alumni) captain who encouraged registration at the latest Shabbaton. We also would like to publicly thank the strategists at the West End Strategy Team for their expertise and vision.
It was inspiring to see folks from every corner of the movement come together to make their voices heard and advance our core values of democracy, pluralism and inclusion. We could not have mounted this effort without our devoted captains, who volunteered to galvanize their communities behind our mission.
While we likely will not have results for a few weeks, we can be proud of the campaign we ran and the ways we all showed up for our cause. We engaged tens of thousands of people nationwide through in-person events and speaker series with Israeli leaders. We made our presence known on social media, calling on our friends and families to cast their votes.
Once the results are announced, our focus will shift to the Congress in October, where we’ll join delegates from around the world at the “parliament of the Jewish people.” There, we’ll advocate for our movement’s values and fight for the resources needed to strengthen Jewish life in the U.S., from synagogue programming to robust Israel education through Ramah, USY, and more.
Together, we’ve proven the power of a united Conservative/Masorti voice—now we carry that momentum forward to shape the future of Jewish life at home and in Israel.
