Editor’s Note: When I received a phone call from my cousin Larry Lerner whom I deeply esteem asking me to be part of the slate of HaTikvah for the World Zionist Conference in Jerusalem, I had to decline. Though I am pro-Israel and brought my son to high school in Israel and supported him by living in Israel while he was serving in the IDF, I am equally pro-Palestine and have never described myself as a Zionist, so how could I become a delegate to this convention? Moreover, upon reading their platform, I know that I’ve been a strong critic of the Israeli Labor Party and its failure to attempt to educate Israelis about what kind of a peace settlement would actually work, much less endorsed anything like the one I’ve proposed in my book Embracing Israel/Palestine (which you can order at www.tikkun.org/eip). I am particularly unhappy with all those Jewish organizations which oppose the Occupation of the West Bank solely on “Jewish self-interest” grounds without ever really addressing the ethical issues involved in that Occupation causing so much pain and violence to the Palestinian people. When the Torah commands us to “love the stranger” and “do not oppress the stranger,” it must be read today as applying to the Palestinian people—and Meretz and the Labor Party should say that clearly in their platform. Nor could I sign on to a platform that summarily opposes the Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) movement. I reject a general boycott of Israel and I am aware that when talking about their demand of “ending the Occupation” some activists in the international BDS movement believe that “the Occupation” started with the creation of the State of Israel and hence aim at ending its existence. On the other hand, I do support BDS in regard to the Occupation of the West Bank, and favor using that tactic against any products produced in the Settlements or any firm that produces goods or services that are used primarily to support the Occupation of the West Bank and the blockade of Gaza (e.g. Caterpillar). So when groups or political activists fail to distinguish between those two different positions, I have a problem. I have trouble joining the BDS movement on the one hand, and trouble joining the opposition to the BDS movement on the other hand. Nuance may not work well when trying to build a large-scale movement, but it is critical for those of us who approach Israel/Palestine with an ethical, spiritual, and/or religious commitment to the well-being of everyone on the planet, not just Jews. This position would make most sense to you if you read my book Jewish Renewal: A Path to Healing and Transformation (though the actual “Jewish Renewal” movement to which I belong is far less clear on these issues than I had hoped it would be).
Nevertheless, I do believe if you, dear reader, happen to be a Jew who does identify as a Zionist, I think it plausible that support for the HaTikvah group described below would be a very good thing to do at this point. In the context of Israeli politics, they are as good for Israel as the left wing of the Democratic Party is good for the U.S. So I hope those of you who do identify as Zionists will actually vote in the election. I have great respect for many of the people on this slate, many of them among the most principled people in the organized part of the American Jewish community, and I believe that they will introduce important peace-and-justice-oriented ideas into the discourse of the World Zionist Conference should they be elected.
We never endorse candidates for office in US elections, but we can certainly pass on this letter from my cousin Larry Lerner to you addressing an election not to a public office but to an international organization. Please read it.– Rabbi Michael Lerner
From Larry Lerner:
Dear Tikkunistas,
Hannah Lerner and I (granddaughter and grandfather) are delegates on the HaTikvah = Hope slate running as possible delegates to the World Zionist Conference in Jerusalem in 2015. We strongly urge you to register and vote for the HaTikvah = Hope slate at www.myvoteourisrael.com. Any American Jew who identifies him/ her self as a Jew and is over 18 years of age can and is encouraged to vote.
The Platform of the slate is attached. The slate is a strong supporter of a secure peaceful two State solution to the Palestine-Israeli conflict. The slate also supports an end to the discrimination against the non-Orthodox Jewish religious streams in Israel. The 72 (four chai) delegates on the slate are equally men and women and one out of every four is under the age of 30. The delegates (organizational mention is for information only and is not an endorsement of the organization) are not listed with information on the official slate because the right wing Zionist Organization of America and others did not want voters to know who were the delegates. Below are some of the important delegates on the HATIKVAH = HOPE SLATE.
Theodore Bickel – folk singer, stage and movie star, and civil rights activist
Debra DeLee – President and CEO of Americans for Peace Now
Benjy Cannon, – President of J Street U.
Ken Bob – President, Ameinu
Randi Weingarten – President, American Federation of Teachers
Daniel Sokatch – CEO, New Israel Fund
Rabbi Kevin Bernstein – Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
Rabbi Israel S. (Si) Dresner – Reform Rabbi, Freedom Rider, Civil Rights activist
Rachel Lerner – Senior Vice President, J Street
Sam Norich – Publisher and CEO, Forward
This is an important election, all of the Progressive Zionists are united behind the slate. We need your vote and the vote of your family and friends to show that there is support for the HATIKVAH=HOPE platform. Remember to go to www.myvoteourisrael.com.
Shalom,
Larry Lerner
President, Union of Councils for Jews in the former Soviet Union (UCSJ)
Former President, Partners for a Progressive Israel
HATIKVA=THE HOPE
We are the hope
We are the PROGRESSIVE ZIONIST SLATE
We are committed to transforming the State of Israel into the dream of a just and thriving democratic Jewish state
Our platform is not platitude. We are rooted in a shared vision of:
LASTING PEACE and a NEGOTIATED TWO STATE SOLUTION
Freeze settlement activity prior to “end of conflict” resolution
Reach strong security provisions for all parties
Recognize the current regional reality and encourage the development of new alliances
ECONOMIC PROSPERITY
Create a robust social safety net
Provide opportunities of employment for all who are capable
End the oligopoly/plutocracy that has held back economic progress from too many
Ensure world-class education for all sectors of Israeli society
In Israel we call for:
Social justice and protection of democratic rights for all of Israel’s citizens
Environmental sustainability
Protect the right for women to be seen and heard in public
Recognition of all religious streams
Refugee reform
Around the world we work to:
Combat the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement
Strengthen Jewish peoplehood
Defend budgets for youth movement shlichim
Support financial backing for gap year programs in Israel
Promote long term Israeli programs for youth and adults
We are aligned with the values and policies of the Israel Labor Party and Meretz,
as well as other like-minded peace and democracy Israeli activists.
Together with our partners around the world, we are the OPPOSITION to the status quo which wants to manage the conflict instead of ending it.
Ameinu –Habonim Dror—Partners for a Progressive Israel—Hashomer Hatzair
Theodore Bikel
Board Chair, Partners for Progressive Israel; Actor, Singer, Activist
Debra DeLee
President and CEO, Americans for Peace Now
Benjy Cannon
President, J Street U
Sara Zebovitz
National Director, Habonim Dror North America
Kenneth Bob
President, Ameinu
Randi Weingarten
President, American Federation of Teachers
Daniel Sokatch
CEO, New Israel Fund
Valerie Miller
National Director, Hashomer Hatzair United States
Harold Shapiro
Co-President, Partners for Progressive Israel
Rabbi Sharon Brous
Founding Rabbi, IKAR (Los Angeles, CA)
Judith Gelman
Executive Committee Chair, Ameinu
Rabbi Kevin Bernstein
Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
Rachel Lerner
Senior Vice President, J Street
David Meyer
Treasurer, Habonim Dror North America; Past Director, Habonim Dror Camp Moshava
Lilly Rivlin
Former President, Partners for Progressive Israel; Filmmaker
Gideon Aronoff
CEO, Ameinu
Rachel Sandalow-Ash
Co-Founder, Open Hillel
Daniel Fleshler
Board Member, Ameinu
Haya Laufer
Board Member, Ameinu; Biologist
Michael Walzer
Professor Emeritus, Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton, NJ)
Adina Teibloom
Educator, Habonim Dror
Theodore Friedman
Board Member, Ameinu
Rabbi Esther Lederman
Temple Micah (Washington, DC)
Hiam Simon
COO, Ameinu; Board Member, Habonim Dror Camp Na’aleh
Hannah Lerner
Student, University of North Carolina
Sam Norich
Publisher and CEO, Forward
Rabbi Leila Gal Brener
Kol Ami (Arlington, VA); Dean of Students, ALEPH Ordination Program
Lonny Moses
Educator, Habonim Dror
Liz Bar-El
Board Chair, Habonim Dror Camp Gilboa
Larry Lerner
President, Union of Councils for Jews in the FSU
Jennie Schaefer
Educational Director, Hashomer Hatzair United States
Rabbi Sid Schwarz
Senior Fellow, Clal; Founding Rabbi, Adat Shalom (Bethesda, MD)
Rabbi Amy Eilberg
First Ordained Female Conservative Rabbi; Author, Peace Educator
Zach Pekarsky
Education Director, Habonim Dror North America
Alisa Belinkoff-Katz
Board Member, Ameinu
Ralph Seliger
Board Member, Partners for Progressive Israel
Efrat Levy
Board Chair, Hashomer Hatzair United States; Professor, Empire State College
Dekel Merin
Past Director, Habonim Dror Camp Moshava
Judy Wall
Co-President, Partners for Progressive Israel
Arieh Lebowitz
Associate Director, Jewish Labor Committee
Adi Dzen
Educator, Hashomer Hatzair United States
Martin Bresler
Board Member, Americans for Peace Now
Julie Macht
Board Member, Habonim Dror Camp Gilboa
Amit Bob
Educator, Habonim Dror
Nomi Colton-Max
President, Beth El Congregation (South Orange, NJ)
Leonard Grob
Professor Emeritus, Fairleigh Dickinson University
Carolyn Amacher
Board Member, Ameinu
Gilad Abarbanel
Regional Director, Hashomer Hatzair United States
Phyllis Bernstein
Board Member, MetroWest Federation
Leonid Stonov
Union of Councils for Jews in the FSU
Ilana DeBare
Alum, Hashomer Hatzair United States
Ethan Goldstein
Habonim Dror Camp Miriam
Rabbi Chava Koster
Village Temple
Mark Gold
Board Member, Partners for Progressive Israel
Rachel Glaser
Habonim Dror Camp Moshava
Noah Finkelstein
Program Director, Habonim Dror North America; Habonim Dror Camp Miriam
Steve Weinberg
Executive Director, Habonim Dror Camp Association
Dina Charnin
Vice President, Partners for Progressive Israel
Rabbi Israel S.Dresner
Former President, Partners for Progressive Isael; Civil Rights Activist
Ella Schwarzbaum
Educator, Hashomer Hatzair United States
Naomi Jatovsky
Ameinu San Francisco
Rabbi Gerald Serotta
Executive Director, InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington
Fay Rosenfeld
COO Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute
Bekah Diamond-Bier
Educator, Habonim Dror
Brad Rothschild
Chair, Ameinu Policy and Advocacy Committee
Barbara Epstein
Board Member, Partners for Progressive Israel
Yoni Shultz
Board Member, Habonim Dror Camp Gilboa
Colin Paluch
Educator, Hashomer Hatzair United States
Ben Meiselman
Board Member, Ameinu
Martin Taft
Board Member, Ameinu
Dana Mandler
Board Member and Former Director, Hashomer Hatzair United States
Joel Winograd
Chair, Habonim Dror Camp Association;
Habonim Dror Camp Tavor
Maya Haber
Board Member, Partners for Progressive Israel
Michael Goldman
Habonim Dror Camp Moshava; Doctor
Mira Shore
Habonim Dror Camp Galil
Yudie Fishman
Chair, Habonim Dror Foundation
Deborah Dash Moore
Professor, University of Michigan
Ariel Simon
Ameinu New York
Karen Paul-Stern
Washington Regional Director and Director of Israel Travel, New Israel Fund
Elihu Davison
Jewish Labor Committee
Carole Zawatsky
CEO, Washington DC Jewish Community Center
Idan Sasson
Former Director, Hashomer Hatzair United States
Ethel Taft
Ameinu Los Angeles
Chad Goldberg
Professor, University of Wisconson-Madison
Miriam Eisenstein
Lawyer, U.S. Department of Education, retired
Doniel Simon
Ameinu New York
Merle Wolofsky
Board Member, Partners for Progressive Israel
Andrew Taylor
Treasurer, Ameinu
Karen Shapiro
Board Member, Partners for Progressive Israel
Ezra Salop
Owner and Caterer, Innerloop Cuisine; Food Activist
Evelyn Gelman
Board Member, Partners for Progressive Israel
Rabbi Steven Carr Reuben
Rabbi Emeritus, Kehilat Israel
David Dormont
Board Member, Partners for Progressive Israel
Former President, Partners for a Progressive Israel
Lilerner3215@gmail.com