Israel

Our Connection To Israel Continued

Our clergy lead trips to Israel to deepen our connection, our students learn to love Israel through various education programs, and the Israel and World Jewry Committee of Temple Isaiah plan Israel programs and publish “Good News From Israel” about Israel’s positive contributions to science and technology.

We feel strongly connected to our Israeli sisters and brothers who are part of our world reform movement, support the activities of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism and its growing network of congregations, schools and youth centers, the Israel Religious Action Center.

Through our annual contribution to ARZA (Association of Reform Zionists of America) we further enhance Israel as a pluralistic, just and democratic Jewish State and benefit from ARZA’s educational initiatives.

The World Union for Progressive Judaism connects our congregation nor only with the State of Israel but with Jews all over the world. We encourage our members, when they travel, to visit progressive congregations and establish personal connections that will allow each of us to celebrate the richness and diversity of our worldwide movement.

Ways to Help Israel 2024

WAYS TO SUPPORT ISRAEL:

The 2023 Israel Emergency Fund
jewishfed.org/2023-Israel-emergency-fund-donation
The 2023 Israel Emergency Fund is providing urgently needed assistance to the people of Israel. We have already distributed funds to organizations on the ground providing medical care, emergency services, evacuation support, transport, and housing. We’re also supporting victims of terror and offering trauma relief and psychological support and preparing for medium- and long-term needs. 100% of your donation goes directly to our key partners in Israel, like the Israel Trauma Coalition, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Jewish Agency for Israel, World ORT, United Hatzalah,
Magen David Adom, ZAKA, Barzilai Medical Center,
and the Soroka Medical Center.

Magen David Adom
mdais.org/en/donation
MDA is the Israeli Red Cross.  We operate with great dedication, out of love for human beings, love for the State of Israel, and a strong will to protect and save lives for over 93 years.  In every Kibbutz that has suffered severe missile barrage and terrible slaughter - it was MDA crews who went in under fire, to help rescue the families and provide
life-saving medical treatment to the injured.  We need you. We need donations for ambulances and medical equipment, for protective equipment, bandages, and other equipment that will help us save lives.  You can be a vital part of the rescue teams and help us save more and more lives during this difficult time, while Israel is at war.

Friends of the Israel Defense Forces
fidf.org
The fastest and most direct way to give IDF soldiers what they need most. 100% of your contribution will go to meet their emergency humanitarian needs.  Tens of thousands of soldiers and reservists are on the front lines, facing an unprecedented and harrowing conflict. FIDF is the sole organization designated by the IDF in the United States to collect donations for its soldiers. As their true and only partners, FIDF is responding to their most urgent needs for humanitarian support which currently include armored ambulances, field hospitals, plasma, and other life-saving supplies.

Educational Resources

Educational Resources

Shalom Hartman Institute
The Shalom Hartman Institute is a leading center of Jewish thought and education, serving Israel and North America. They have a wide variety of excellent articles and podcasts which can be found at https://www.hartman.org.il/topic/israel-at-war/. A few highlights include the following podcast episodes:
Fighting a Just War (exploring just war theory through legal, philosophical, and Jewish frameworks)

 
• Israel at War: The Morning After (what should happen after the war?)
 
• “There is No Justification. But…?” (discussing the nuances of context and justification, morality and war)
 
• “Reflections on the Israeli Left” (geared to the North American audience, about being a liberal / on the left in this moment)
 
• “Moral Red Lines” (what are moral red lines when responding to evil?)
 
• Is Anyone Prepared for These Questions? (geared to parents/educators, how to field increasingly complex questions from children and teens)
 

Israel Policy Forum (IPF)
The Israel Policy Forum is an American organization that works for a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through advocacy, education and policy research. They have a robust resource hub including timely content, FAQs and a comprehensive timeline of the Israel-Hamas conflict, articles, infographics, podcasts, videos, and more.

Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA)
ARZA is the Israel arm of the Reform movement. If you sign up for their weekly newsletter, you’ll get regular updates and recommended reading events related to the war.

New Israel Fund (NIF)
NIF advances and protects liberal democracy in Israel. Temple Isaiah has hosted speakers from NIF for many years. Here are recommendations from NIF for diving deeper, learning from leaders and experts with a human rights & joint Jewish-Arab perspective:

• The first NIF emergency webinar following October 7 was very powerful, though it is a full hour: https://vimeo.com/873830435?share=copy
• Israeli grassroots NGO “Standing Together” on NPR - an incredible Jewish-Arab activist organization: https://www.npr.org/2023/10/21/1207763482/peace-activists-in-israel-speak-about-their-hopes-for-the-end-of-war
• Powerful video about heroic stories of rescue and humanity from October 7. Arabs and Jews facing the terrible inhumanity together and helping each other. This video reached over a million views throughout Israel in less than 24 hours. It was shared widely throughout social media by both Jews and Arabs, further strengthening our belief in a Jewish-Arab partnership.
• A short video showing one of the NIF-supported relief efforts: video of the Jewish-Arab situation room in Rahat – the first Arab-Jewish emergency center.
• Historical narratives – a recent podcast of “The Daily” about 1948 was one of the best conversations about this.

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News from Israel There have been many challenges with the media regarding Israel. For up-to-date news, we recommend the English-language Israeli news source Times of Israel.

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Hadassah.org : A pamphlet on “Frequently asked questions: Israel at War”

Community Partners

For more information on all of these organizations, please connect through their websites.  All have regular e-newsletters to which you can subscribe.

IRAC: The Israel Religious Action Center    irac.org
IRAC occupies a unique place in the social and religious landscape of Israel, infusing social justice advocacy with the spiritual energy and humane worldview of Progressive Judaism. IRAC, the public and legal advocacy arm of the Reform Movement in Israel, was founded in 1987 with the goals of advancing pluralism in Israeli society and defending the freedoms of conscience, faith, and religion. IRAC uses litigation, legislation, public policy and advocacy to advance civic equality. These activities have established IRAC as a leading Jewish organization working to strengthen the democratic character of Israeli society.

New Israel Fund    nif.org
The New Israel Fund (NIF) works to strengthen Israel’s democracy and to promote freedom, justice and equality for all Israel’s citizens.  For 29 years, NIF has been a leader in building a just and strong Israel, believing that Israel’s strength depends as much on its commitment to democratic principles as on its ability to defend itself against physical and military threats.  Not only are these principles guaranteed in Israel’s Declaration of Independence, they are central elements of the Jewish tradition.  NIF creates partnerships with Israelis, North Americans and Europeans to fight for civil and human rights, closing the social and economic gaps in Israeli society, promoting tolerance and religious pluralism and protecting Israel’s environment.

AIPAC: The American Israel Public Affairs Committee    aipac.org
For more than half a century, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee has worked to help make Israel more secure by ensuring that American support remains strong.  From a small pro-Israel public affairs boutique in the 1950s, AIPAC has grown into a 100,000-member national grassroots movement described by The New York Times as “the most important organization affecting America’s relationship with Israel.”

ARZA: Connecting Reform Jews and Israel    arza.org
ARZA, the Association of Reform Zionists of America - the Zionist arm and voice of the Reform Movement in the United States - endeavors to make Israel fundamental to the sacred lives and Jewish identity of Reform Jews. As a Zionist organization, ARZA champions activities that further enhance Israel as a pluralistic, just and democratic Jewish state.