FAQ
What is ARZA?
ARZA, the Australian Reform Zionist Association, is the umbrella organization of Progressive Religious Zionists in Australia. ARZA works to stimulate Zionist interest and activities in Progressive communities throughout the country.
ARZA works to stimulate Zionist interest and activities in Progressive communities throughout Australia. Working closely with the Union for Progressive Judaism, www.upj.org.au, we work to further the interests of Progressive Judaism within local Zionist Federations. ARZA works together with all ideological groupings to promote Zionist activity in local Jewish communities and especially Zionist youth activity and Netzer, the Progressive Zionist Youth Movement is officially affiliated with ARZA.
ARZA helps to foster understanding between Israel and Australia with the aim of closer links between the two countries.
Why join ARZA?
- Express your commitment to the Jewish People and Israel.
- Support Progressive values in Israel.
- Enhance your congregation’s relationship with Israel.
- Strengthen your personal connection to Israel.
- Support Progressive Zionist activity in the Australasian region
What does ARZA do?
ARZA works to stimulate interest in, and support for, Zionist activities in Progressive communities throughout the region and to ensure that the values and views of Progressive Jews are heard within the local Zionist movement as well as in Israel and in the World Zionist Organisation (WZO). Following elections in 2007 ARZA sent 6 delegates to the World Zionist Organisation’s world conference in Jerusalem and is well represented within the Zionist Federation of Australia.
ARZA works with all ideological groupings of Zionism to promote Israel and Zionist activities in local communities, offering particular support to the work of its affiliate, Netzer, the Reform Zionist Youth Group (www.netzer.org.au).
Working closely with the Union for Progressive Judaism, ARZA actively promotes support for the UIA Progressive Trust in its efforts to raise funds to support the work of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism (IMPJ) in caring for the needs and rights of refugees and migrants to Israel.
What is the WUPJ?
The World Union For Progressive Judaism is the international umbrella organization of the Reform, Liberal, Progressive and Reconstructionist movements, serving 1,200 congregations with 1.7 million members in more then 40 countries.
What is the UPJ?
The Union for Progressive Judaism (UPJ) supports and develops Progressive Judaism in Australia, New Zealand & Asia.
The UPJ represents and provides resources to 23 grass-roots organisations, serving approximately one quarter of the region’s Jewish community. This includes 18 congregations throughout the region, two Jewish day schools (Emanuel School, Sydney and King David School, Melbourne), a Zionist youth movement (Netzer); a young adults group (TaMaR), the Progressive Rabbinic Council (Moetzah) and the Australian Reform Zionist Association (ARZA).
What is the IMPJ?
The Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism (IMPJ) represents the liberal stream of Judaism in Israel and is part of the World Union For Progressive Judaism. There are 24 congregations affiliated with the IMPJ - from Kibbutzim Lotan and Yahel in the South to Nahariya in the North. The IMPJ has an active educational wing, which runs kindergartens and schools and also is involved in much of the extra-curricular religious programming in secular Israeli schools. It also has an active youth movement - Noar Telem, which is affiliated to the world-wide Progressive youth movement - Netzer Olami, and also a pre-army preparation program based in Jaffa, which, together with army preparation, is involved in social action and social justice.The movement is constantly growing with more and more communities seeking to affiliate and be part of its educational and life-cycle events.
The IMPJ has a legal and political wing called the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC), which spearheads many of the movement’s battles for State recognition and State and Religion injustices generally. IRAC also coordinates IMPJ’s community action programs - Kehilat Tsedek - making congregations more involved in social action and social justice and its social welfare fund - Keren b’kavod - funding those who are in need.
One of IRAC’s unique programs is LACO - legal aid centres for OIim (new immigrants). Since the giant wave of aliyah from the former USSR and Ethiopia in the 1980’s and 1990’s, LACO has given free legal aid to more than 70,000 new immigrants, solving not only day-day issues, but also addressing principle issues in Israel’s Supreme Court such as who is a Jew and who is eligible to make Aliyah under the Law of Return. It has offices in Beer Sheva, Tel Aviv and Haifa and is known as the leading body in Israel for new immigrant rights.
What is WZO?
WZO stands for World Zionist Organisation. It is a component of the Jewish Agency for Israel. For more information follow the links from www.jewishagency.org
Does ARZA take a political stance vis-à-vis Israel?
Why or why not?
While ARZA does work to impact Israeli society through advocacy, support for the Israel Religious Action Center and other such methods, ARZA is not affiliated with a particular political party or platform in Israel. ARZA does take political stances regarding Israel based upon the resolutions of the various bodies within the Progressive Movement such as the Union for Progressive Judaism and the Moetzah (See www.upj.org.au for details). However, ARZA is not affiliated with any political parties in Australia and works on its own and in partnerships to build consensus for strong support for Israel within the Progressive Movement.
What does ARZA believe?
ARZA believe:
- That in both Israel and the Diaspora all religious expressions of Jewish life must be valued because we are One Jewish People
- That Israel and the Diaspora are vital partners in Tikun Olam (repairing the Jewish world).
- That Jewish unity and cohesion are essential for Jewish continuity
- That Jewish education must include Zionist education and must be supported by the Zionist Movement.
- That men and women have equal rights and responsabilities.
- That the Zionist Youth Movements are precious components of the Diaspora’s future.
- That Israel’s democratic system is strengthened by her vigilant commitment to care for all her citizens.
- That through her strength and civic health, Israel is a light unto the nations.