How often do we, as regular Jews, have an opportunity to make a real difference through our own actions? We do not have the wealth to influence organizations. We do not have the stature or the platform to influence communal thought. Living in America, we do not even have a vote in Israeli elections. And so, though we care deeply about Jews everywhere, and passionately care about our family and brethren in Israel, there is so little we can actually do to affect our concerns.
DURING THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS, EACH ONE OF US CAN MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE.
Every four years the delegates of the World Zionist Congress meet to determine policy and choose leadership of organizations that have an enormous impact on the lives and values of Jews around the world and in Israel. The organizations whose agendas and leadership are chosen by these delegates include the Jewish Agency, Keren Hayasod and JNF. These organizations have budgets of hundreds of millions of dollars, and the delegates make these monumental decisions every four years. These delegates are elected every eight years. Your vote over the next seven days will impact the next eight years!
YOU HAVE UNTIL APRIL 30 TO ELECT DELEGATES. YOU CAN INFLUENCE WHAT PORTION OF THE DELEGATES BELIEVE IN TORAH MiSINAI AND SHARE OUR TORAH VALUES. http://www.votetorah.org/
The non-Orthodox organizations have been pulling all stops to encourage their membership to vote for delegates who do not share our Torah values. The secular Jewish organizations are doing all they can to have their friends vote for delegates who advocate secular, non-Torah beliefs. But, their efforts are falling short. Voting during the current elections has dropped dramatically. It has dropped among the non-Orthodox and the secular, but has likely dropped among the frum, as well.
LOWER VOTING PARTICIPATION OF OTHERS MEANS YOUR VOTE IS PARTICULARLY POWERFUL.
In light of the unprecedented low voting numbers, this election provides a unique opportunity for the frum community to capture an particularly high percentage of the delegates. Your $10 voting fee will, therefore, translate into a return for frum causes of many, many fold the $10 investment. Rarely can you even imagine such a leveraged return on your modest financial investment in the needs of Klal Yisroel. Together we can change lives, increase Torah study and observance, and be Mekadesh Shaim Shomayim in a way that we, as private individuals, so rarely can.
So, please vote Torah. http://www.votetorah.org/ Please encourage your friends and family to vote. http://www.votetorah.org/ Please do not allow this precious opportunity to slip by.
{Matzav.com Newscenter}
I want to add my small voice to the urgency of this issue. I am not a Zionist, far from it, but I have read about this and did my share to help. I voted. it’s easy, cost a few dollars and takes a minute on line. It’s a vote for Torah and it’s a way to infiltrate the secular for our benefit.
While I certainly understand the views of those who say one should participate in this election and Vote Torah, it seems to me very counter to the chareidi way to join, give money to, or associate with an organization like WZC.
In other words, while many are supporting the idea to vote torah, and their arguments to do so make sense, there are serious hashkafic questions that arise.
While I will not argue against those that vote, I don’t plan on it because I have yet to hear a non-anonymous hareidi posek come out to support the idea of doing so. Has the aguda moetzes come out in favor or against? Will anyone actually name a haredi or aguda source for doing this?
I am open to being convinced – just name your source.
Thanks.
M S
First of all, Torah U’Mesora sent out an email from the National Counsil of Young Israel urging people to vote.
Secondly, regarding your argument that it is not the Charedi way, most Charedi Gedolim gedolim urged people to vote in the past Israeli elections- even though it meant associating with a Zionist government. If we can make a difference, we should.
That being said, the nusach on the website that requires you to vote has the voter attest that he/she agrees with the a multifaceted vision of Jewery as foretold by the prophets. This is a conservative judaism catchphrase and it is certainly questionable for one to agree to it.
First, the Israeli elections do not require one to give money or to agree to a Zionist declaration.
Second, what I meant was it is not the chareidi way to give money to or associate with an organization that includes non-torah philosophies.
Third, no one is advocating that Torah Jews join our local conservative or reform temple in order to influence their boards of directors and place them on better derech. So what’s the differenceh here?
That having been said, I do, in fact, see the potential benefits of having increased influence in the WZC, and in this way it is similar to voting in Israeli elections. The difference (besides #1 above) is that gedolim explicitly allow voting in the elections, even doing so publicly themselves. (There are also gedolim who do not agree to voting in Israeli elections, but those on both sides allow their names to be published.) Regarding WZC, I have yet to hear of a charedi posek willing to have his name attached to this project. I did not see this Torah uMesorah email. Did it include one of their poskim explicitly endorsing, or was it just a forward from Young Israel?