[COMMUNICATED]
By Eliezer Cohn
I’m not here to tell you what to do. When I first saw the ads, I ignored them. They seemed like nothing more than a fringe campaign run by extremists. So, I did my research. I will share why I voted for Eretz Hakodesh, and I hope you will too.
Basically, Yiddishkeit in Eretz Yisroel has always been defined as the Torah-true Orthodox Judaism we have been practicing for thousands of years. While in the past, many Jews in Israel identified as non-observant, they knew that the Judaism they were not practicing was that of our mesorah, and respected our Torah values. No one complained about having separate areas for men and women to daven at mekomos hakedoshim or that frum Rabbanim should be the ones overseeing marriage and gittin. But, in recent years, elements from within American Jewry, many of whose own constituents have assimilated and abandoned Judaism altogether, have infiltrated Israeli society and are spearheading a campaign to discredit much of what is sacred.
How do they infiltrate Israeli policy-making?
The platform that enables and finances these efforts is the World Zionist Organization which works with the Jewish Agency and other national trusts that distribute significant funding to projects and movements they wish to advance.
Every five years the World Zionist Congress has elections. These elections provide you, me and every member of the American frum community the unique opportunity to impact the future of our Eretz Hakodesh. These elections determine the composition of the World Zionist Congress which makes numerous decisions in both policy and fund allocations that directly affect our interests and needs. As a small example, do you remember the MASA grants for our children going to learn in Eretz Yisroel? The lack of frum representation in the World Zionist Congress resulted in such funding dropping from its 2011 level of $1,000 per student to its current level of $200 per student.
But, this didn’t inspire me enough to vote. What did?
There’s more to the story. The influence from the WZO has made attempts to take away control of weddings, diovorces and conversions from the Chief Rabbinate creating problems of mamzeirim, arayos and intermarriage. These groups are working hard to allow people to pray as they wish at the Kossel. They want egalitarian prayers at the Kossel. Do you know what that means? They equal access to all areas of the kossel for women to be part of a minyan, lead the prayers, pray as reform and conservative and anything else they may imagine. They show no regard for how to show proper respect for a makom kadosh, and as a result, they’re defiling the holiest place we have today. They have also succeeded in changing the Yahadus curriculum taught in Israeli public schools from a Torah approach to an anti-Torah approach based on Reform ad Conservastive teaching. This is indoctrinating innocent French olim and the next generation of Israeli Jews to a, anti-Torah world view.
So is it just about the money?
NO! Just one small problem, you can’t get rid of their influence without getting their money. If it was just about the money, I wouldn’t vote, and neither should you. This is about power and influence. And, this is about a unique and strategic opportunity to infiltrate the negative influence and to STOP the funding to those against our lifestyle.
Am I now a Zionist? Is this something appropriate for me to get involved in?
Participation in the elections is not an endorsement of anything the WZO was or is. Who loves Eretz Yisroel and understands it’s significance more than us – those who cry on Tisha B’av and who daven 3 times a day – Vesechezena eineinu beshuvcha l’Tzion berachamim. More than any other segment of Klal Yisroel, it is only Torah true Jewry that has never lost its love for Tzion. I was not comfortable at first, but I realized this is something I need to do.
What does Da’as Torah say about this?
What we read on websites, Frum and secular will always have reports that are accurate and those that are less accurate. Here’s my take. Any sensible person understands that there will not be a mass wave of public support for something like this from all the gedolim. This is just too political for a clear public directive, as Rav Eliya Brudny said at the Agudah convention. I believe we can and should be reading between the lines and see that the leading gedolim want us to vote. Do you honestly believe that all these world-famous askanim running in the election are doing so without consulting da’as Torah?
Does it cost money?
Yes, it does. There is a $7.50 charge to vote. But, don’t worry, you are not becoming a supporter of the WZO. This is an administrative fee that covers the cost of the election, and it provides security making sure no one votes more than once, since each credit card or payment source can only be used twice. So, for $7.50, a nominal amount, I realized I can make a huge impact, and I am proud that I did.
Please make the time to make a difference too, and vote online for Eretz Hakodesh in the WZO elections. It will take you no more than 3 minutes. CLICK HERE now to vote!
Mordechai Hayehudi felt she should do it but it was up to her to act and it is the same thing with this election! The Gedolim are allowing it but it is up to American frum Yidden to choose to take this vital step which will empower the pro-Torah forces in Israel and in the diaspora and protect the Jewish population in the Holy Land.
If its so important could they not find someone to sponsor the voting??
It doesnt cost money to vote any important votes. why is this one different
For one thing it goes against the voting rules.They do not accept voter registration if the money source was used already by a previous.
For another because things of value usually cost. You can’t expect other people to always sponsor you
You to can vote here: http://www.eretzhakodesh.org
How will this effect the shidduch crisis?
I am proud to have voted too, despite being anti-zionist in the derech of Gedolei Yisroel. It is an absolute zchus to listen to Gedolei Yisroel when they give a horaas shah (an exceptional psak). Of course I did it with sadness that we unfortunately have to do this.
This public letter did not convince me to vote. What changed my mind? When it was reported that R’ Shmuel Kaminecki Shlit”a received a reply from Moreinu R’ Chaim Kanievsky Shlit”a indicating that the oilam HaTorah should vote, I was able to verify this by directly asking R’ Shmuel if it was a true report. When he said it was true, I voted.