WHY SHOULD YOU SUPPORT AN ISRAELI

REFORM OR CONSERVATIVE CONGREGATION

• You want the State of Israel to recognize that, as a Reform or Conservative Jew, your way of being Jewish is a legitimate expression of Judaism.

• You want marriages, divorces and conversions officiated by your movement’s Rabbis to be recognized by the State of Israel.

• You want secular Israelis to know that their only choice is not between orthodox ideology and practice and renunciation of Judaism, but that there are many paths to take in Jewish religious life for them and their children.

• You want Israeli society to benefit from a commitment to the Jewish values of social justice as emphasized by the Reform and Conservative Movements.

• You realize that most Israelis and their congregations are less economically well off than you and your congregation and that therefore in order to grow, to offer more services and programs and to reach out to the greater Israeli society, they need additional support beyond the dues and contributions of their memberships.

• You realize that while the Reform and Conservative movements support their Israeli congregations to some extent, the vast majority of their resources are invested in other areas of endeavor.

• You are upset by the unjust distribution of Israeli government support for Reform and Conservative congregations and wish to help rectify this imbalance by allocating a portion of your Tsedakah contributions directly to such congregations.

• You would like to have a personal relationship with Israelis who share your religious values and join together with your children and others in your community to share the exciting experience of growth and development of a congregation in Israel at this time in Jewish history.

• You agree that the members of Reform and Conservative congregations in Israel are pioneers who work with few resources and limited support; yet they produce remarkable results. For their efforts to bear greater fruit, it is time for us to support these heroes and their efforts and help the pluralistic movements in Israel reach a critical mass to be able to impact effectively upon Israeli society.

• The time has come for us to put our resources behind our ideologies and to personally and directly join and support Israeli Reform and Conservative congregations in their fight for religious expression and social justice.