The Area Elections Committee (AEC) of the American Zionist Movement (AZM) is scheduled to revisit the AZM’s controversial new pricing policy in in the upcoming elections for the 38th World Zionist Congress (WZC).
Several months ago, the AEC voted in favor of a flat voting fee for all American-based voters in the WZC elections, regardless of age. In previous elections, the voting fee was $10 but voters age 18-30 paid a discounted fee of $5, which allowed more young Jews to participate in the elections.
The fee hike for students is being challenged by VISION, a combined slate of campus activists and community organizers from LAVI , Doreinu and a number of other movements fighting to empower young voices in the World Zionist Organization and to force crucial conversations about what Jewish liberation means following Zionism’s success.
The slate called itself the Alliance for New Zionist Vision in the previous congress, where they succeeded in narrowly passing a bill (by 51%) declaring the Jewish people indigenous to the Land of Israel.
Danit Felber of LAVI and Michael Shepsis of Doreinu submitted a formal request to the AEC for returning to a pricing policy that would offer younger voters a discount in order to encourage their participation.
“The function of the World Zionist Congress is to shape and protect the future of the State of Israel and Diaspora Jewish communities,” said Felber.
“The next generation must have a strong voice in deciding who shapes that future, as they will be the ones who have to live with the decisions made today for decades to come.”
This is the first time in many elections for the WZC that there has not been a discounted registration fee for students and, if not changed, could send a message to young Jews that their participation isn’t valued.
The VISION slate challenges the wisdom of this change at a time when many young Diaspora Jews have begun to feel alienated from the State of Israel and from the organized Jewish community.
The VISION activists, however, believe that the fee hike for student voters was made as an accidental consequence of lowering the general fee, and hope to work with the AZM to address and rectify the mistake.
“We don’t believe the AZM is intentionally trying to keep young voices out of the World Zionist Congress,” said VISION candidate Samantha Muskat of American University.
“In fact, they often claim to want more youth participation. They know that the decisions being made at the WZO impact the next generation and they support VISION’s efforts to fill the congress with young delegates. We assume that the price hike for student voters wasn’t intentional but really just an accident that occurred in the midst of attempts to lower fees for the older generation. But now that we’ve identified the mistake, we expect the AZM to work with us in setting things right.”
While the committee lowered the cost of registration by 25% for the older generation from $10 to $7.50, it raised the cost for students by 50% from $5 to $7.50. Taking into consideration the difference between what a couple dollars means to a student versus someone already well-established in the workforce, the activists feels this change sends a message that the AZM under-prioritizes the participation of students.
The slate has received assurances from three more established factions participating in the AZM elections that they would vote in favor of VISION’S initiative to return to a $5 fee for student voters.
“Mizrachi, ARZA (the Reform movement), and ZOA/Likud all understand the importance of keeping the younger generation involved in Israel-related issues and have assured us that if we can successfully bring the issue to a vote, they’d support our efforts to return to a discounted price for younger voters,” said Rudy Rochman, adding that “[w]ith the support of these factions we expect to be successful.”
Felber added that “[t]hese elections are the perfect opportunity to engage and re-engage students and young professionals who have put their involvement in Israel on the back burner. It would be a shame for Israel and the Jewish people if the AEC prioritized a few extra dollars over those who could potentially be the next generation’s Jewish leaders.”
