Every vote counts: how to influence the fate of Russian-speaking Jews in the USA and the world

Significant and significant events will take place in this leap year in the world - this is the UK exit from the European Union (the so-called Brexit), the US presidential election, the third consecutive election in Israel, and the World Zionist Congress (WCC), which takes place every five years, on days whose work addresses crucial issues not only affecting Israeli politics, but also supporting Jewish communities around the world.

Photo: Igor Khodzinsky (courtesy of American Forum For Israel)

The Russian-American community is still getting less than the rest. It creates a feeling of deja vu, bad repetition, unpleasant memories, when in the former USSR Jews understood that their voting rights were limited; and the fact that, for example, children cannot, due to the fifth column in their passport, enter prestigious universities, was taken for granted. The situation with the Zionist Congress is about the same: it addresses the most important issues for Israel, but the representatives of the Russian-speaking community in the United States, who are practically, sorry for the tautology at this high forum, are poorly represented, they cannot influence these decisions.

And equally, our Russian-American community receives practically nothing from a financial pie (and its size is $ 1 billion), since the size of a piece from this pie depends on the number of delegates represented in Congress. Five years ago, in the elections to the 37th VSK, the only Jewish American organization representing our community, American Forum for Israelmanaged to take ten places among the 500 possible in Congress and get a modest budget. Undoubtedly, it was a success, because 10 votes are better than nothing, but the financial support of our community with 10 delegates to the VSK is extremely small.

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The United States sends 500 delegates to the 152-seat VSK this year. These days, from January 21 to March 11, elections are held in the VSK. And the degree of our participation and influence in making vital decisions for Israel (the country's security, the preservation of Jerusalem, the strengthening of the Israel Defense Forces) and the level of financial support for our Russian-American community depend on how actively each of us votes.

The more our votes will be presented to the VSK, the higher the size of the allocated budget will be, which will allow Hebrew lessons, Israeli and Jewish holidays, special events for Holocaust survivors and WWII veterans, as well as for meeting single Jewish men and women (Shiduh), Torah classes, lessons of Jewish history and traditions in Russian, numerous demonstrations in support of Israel and more.

Yes, the stronger Israel is, the stronger the diaspora; at the same time, the stronger the diaspora, the stronger Israel.

The World Zionist Congress is an organization that determines where Jewish donations will go. Today, instead of channeling funds to building strong Israel and Jewish programs around the world, leftist forces, left-wing Jewish organizations in the United States rushing to Congress, openly call for Jewish money to support Arab terrorists. These are such influential organizations as the one supported by billionaire Soros J Street, who invited Saeb Arikat, Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, to speak in the United States in 2019; Jewish organizations such as Breaking the Silence, Adala, Betzelem, Peace Now, which help the boycott of Israel, support the anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic BDS.

It is these Jewish American organizations that sponsor the surveillance of the IDF soldiers. The famous case with an Israeli army sergeant, Elor Azariah, who shot an Arab terrorist in Hebron on March 24, 2016, is indicative. For this he was accused of manslaughter. Footage from the Breaking the silence camcorders in the area was the main evidence for the prosecution.

Say, Adala advocates for funds to help illegal immigrants arriving in Israel from North Africa. Since she has votes in Congress, she receives money for this, instead of spending these gigantic amounts on the education of our Jewish children, on helping older Jews, on supporting Jewish traditions around the world.

Until we begin to actively vote, nominating our representatives to the VSK, so that they defend our interests, Israel will not receive the necessary support. Consequently, our large Russian-American community will not get what it deserves to be. Your vote can save the Jewish state and help all of us in America.

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In these elections, Russian-speaking Jews of the United States represent American Forum for Israel, whose leaders have supported Israel and the interests of the Russian-speaking community of America for many years. Most of the candidates from American Forum for Israel are known as worthy leaders. The purpose of the American forum is to rally the Jews of the United States in support of Israel, a strong and proud Jewish state. By voting for the American Forum, you will personally contribute to the strengthening of Israel and to the safety of your near and dear ones in Israel and the USA.

Show Jewish solidarity and vote in the American Zionist Congress for the American Forum for Israel - for your community. Vote for the American Forum for Israel and ask all your friends and family to do the same!

Strong Israel - a strong Diaspora! Strong Diaspora - Strong Israel!

Vote for American Forum for Israel - the only organization running in the USA, all candidates from which are Russian-speaking Jewish immigrants, by clicking in the list of candidate organizations at number 12 on the website: https://www.zionistelection.org/.

The telephone hotline, calling on which everyone can ask any questions regarding the elections to the World Zionist Congress, is (718) 303-8000.

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