In March 2024, at the invitation of Arzenu and WUPJ, representatives of the Fundación Judaica participated in a solidarity mission to Israel with other leaders of the international reformist movement.
Along with this mission, the WZO Congress of World Zionist Organizations took place in Jerusalem, under the convocation title “The Challenges of the Jewish People”. Miriam Olchansky, President of Comunidad NCI-Emanu El, participated in the event representing WUPJ in association with Arzenu. 50 resolutions were debated that addressed issues related to the Zionist Movement, in response to what happened on October 7th.
Miriam Olchansky was part of one of the committees whose central theme was the empowerment and equality of women in Israeli society. The reform movement has successfully introduced several resolutions aligned with our values, many of which were unanimously supported.
The participation of members of our communities in these two moments demonstrates the importance and need for our participation as reformist Latin American Jews in dialogue and collaboration with Medinat Israel. Representatives from Fundación Judaica reported on their participation, mainly in the solidarity mission. The story follows:
We were invited and led by Rab Sergio Bergman president of the WUPJ and Shoshanna Dweck president of Arzenu. A group of 20 people; references from different reformist institutions here in Argentina and in the world we gave our present.
We are not going to delve into the difficult geopolitical conflict with Gaza. We will leave this topic to those who know best.
We do feel the need to be spokespersons for horror in its maximum expression and its collateral causes.
As leaders we are facing a new solidarity challenge, where it is necessary to take action to achieve change and translate our values into actions.
Israel is not and will not be the same, “Israel the day after”, will emerge stronger from the darkness of 7/10. This date marked a wound in each of the Israeli citizens and the diaspora. It affected us all, it was and is a threat to all humanity, it is a terrorist act. But once again, the world seems asleep who continue to refuse and remain blindfolded. Let us not forget that these terrorists do not seek to eliminate only Jews and Israelis. Let us remember the attack of the 4 trains in Spain on March 11. The attack on the London Underground. The suicide attacks in Paris. The twin towers in the United States, the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires and Amia, a Jewish mutual fund.
And the list goes on… they are going for everyone.
In six days we witnessed both sides of the coin. The first is Israeli strength in the face of adversity and the unity of a broken nation responding in the first minute after the massacre. Every civilian, every born leader was able to calmly organize every situation. There was no time for regrets.
However, the other side was seeing the horror itself with our own eyes, walking through the traces of destruction and death. Demonic. There is no word to describe so much hatred.
We do not remember all the names of those who visited us and who we went to see (see if we add them all). If we have one and each of them left in our retina; civilians who left their jobs and put on uniforms to save their citizens and the nation. Those who offered their institutions to receive evacuees from the most affected neighborhoods and hospitals receiving combat wounded and those who were close to these attacks and were victims, directly or indirectly. There are thousands of stories. Everyone unanimously repeats themselves; There is no time to think about the day after, today you have to work for the people.
The rest will be discussed in due course.
The pending objective is for the kidnapped to return home, #Bringthemhomenow, is repeated in every corner of Israel. Second and no less important; the support and presence of each one of us; Visits from all over the world only give them hope and strength.
They are not alone, we are not alone. We are all one, we are all one people:
AM ISRAEL CHAI 🇮🇱
Berenice Arce- Carolina Baert- Miriam Olchansky – Iván Sucari
Fundación Judaica
