Just look at the news – antisemitism at record levels, Israel facing mounting hostility, and Jewish identity being tested across generations. The life of the American Zionist is challenged like never before.
How fortuitous that in a few short days, we will be joining Jews from around the world in Jerusalem for the 39th World Zionist Congress.
The Congress is the one global forum where Jews from every corner of the globe come together in Israel, not only to reflect but also to collaborate to address the issues facing the Jewish people.
The upcoming Congress arrives at a pivotal moment for the Jewish people.
We believe that when it convenes in Jerusalem from October 28 to 30, this year’s congress must be more than a commemoration of our shared history; it must be a catalyst for shared action.
The World Zionist Organization (WZO) and the other national institutions of Israel were founded to represent and serve the entire Jewish people, providing critical support for the establishment of a Jewish state.
Today, these national institutions – the WZO, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF), and The Jewish Agency for Israel – should continue to give a voice to Jews throughout the world as they endeavor to assure the security, vitality, and strength of the Jewish national homeland.
As the leaders of the American Zionist Movement (AZM), we must emphasize that nearly half of world Jewry – about 45% – now lives in the United States and that our role is to represent those of the approximately 7.5 million American Jews who identify as Zionists at this Congress.
Unfortunately, American and Diaspora Zionist leadership continues to be seriously underrepresented in the leadership of the national institutions.
If the Congress is to remain the true parliament of the Jewish people, it must reflect the global reality that nearly half of world Jewry currently resides outside of Israel. The time has come to return to an era of greater Diaspora participation and leadership within the WZO, the Congress, and the national institutions as a whole.
The challenges before us
The challenges before us – rising antisemitism, threats to Jewish identity, and efforts to delegitimize Israel – are global in nature. Our response must therefore be global in structure and be led collaboratively by global leadership.
Diaspora leaders bring experience, perspective, and a deep commitment to Jewish continuity and Israel’s security. Our voices are not supplemental; they are essential.
A stronger partnership between Israeli and Diaspora leadership will make our institutions more representative, more resilient, and more effective.
A truly representative Congress would acknowledge that the Zionist movement has always drawn strength from its diversity.
Theodor Herzl’s first Congress in 1897 was not built on unanimity but on a shared belief that vigorous debate and a common destiny should coexist. That belief remains at the heart of Zionism – and it must once again guide our work today.
AT A TIME when polarization threatens to divide us, both within Israel and across the Diaspora, we cannot allow political or partisan differences to fracture our people.
Unity does not mean agreement on every issue; it means standing together with mutual respect and shared purpose. The Congress should model that kind of unity – strong enough to embrace difference but resolute enough to act collectively when it matters most.
Earlier this year, nearly 225,000 American Jews participated in the US World Zionist Congress election – a record turnout and a powerful expression of engagement. That enthusiasm reflects a desire not just to be heard, but to help lead.
It is a reminder that American Jewry and the global Diaspora remain deeply invested in the future of the Jewish people and the Zionist project.
This month, the decisions made in Jerusalem will shape priorities and programs that reach every corner of Jewish life – from Buenos Aires to Boston, and from Tel Aviv to Toronto.
Those decisions must reflect the shared vision of a global Jewish people working in partnership. As we prepare to gather in Jerusalem, let us do so not as factions or parties, but as one people bound by shared destiny.
The Congress must empower leaders from across continents to stand together, to lead together, and to ensure that our unity is not just declared but demonstrated through meaningful action.
We call upon the leadership of the WZO and the delegates to this Congress to recognize the critically important role that Zionist leaders from the US and around the world should play in the governance and structures of the WZO.
The executive committee and governance structures of the organization must include meaningful representation of the Zionist federations of the Diaspora and schedule meetings accordingly.
If the past century of Zionism has taught us anything, it is that our diversity is our strength, and our unity, anchored in shared leadership, is our future.
Deborah Isaac is president of the American Zionist Movement (AZM), and Michael H. Laufer is AZM’s national board chair. Learn more about this year’s World Zionist Congress at azm.org/39wzc2025