WZO Results

It cost $5 to vote.  I looked at the slates, all 22 of them.  Were I willing to pay this poll tax, I'd probably go Modern Orthodox, which had either one or two slates.  I don't know which one it was.  For the most part the 22 options each pitched their particular druthers. Some seemed very parochial or self-serving.  Reform wants to manage Zionist related funds to promote Jewish leniency.  Not unreasonable, as Herzl himself lived a secular life.  They got the most seats, though a reduction from where they were.  The US Conservatives which also pitched their egal brand, if not their bureacratic infrastructure could not find enough Americans dedicated to their banner to pay their $5.  Instead, the majority of seats, and control of funds, will go to Ultra-Orthodox parties.  Don't fund transportation on shabbos should satisfy them.  The In Your Face ZOA that always leaves me feeling manipulated fared poorly.  So did the niches, the environmentalists, the social justice advocates, the New Future that really has no future.

While the WZO Congress directs a lot of funds, the American component of this election really only represents a third of what seems to me organizational bloat.  Lots of seats at the table.  Lots of organizations seeking their self-importance with a chance to bang their shoes on the desks in opposition to the inevitable majorities.

Will Israel or American Judaism look any different because of the election results?  Not my expectation.  Religious schools in Israel are already funded.  For all the global criticism the current government receives, they still have reliable systems in place to promote agriculture, commerce, medical care, and responsible land management.  The WZO controlls a lot of discretionary money but the new majority coalition does not seem to have a lot of extravagant demands directed at themselves.

These elections take place every five years.  Very forgettable four years ago.  I anticipate similar irrelevance by next year.