To anyone paying attention to conversation on the world stage these past years, the term "Zionism" instantly, and regretfully, brings up the term "racism." The slogan "Zionism equals racism," prevalent particularly through various events hosted by the United Nations, was hard to hear and harder to bear, for those, like myself, brought up attending Zionist youth movement groups whose philosophies and activities were intrinsically tied to progressive social values.

It has been hard too, the past few weeks of August, to hear and watch images from the disengagement process in Gaza. The challenge has included witnessing the suffering of those towards whom many might otherwise feel hard-hearted, namely the Jewish settlers who were evacuated from their homes. Images of their sadness and despair gripped Israelis watching national stations around the clock, Jews in the Diaspora watching on cable and satellite TV and listening on the radio, as well as Arabs in many countries watching reports produced on their own networks.

There was a time when Jews in the Diaspora, especially in North America, were admonished not to "meddle" in Israeli political affairs, and certainly not to express anything but whole-hearted support for actions of the Israeli government, as a sign of unadulterated support for the state. That era has long past.

The tension and hopefulness inherent in the Zionist enterprise touches us all, regardless of our political perspectives, or positions on Zionism. No Jew living in the Diaspora is exempt from considering, and ideally, forging a relationship to Israel, just as no one who has the privileges we do in America can ignore, or tolerate, any humanitarian or natural crisis occurring anywhere, whether in the Middle East, Africa, Asia or elsewhere on the globe. To borrow the image of journalist Thomas Friedman, the world, for the purposes of communication and responsibility - whether corporate, national, communal or individual - is flat.

This fall Reconstructionist Jews have been provided with a new and exciting opportunity to forge our own authentic and meaningful relationship to Israel, as a movement. The next World Zionist Congress, the only world Jewish gathering for which seats at the table are based on voting rather than nominations or designations, takes place June 19-22, 2006. For the first time, and with the support of all three "arms" of our movement - The Jewish Reconstructionist Federation (JRF), the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association (RRA), and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC) - we will be seeking delegates in our own name.

Previously, we had been a member of a coalition of the World Union for Progressive Judaism and ARZA, the Reform Movement's Zionist organization, which are now working separately. Our movement's motivation is also part of the aftermath of the excellent work of the Israel Policies Task Force (see their report at www.jrf.org, presented at last fall's JRF convention). It is thrilling to me personally to recognize among the names on our slate lay leaders, board members, rabbis, college faculty, rabbinical students, and Reconstructionist "offspring."

In August I attended the National Havurah Institute, and took a course entitled "Zionism Reconsidered," which focused on the writings of the earliest Zionist thinkers and leaders such as Theodor Herzl, Ahad Ha'am, Ze'ev (Vladimir) Jabotinsky, and David Ben Gurion. I was reminded with great force, given the events unfolding at that precise moment in history, how each strand of that early movement persists to this day, and how exciting and necessary it is to have the opportunity to actively engage in this enterprise. We have always been able to do so, according to our own principles and integrity, as individuals. Soon, we may also be able to do so in our own name as a movement.

I plan to speak with you further about this timely and challenging issue over the next weeks and months. In the meantime, please consider registering to vote for the first-ever Reconstructionist slate of candidates for the World Zionist Congress elections at www.azm.org before September 30, 2005. Background information, and details about how to register to vote, are available via our web site, or in the Beit Tikvah office.

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Le'shana tova tikatevu - you would expect this month's message to have begun, or at least concluded, with a greeting related to the Jewish New Year! I am "saving" a High Holiday greeting until October, when the new year begins on Monday night, October 3. In the meantime, I wish you all a meaningful month of Elul, which begins September 5th. The rabbis teach that the four letters of the month - aleph, lamed, vav, lamed - are actually an acronym for the Hebrew phrase ani ledodi vedodi li from the Song of Songs, meaning: I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine. May the days and weeks preceding the year 5766 offer you many opportunities for loving reflection and renewal!