Between March 10 and May 4, 2025, diaspora Jews will vote for their delegates to the 39th World Zionist Congress, the “parliament of the Jewish people,” which will convene in Jerusalem in October 2025. Voting in the election is the most powerful opportunity to have your voice heard in Israel, make an impact in Jewish communities worldwide, and stand up for Zionism. The representatives who are elected — with one-third of them coming from the United States — will make key decisions on allocating over $1 billion annually to support.
From the COVID-19 pandemic to October 7, 2023 to Israel’s ongoing multifront war, the five years since the last World Zionist Congress election in 2020 have seen no shortage of seismic crises. This strongly positions the 2025 election to serve as an uplifting and unifying force for diverse voices and constituencies across the Jewish community, all in support of the vibrancy of Zionism. That is why there are no “winners” and “losers” in this election — participation is a victory in and of itself.
Ballots are cast for one of 20+ slates of candidates submitted by Zionist groups. Voting is done primarily online and via mobile devices, but paper ballots are available upon request. The fee to register and vote is $5, which goes to cover the operating costs of the election.
The election is administered by The American Zionist Movement (AZM), which is comprised of 46 national Jewish Zionist organizations and works across a broad ideological, political, and religious spectrum linking the American Jewish community together in support of Israel, Zionism, and the Jewish people.
Copied below is a list of confirmed AEPi brothers who are running on a number of different slates. Having so many brothers engaged in the debate about the future of the Zionist movement is further proof of the leadership of AEPi brothers!
On this page, we are listing all of the slates with links to their platforms as well as brief bios of the brothers we have identified who are running on the slate.
Take some time to learn more about the slates, our brothers and their colleagues who are running and make up your own mind. AEPi International does not endorse any candidates or slates in this effort. We want to highlight our brothers who are involved and continue to encourage engagement in this important effort.
For more information about the election — and to learn how to cast your ballot — click here.
shas slate
Rabbi Joshua Bennett (Illinois, 1989)
Rabbi Bennett has served as one of the spiritual leaders of Temple Israel, Michigan since his ordination from the Hebrew Union College (Cincinnati, Ohio) in 1994. He holds a Masters Degree of Hebrew Letters in addition to Rabbinic Ordination, and earned a Bachelors of Science Degree in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Champaign. In 2019, he received an honorary doctorate from Hebrew Union College.
Rabbi Lewis Kamrass (Georgia, 1980)
Rabbi Lewis Kamrass is the Senior Rabbi of the Isaac M. Wise Temple of Cincinnati Ohio, the area’s largest synagogue, and the Past President of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the professional organization of Reform rabbis throughout the world). He is a past AEP Int’l Fraternity Rabbi, and the father of two AEPi alumni.
Philip Meltzer (NYU, 1957)
Max Delahanty (George Washington, 2011)
Max Delahanty is a strategy consultant and a member of the Union for Reform Judaism's (URJ) North American Board. He lives in Denver, Colorado, with his wife, Arielle, and their daughter, Ahava, and is passionate about strengthening Jewish identity, supporting Israel, and empowering the next generation of Jewish leaders.
Rabbi Samuel Stern (Towson, 2010)
Rabbi Samuel Stern serves as the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Sholom in Topeka, KS. Ordained in 2021 from HUC-JIR, Rabbi Stern is a passionate advocate for Israel and Jewish Peoplehood, which has led to being selected to run for the World
Zionist Congress by ARZA. His leadership and advocacy have been recognized by AIPAC and the Shalom Hartman Institute, earning him exclusive fellowships. Rabbi Stern’s scholarly contributions can be found in the CCAR Journal and as part of
the 929 Project on 929 English.
Kol israel slate
Avi Gordon (Binghamton University, 2010)
Avi Gordon is the Executive Director of Alums for Campus Fairness,
the national alumni network that counters antisemitism and
anti-Israel rhetoric on campus. Avi has over a decade of
experience in the Pro Israel campus community, having previously held
Director positions at StandWithUs and AEPi. Most recently, Avi served as AJC
NY's Associate Director. Avi graduated from Binghamton
University in 2010, majoring in Judaic Studies and minoring
in International Studies. He received his Master's in Israel Education
from George Washington University through the iCenter. Originally from
Harrisburg, PA, Avi currently resides in South Florida with his
family.
Leel Sinai (Buffalo, 2008)
Leel is an Israeli-American attorney whose practice focuses on financial services regulation and financial technology. He is President of the American Jewish Committee’s global board of young professional leaders (AJC ACCESS), and sits on AJC’s Executive Council and Board of Governors. Leel is an active Israel advocate, defending Israel’s rightful place among nations through diplomatic meetings with government leaders and foreign dignitaries. In addition to his Israel advocacy, Leel engages in Jewish diplomacy for the rights and interests of the Jewish people globally.
Michael Schlank (Albany, 1994)
Michael is the CEO of NJY Camps the largest residential Jewish summer camp organization in North America. He successfully led the organization through two COVID summers and a host of other challenges. Michael has served as both a member and chair on a number of committees at Midway Jewish Center, Syosset NY. After having served one term as a member of the Board of Trustees, Michael was elected to the Executive Committee and served as the President MJC. Michael is an active Member of AIPAC and also served on the Board of Hofstra Hillel.
Max Samarov (Honorary)
Max Samarov is Executive Director of Research and Strategy at StandWithUs. Since 2012, he has worked with communities around the world to tell Israel's story, fight misinformation, and stand up to campaigns of hate like BDS on campus and "liberated" ethnic studies in K-12 schools.
ORTHODOX ISRAEL COALITION (oic)
Mark Levenson (Honorary)
Mark Levenson is Co-Chair of the Orthodox Israel Coalition-Mizrachi Campaign (Slate #5) in the World Zionist Congress elections and serves on the Executive Committee of the Religious Zionists of America. Mark is a member of the Executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel and sits on its Budget and Finance and Government Relations committees. Professionally, Mark is Chair of the Real Estate Department at the Sills Cummis
& Gross law firm.
ANU: A NEW UNION
ISRAEL 365 ACTION
Josh Hammer (Duke, 2011)
Josh Hammer is the Senior Editor-at-Large of Newsweek, where he hosts "The Josh Hammer Show" podcast and syndicated radio show and writes a weekly newsletter, "The Josh Hammer Report." He is a graduate of Duke University and the University of Chicago Law School. In addition to Newsweek, Josh has been published by dozens of other leading outlets, both lay and academic.
ACHDUT ISRAEL
AM YISRAEL CHAI
AISH HA'AM
Charles Volk (San Francisco State, 2017)
Chaz Volk proudly stands in the WZO election, representing Aish Ha'am in the effort to give back to an organization who has given him so much and has the potential to change the world! Volk acquired leadership skills from his work on the executive board of the Beta Alpha chapter for 3 years. His skills from being the Rush Chair has provided him an effective skillset in this election and can improve the Jewish world.
Zach Sage Fox (Pennsylvania, 2017)
Zach Sage Fox is a Philadelphia native turned YouTube sensation by high school, which then quickly landed him a development deal with the Disney Channel at just 17 years old. SinceOctober 7th, he has spearheaded and been the star of “Facts for Peace,” a social media initiative backed by Jewish titans of business, where his studio’s viral videos combatting Hamas propaganda and antisemitism have racked up well over a billion views and impressions, and have even been featured by the Israeli government, United Nations, and most recently the US Congress during it’s hearing on college antisemitism with his global journalistic sensations, “Gaza Graduation” and the “Wild West Bank.”
Scott Mathias (Wisconsin, 2000)
Scott Mathias is a Managing Director and Co-Chief Compliance Officer of Blackstone Real Estate and serves as the Chief Compliance Officer and Secretary for Blackstone Mortgage
Trust (BXMT). Mr. Mathias received a BBA in Marketing and Psychology from the
University of Wisconsin-Madison and a JD from New York University School of
Law, where he graduated cum laude. He currently lives in Woodmere, New York
with his wife Blayne and four children.
Ben Feferman (Carleton/Ottawa, 2006)
Originally from Toronto, Ben has been working in the esports industry for the past six years. He currently lives in Boca Raton, FL with his wife and four children.
ERETZ HAKODESH
AID COALITION
ZOA COALITION
Dr. Gene Berkovich (NYU, 1993)
Dr. Gene Berkovich was born and grew up in Kiev, Ukraine in a family of refuseniks and came to the
US as a teenager. He was raised with a strong sense of Jewish identity and
pride, which helped him withstand many antisemitic encounters that he had faced
in his youth. Dr. Berkovich is currently a radiologist and a faculty member in
a department of radiology in one of the largest academic institutions and
medical schools in the New York area. He lives in Woodmere, Long Island,
with his wife, Polina, and their four children.
Morton Klein (Honorary)
Morton A. Klein is the National President of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), the head of the ZOA Coalition slate of 35 leading Jewish organizations, and one of the nation's leading Jewish activists. He was the only Jewish leader honored for “outstanding efforts helping and defending Israel the Jewish people” at the World Zionist Congress 125th anniversary in Basel, Switzerland (2022).
Kevin Rachlin (Ohio State, 2007)
Kevin Rachlin serves as the inaugural Washington Director at Nexus Project with over a decade of experience in U.S.-focused advocacy and non-profit leadership. Kevin previously served as the Vice President of Public Affairs at J Street and as the U.S. Director for the Alliance for Middle East Peace, a coalition of 150+ Israeli and Palestinian peacebuilding organizations. He is currently a Senior Fellow for Israel and Palestine Policy at the Alliance of Peacebuilding. Kevin and his wife live in VA with their two daughters.
MERCAZ USA
Jared Laff (Delaware, 2027)
From Bucks County PA, Jared Laff is a sophomore at the University of Delaware and serves as the scribe of his Rho Deuteron chapter. He is deeply involved in Jewish life on campus, holding leadership roles that promote community education and Israel engagement. Jared is passionate about pluralism and supports for religious equality and democratic values in Israel. He proudly aligns with America's mission to strengthen the global Jewish community through inclusive and progressive Zionist ideals.
DORSHEI TORAH V'TZION
Gabriel Slamovits (NYU, 2010)
Gabriel Slamovits is an attorney at the law firm of McCarter & English. He is also Co-Founder of The Downtown Minyan, a vibrant and innovative Jewish community for young professionals in lower Manhattan.
AMERICANS 4 ISRAEL
THE JEWISH FUTURE
Rob Derdiger (Colorado, 2007)
Rob has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Alpha Epsilon Pi -- the world's leading Jewish college fraternity -- since 2022. Previously, he worked as the fraternity’s CFO and managed the organization’s not-for-profit fraternal housing arm. Rob and his wife, Madeline, reside in the Chicago suburbs with their two children.
Alex Dashefsky (Manitoba, 2016)
Born in Canada, but living in New York, Alex is the Co-Founder of Continuum, a client intelligence platform for financial advisors. He is running with Jewish Future, a centrist Zionist slate that rejects extremism and represents the next generation of Jews who are proud of their identity and unafraid to stand with Israel.
AMERICAN FORUM FOR ISRAEL
ISRAELI AMERICAN COUNCIL (IAC)
Elan S. Carr (California, 1990)
Elan S. Carr is the Chief Executive Officer of the Israeli-American Council (IAC), where he leads nationwide efforts to empower Israeli-Americans across 20 regions. He served as the United States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, directing U.S. policy and initiatives to combat hate globally. Prior to this, he prosecuted violent crimes as a Deputy District Attorney in Los Angeles County and served in the United States Army Reserve, earning multiple awards for his service, including deployment in Iraq where he led anti-terrorism efforts and helped establish an independent judiciary. Additionally, Elan served as the 71st international president of Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi), underscoring his leadership in the fight against antisemitism on U.S. college campuses.
Daniel Frey (San Diego State, 2027)
Daniel is a proud brother of Alpha Epsilon Pi who is running to represent us at the WZC. As both Jewish Identity chair and Scribe of my chapter, as well as the representative for the college of engineering in SDSU’s student government, I have helped represent Jewish students on campus and combat antisemitism and I hope to continue to do so at the WZC!
Ofek Suchard (San Diego State, 2022)
Jeremy Szkolnik (Arizona State, 2026)
Benji Sarnovskiy (Arizona State, 2025)
Kevin Khadavi (Stanford, 2026)