In 2008 I went on a tour of Israel with AEPi’s Supreme Board of Governors. As we stood on a mountaintop our tour guide asked us all where our families came from. I said, “All over…towns that today are in Belarus, Holland, Poland, Germany, and England.” Others had similar answers. Our guide said, “You are all wrong! Your families came from here!” He was right… my family’s oral history tells of a migration from the Holy Land to modern Spain then to Holland and finally America. Another side of the family are Kohanim. This even pinpoints the city where my ancestors lived 2,000 years ago as Jerusalem.

Jews of the diaspora are of the diaspora because our homeland has always been and will always be Israel. We cannot forget to speak our true narrative. The fact is that the yearning for Israel, our homeland, is in our DNA. We are all Zionists.

Over the last 18 months it has been both tougher and more important than ever to be a proud Zionist. While many on campuses and in our communities try to make that word one that is intrinsically dirty, AEPi men have stood tall and have refused to abandon their Jewish pride and their Zionism. With that said, Zionism, like patriotism, is a large tent that can encompass many perspectives and viewpoints.

Like Zionism, AEPi is an organization that welcomes members with divergent political views. We are Democrats and Republicans and Independents. Liberal Party, Conservative Party or New Democratic. There are those who support Likud, Yesh Atid, National Unity, and many others. No matter what your politics are, when it comes to Israel, now it is time to stand up as a Zionist and use your voice to advocate for our future.

In case you have not heard the news, Jews around the world are engaged in an election that helps to determine the course of our future, and you have a vote. The World Zionist Congress functions as the “parliament of the Jewish people” and oversees over $1B in annual spending supporting what it deems to be the most pressing needs of the Jewish people. The Congress has directed money to initiatives like strengthening Jewish communities, expanding Jewish educational opportunities, fighting antisemitism, and fostering Jewish identity, while also weighing in on more traditionally political topics like whether Israel should be more or less pluralistic, in favor or opposed to West Bank settlements, and other similarly charged issues.

Elections for the World Zionist Congress happen once every five years, locking in the organization’s leadership and strategic direction until the next election.

I am very proud to be on The Jewish Future Slate, one that represents centrist Zionism and is committed to reclaiming Zionism as a unifying movement for all of us. I believe that this slate represents my views on the need for unity of the Jewish people and where our priorities should lie; primarily investing in the next generation of Jewish leaders. Of course, I hope you vote for me and my slate but no matter which slate you vote for, I want you to vote!!!

(NOTE: AEPi does not endorse any slate or candidate. We encourage our brothers to get involved as candidates and voters as a demonstration of our commitment to leadership for Jewish communities.)

Check out this post that highlights brothers who are running for this position and their slates. I could not be prouder to serve as the CEO of an organization that is so well represented as leaders across all political ideologies and religious denominations of the Jewish people. I also urge those of you reading this to make sure that you cast a ballot! This is your opportunity to have a say in the future of Israel and our global Zionist community.

This is further proof that AEPi is doing exactly what we set out to do: “develop leadership for the Jewish community.

(Here are some pictures from that very memorable and significant 2008 Israel trip)