An Acorn That Acted Like a Tree:
The Green Zionist Alliance at the World Zionist Congress
JERUSALEM, June 23, 2006 — Delegates from The Green Zionist Alliance
made a large impact at the 35th World Zionist Congress, held recently in Jerusalem.
With just two delegates out of 350 worldwide delegates, the GZA was able to generate
important and historic results for Israel’s environment.
GZA delegates Rabbi Michael Cohen and Noam Dolgin were joined
by three alternates—Becca Weaver, Jonah Schein, and Lee Wallach—at the Congress,
which meets every four years to chart the directions of Zionism and allocate funding.
All three of the GZA resolutions submitted to the Congress were
adopted, with support across the political spectrum.
The resolutions are historic in scope and content and will allow
the GZA to continue its work to improve the environment of Israel.
“We are thrilled with these results,” said Rabbi Michael Cohen,
co-founder of the GZA. “The Green Zionist Alliance has simultaneously moved forward
in our mission to honor our relationship to the environment and gained the respect
of the world Zionist body.”
- The first
resolution will make Sustainable Development a stronger objective of Jewish
National Fund/Keren Kayemet L’Yisrael (JNF/KKL) projects.
- The second
resolution will lead to the creation of environmental impact statements for
World Zionist Organization projects. At present there are no policies within
WZO institutions that are in compliance with internationally-recognized standards
of environmental responsibility.
- The third
resolution requires the use of recycled paper in all World Zionist Organization
offices. This resolution will lead to the production of office-recycled paper
in Israel for the first time in Israel’s history. Upon the third resolution’s
passage, the hall of the Congress buzzed with excitement in recognition of
what had just taken place.
Because of the GZA’s alliance with Mercaz Olami, the Zionist
arm of the Conservative movement, the GZA became part of the largest faction at
the Congress after Mercaz Olami joined with Kadima.
Continuing to hold two seats on the Board of Directors of the
JNF/KKL, the GZA’s alliance also will now position a GZA representative in a higher
position of power within the JNF/KKL. At the Congress, Mercaz Olami named GZA co-founder
Rabbi Michael Cohen as an alternate delegate to the Vaad HaPoel, the World Zionist
Council.
The GZA delegation included representatives from Jewish environmental
organizations such as the Teva Learning Center, Earth Day Network, and The Coalition
on the Environment and Jewish Life of Southern California. In addition, many in
the delegation are alumni of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies.
For more information, contact:
In Israel:
Rabbi Michael Cohen rabbimichael@arava.org 972 52 223-9740
In the United States:
Noam Dolgin noam@tevacenter.org (212) 807-6376
Hal Klopper hdk@greenzionism.org (646) 644-7891
Web: www.greenzionism.org
