When Theodor Herzl convened the First Zionist Congress in 1897, he built a streamlined apparatus with a singular mission: to garner international support for a Jewish homeland. Over a century later, the institutions he established still operate—but the challenges of the 19th century are not those of the 21st. It’s time to pause and ask: Do Zionist institutions serve the Jewish people today, or primarily themselves?
The World Zionist Organization no longer needs to petition emperors. Today, the battle for public opinion unfolds on platforms like TikTok. The Jewish National Fund doesn’t need to purchase land anymore—Israel requires affordable housing solutions, rehabilitation of its southern and northern regions, and infrastructure resilient to climate change.
The Jewish Agency is no longer focused on rescuing European refugees; contemporary dilemmas revolve around education, identity, and strengthening ties between Israeli and global Jewish communities. As for Keren Hayesod, in an era of digital crowdfunding, its outdated fundraising model seems obsolete.
But the issue isn’t solely functional—it’s structural. A third of the seats in the World Zionist Congress are automatically allocated to Israeli political parties. This means that diaspora organizations, even if they secure the majority of global Jewish votes, cannot achieve equal representation. Seeking genuine Zionist democracy? It’s time for global digital primaries, allowing every individual—even in countries without a Zionist federation—to vote and have a say.
There’s another concern at the heart of our communities—our synagogues. Once spaces for vibrant, pluralistic discourse, many have become political stages. Rabbis urge congregants to vote for slates aligned with their religious movements, sometimes utilizing dual institutional funding. This creates a distortion: a religious body receives funding from Zionist institutions and political representation, effectively turning the synagogue into a political branch.
The necessary reform is clear: a religious movement must choose—either to compete in Congress elections or receive funding. Not both. This isn’t just about fairness; it’s the only way to restore synagogues as spaces for free Jewish thought, not extensions of political parties.
It’s time for a new Zionist revolution
Redefine the objectives of existing institutions, aligning them with today’s needs, not those of 1901. Implement universal digital primaries for all congressional seats. Separate religion from political institutions, allowing synagogues and Jewish life to thrive without political mandates.
Herzl wasn’t afraid to rewrite the rulebook to build a future. We need that same courage. By reforming our institutions, revitalizing discourse, and reinstating democracy within Zionism, we can rekindle the spirit that achieved one of the 20th century’s greatest miracles.
The writer is Executive Director & Founder of the AID Coalition.