“A Moral Moment,” Rabbi Elaine Zecher’s Shabbat Awakenings
May 15, 2026 | 28 Iyyar 5786
Welcome to Shabbat Awakenings, a weekly reflection as we move toward Shabbat. You can also listen to it as a podcast.
The book of Numbers which we begin reading this week starts with counting those eligible to serve in the ancient Israelite army. The way they are counted is important. S’u et rosh שְׂא֗וּ אֶת־רֹאשׁ֙. These words are often translated as “take a census” which makes sense if you want to know who is able to serve. But its true-and literal-meaning has a higher purpose. “Lift up the heads” of all the (male) members of the community. (Numbers 1:2)
To regard those who will serve demands a higher purpose on the part of the soldiers and their leaders.
Last week in Israel, the army received a challenge from their Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who brought together the senior officers and asked them whether they had the army they really wanted. As Donniel Hartman recently noted, it was a moment of moral reckoning.
In a recent podcast, the President of the Hartman Institute and Yossi Klein Halevi expressed the concern many have felt. It has to do with what has become known as the Hilltop Youth disguised as a program for “at risk” youth in the West Bank but actually ultra traditional zealots wreaking havoc and violence upon Palestinians in order to dispossess them from where they live.. They noted the violent “phenomenon getting worse and worse with pogroms, attacks, murder, almost nobody getting arrested, and a basic silence by and large from most of Israel’s political leadership.” Chief of Staff Zamir recognized the army’s culpability, too.
But this is where many of you come into this narrative. Last year, our congregation worked hard and diligently to garner as many votes as possible for the World Zionist Congress which not only represents Jews from around the world but it also controls billions of dollars. Some of this money had gone to support Hilltop Youth. But not anymore!
As a result of the success of the Reform movement and other groups concerned with the ultra nationalist grip on Israel’s government and behavior, their strong voice and presence in the leadership of the funding organizations ceased subsidizing these kinds of nefarious immoral actions and ersatz groups like Hilltop Youth.
Let us not underestimate the power of our efforts to bring in as many votes as possible. They truly matter. I know how frustrating it is to watch the government turn its back on such violence. It is one of many egregious behaviors this particular government has involved itself in. We can rail against but getting votes reaped what is much better.
“It was the result of sustained, strategic pressure from within the Zionist system (meaning the Israeli National Institutions: The World Zionist Organization, KKL-JNF, and the Jewish Agency for Israel), led in no small part by Reform Zionists who chose engagement over disengagement…It is not just about a budget line. It is about whether one of Zionism’s foundational institutions aligns its actions with the ethical vision that animated its creation.”
Rabbi Weinberg pointed out that:
“During the 2025 World Zionist Congress elections, ARZA/ARZENU, the global Reform Zionist Movement, made a clear and public commitment: to challenge the use of communal funds being directed toward so-called “hilltop youth” programs and the network of farm outposts increasingly associated with violence and the dispossession of Palestinians. These were not abstract concerns. Reports and investigations pointed to millions of dollars being funneled, under the guise of education, toward activities that blurred the line between support for Israel and support for extremism.
And then something important happened: people voted.”
The importance of communal participation made the difference. Rabbi Weinberg also added:
“This is not a story about one organization acting alone. Many factors contributed: Israeli journalists exposed the issue, civil society organizations that raised alarms, and a broader climate of scrutiny around settler violence became better known and understood. But it is also true that Reform Zionist leaders and voters helped create the conditions for change by organizing, by participating, and by insisting that our communal institutions reflect our highest values.”
Our Torah portion reminds us that elevating our heads to be counted can have a profound impact. When we feel helpless and powerless with regard to Israel’s government, let us remember that Israel is made up of more than the political players. The people of Israel and the Jewish people of the world still have a vote to use to ensure moral clarity and ethical behavior. It is a small sign of hope. May we see and experience more of it, speedily and soon.
Shabbat Shalom! שבת שלום
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Rabbi Elaine Zecher