(Courtesy of Mizrachi) Over the past five years, World Mizrachi reported strong gains for dati leumi Torah education programming on Israeli college campuses, sent 300 religious educators abroad to serve in local communities and day schools, secured additional funding for Bnei Akiva, Torah MiTzion, Amiel, Bat Ami (National Service) shlichim to Orthodox communities across the globe, provided remote Torah educators to Jewish virtual education programs across the Diaspora and coordinated enrichment programs focused on religious heritage and identity to thousands of Jewish day school educators.
The gains in Torah education were the result of the performance of the Mizrachi-Orthodox Israel Coalition (OIC) during the 2020 World Zionist Congress. With a new round of elections slated to start on March 10, the OIC is encouraging support for its slate of noted rabbinic and communal leaders to assure continued funding for these programs and others.
Additionally, Mizrachi-OIC secured funding to send hundreds of Torah educators abroad for scholars-in-residence programs and supported dati leumi events and communities on North American college campuses. It supported global learning programs like Tzurba M’Rabanan, Daily Dose on the Daf, HaMizrachi Parsha Weekly, weekly divrei Torah in both video and written forms and formed a global beit hora’ah from Rav Rimon for halachic questions.
For international yeshiva and seminary students in Israel, the OIC has delivered life-changing experiences in Israel, including tiyulim, shabbatonim, chesed missions to communities affected by the war and special events on Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’Atzmaut. It also helped secure additional funding for yeshivot and seminaries through Masa and global crowdfunding campaigns
The upcoming World Zionist Congress election, taking place from March 10 to May 4, will be the most pivotal yet for the dati leumi community. With the ongoing war in Israel and the rising tide of global antisemitism, the dati leumi community’s support for our soldiers, families and institutions has never been more critical.
The U.S.-based Orthodox Israel Coalition (OIC) comprises the country’s leading Orthodox institutions including the Religious Zionists of America-Mizrachi, AMIT, the Orthodox Union, Yeshiva University, the Rabbinical Council of America, the National Council of Young Israel, Touro University, Torah MiTzion, Bnei Akiva, Shvilim and others. Together, this coalition has been on the front lines at the World Zionist Congress for more than 120 years, strategically prioritizing the needs of the Orthodox community while working within the wider framework of the global Zionist movement.
“Since Mizrachi first joined the World Zionist Congress more than 120 years ago, we have focused on securing the most meaningful impact for our community, both in the immediate and strategic long term,” said World Mizrachi’s Executive Chairman Rabbi Doron Perez. “Because of our strong relationships, we have earned the respect of those to the right and left of us at the table, ensuring that our voice is always heard when it matters most.”
“Since the initial congress, the Mizrachi movement has been on the frontlines in investing in the future of the Jewish people both in Israel and abroad,” said AMIT Board Chair Chana Holzer Shields, who serves as a co-chair of the OIC’s campaign. “Because of this unique position and our ability to work with other groups, we have been able to infuse Israel’s public education curriculum with some of the values we hold most dear, ensuring that future generations of Israeli students understand their biblical ties to the land they live in, fight for or serve and ultimately raise their own children in.”
“Since the onset of the war, our community has been on the front lines in supporting the Jewish state and its soldiers in every way, contributing in numbers greater than our community’s proportional size,” said OIC campaign co-chair Mark Levenson. “Given the war and the losses within our own community, we must utilize every available resource from the national institutions controlled by the World Zionist Congress to help rebuild Eretz Yisrael, and your vote will empower us to do so.”
During the current cycle, Mizrachi has worked tirelessly to advocate for Jewish communities in Israel’s periphery, promote Jewish education globally and ensure the continuity of religious Zionism both in Israel and abroad. These gains have translated into hundreds of millions of shekels allocated to critical initiatives, creating lasting impact for communities across the Jewish world.
With continued commitment and engagement from supporters in Israel and abroad, World Mizrachi is poised to build on this success, ensuring that religious Zionism remains a driving force for the next generation. From March 10 to May 4, 2025, vote for the Orthodox Israel Coalition in the World Zionist Congress, empowering it to remain on the front lines for the Orthodox community. For more details, visit: www.voteoic.org.
