Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, the Jewish people have faced our greatest existential challenge in decades. We’ve prayed for our soldiers, offered material support, and stood by Israel with heart and soul. Now we face an equally critical battle: ensuring that our values shape what comes next.

Your immediate action is needed: Vote for Slate #5, the Orthodox Israel Coalition-Mizrachi, in the World Zionist Congress elections before May 4. Five minutes and $5 will give our community a voice in decisions affecting billions of dollars in resources and the very future of Jewish identity

This is not just a vote about symbolism or slogans. This is about influence, direction and resources. Over the next five years, more than $5 billion will be distributed by Zionist institutions that affect every corner of Jewish life—in Israel and across the world. From education and aliyah, to campus life, shlichim and religious infrastructure, the outcomes of this election will shape the future of the Jewish people.

Every five years, Jews from around the world have the opportunity to vote in the WZC elections. The outcome determines the direction of major national institutions in Israel—like the Jewish Agency and Keren Kayemet—and how critical funding is allocated toward Jewish and Zionist education, aliyah, Jewish identity programs and community development both in Israel and across the Diaspora.

In short: This is a moment when we can ensure that our Torah values shape the Jewish future—or allow others to shape it without us.

In 1984, Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l issued a famous teshuva unequivocally supporting Orthodox Jews in America voting in democratic elections. Rav Moshe wrote that the reason to vote was that “hakarat hatov”—recognizing the good that a country does for us—demands that we engage in the political process. But more than that, Rav Moshe saw voting not only as a civic duty, but as a sacred opportunity. When we are blessed with a voice, we must use it. Silence, in a system built on representation, is a form of abdication.

Rav Moshe understood that we live in a society where we are invited to help shape public life. That kind of invitation is rare in Jewish history. It comes with responsibility. Just as voting in America ensures that our voices are heard in government, voting in the WZC ensures that our voices are heard in the governing institutions of the Jewish people.

Today, our voice is needed more than ever.

Since Oct. 7, the Dati Leumi and Orthodox communities have been on the front lines—spiritually, physically and emotionally. Our children serve in the IDF, often in elite units. Our families support displaced communities. Our rabbis and teachers help sustain Jewish identity in the Diaspora. But sustaining isn’t enough. We must build.

The Orthodox Israel Coalition—representing organizations like the RCA, the Orthodox Union, Yeshiva University, Touro University, Religious Zionists of America-Mizrachi, AMIT, Bnei Akiva, Torah MiTzion and others—has done just that. In the last WZC term, OIC helped channel hundreds of millions of shekels to yeshivot and seminaries, Zionist youth movements, religious schools and aliyah programs. They secured funding for shlichim (emissaries), built infrastructure in Israel’s periphery and launched support initiatives for soldiers and evacuated families. They didn’t just talk about values. They translated values into action.

Some may question whether one vote matters or whether institutional politics should be our focus during a war. But the war itself demonstrates why these institutions matter—they determine which communities receive support, which values shape recovery efforts, and how Israel engages with Diaspora Jews in times of crisis. Others might suggest voting for smaller slates that align with specific priorities, but fragmentation only weakens our collective influence at the table.

Let’s vote for Slate #5—the Orthodox Israel Coalition-Mizrachi. Let’s ensure that Torah remains at the center of the Jewish future—and that our voices are heard in the Parliament of the Jewish People.

Rabbi Menachem Penner serves as executive vice president of the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) and is a delegate-candidate on the Orthodox Israel Coalition-Mizrachi slate in the ongoing World Zionist Congress Elections. Voting is open until May 4, 2025. Cast your vote today at www.voteoic.org.