(Courtesy of World Mizrachi) Five top Anglo-Israeli Religious Zionist educators have just finished their first tour through U.S. Jewish communities as part of World Mizrachi’s “Dream Team.” The initiative, in its pilot year, is positioned to elevate Zionism across the diaspora following the steady increase of anti-Zionist sentiments around the globe.

The program visited with and brought programming to seven Modern Orthodox schools and communities in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Illinois. The next Dream Team mission is already being planned for early next year, with hopes of reaching even more communities across the States.

Programming kicked off on the East Coast, with specialized curriculum at each stop designed to help attendees explore Israel’s historical and religious role as the homeland of the Jewish people.

The sessions reached participants of all ages through dynamic speeches and song, in addition to game-like activities to enable younger members of the community to connect with their Jewish heritage and the State of Israel. The events started with special presentations about Israel’s Six-Day War, highlighting how Jerusalem’s reunification enabled Jews to once again visit and pray at the Western Wall. Members of the Dream Team engaged the children both individually and with group presentations featuring a broad range of Israel-themed content. Programming varied from lighthearted Israel-based trivia to more thought-provoking discussions that challenged the children to fully understand the impact the Jewish State has on them even while living abroad.

Schools visited included Hebrew Academy of Nassau County and Shulamith School for Girls, both on Long Island; Manhattan Day School in New York City; The Moriah School in Englewood, New Jersey; and Kohelet Yeshiva Lab and Middle Schools and Kohelet Yeshiva High School both in Philadelphia.

The initiative was funded by the World Zionist Organization’s religious affairs department, the control for which was a tremendous achievement resulting from the Orthodox Israel Coalition’s (OIC) historic victory in the 2020 World Zionist Congress elections. The group of 10 major Modern Orthodox organizations transformed the landscape of the “Parliament of the Jewish People,” after their second-place win enabled the group’s advancement of religious Zionism through Israel’s national institutions.

With the Dream Team initiative receiving full funding as a result of the OIC’s victory, the impacts from this achievement continue to have echoing effects on diaspora communities.

“The Dream Team initiative highlights Mizrachi’s pivotal role in providing the Modern Orthodox Religious Zionist community with a strong voice and representation in the World Zionist Organization’s Religious Affairs Division,” said World Mizrachi CEO Rabbi Doron Perez. “We are grateful to have been able to coordinate this incredible program and look forward to continuing to help build the diaspora’s religious Zionist community.”

“We’re extremely thankful that the OIC wins in the last election have brought engaging programs to our communities here in the United States,” said Religious Zionists of America Executive Vice President Rabbi Ari Rockoff. “For many in our community, the State of Israel is thought of as the primary setting for cultivating spiritual and religious experiences. Because of the OIC’s win, the World Zionist Organization’s programs are now reflective of this ideology. We’re extremely thankful to the WZO and the Mizrachi-appointed leaders for hearing our concerns and ensuring that the organization also provides programs for our community here.”

Mizrachi is the global Religious Zionist movement, spreading Torat Eretz Yisrael across the world and strengthening the bond between the international Jewish community and the State of Israel. Mizrachi has represented the Torah voice and the Orthodox movement in the World Zionist Organization for almost 120 years. Based in Jerusalem and with branches across the globe, Mizrachi—an acronym for merkaz ruchani (spiritual center)—was founded in 1902. For more information visit www.mizrachi.org.