Eretz Hakodesh

In 2020 a new organization joined to the World Zionist Organization (WZO) claiming to represent Chareidi Jews. What is the WZO? What is Eretz Hakodesh? Who created it? And what was the response from Gedolei Yisroel?

The WZO

The World Zionist Organization was founded in 1897 by Theodor Herzl and Max Nordau, and in 1929 it established its operative branch called The Jewish Agency (הסוכנות). This became one of the backbones of the Zionist movement and spread the ideology both in Europe as well as in Eretz Yisroel, educating new immigrants in their image of modern Jewish life ר”ל. WZO presidents include notorious Zionists like Chaim Weizmann, David Ben-Gurion, and more recently, Natan Sharansky. It established Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Until today it continues supporting their vision on “Jewish Identity” through educational initiatives around the world.

The WZO holds elections every five years for the World Zionist Congress. The results determine how nearly $1 billion in funds of the WZO’s various suborganizations (WZO, JNF, JAFI, and Keren Hayesod) will be used annually.

The Jerusalem Program

In 1953 the WZO developed an official ideological platform called the Jerusalem Program as their definition of Zionism. It was revised in 1968 and again in 2004 watering down the explicit wording of the State of Israel being “The ingathering of the exiles.” The current Jerusalem Program is as follows:

Zionism, the national liberation movement of the Jewish people, brought about the establishment of the State of Israel, and views a Jewish, Zionist, democratic and secure State of Israel to be the expression of the common responsibility of the Jewish people for its continuity and future.

The unity of the Jewish people, its bond to its historic homeland Eretz Yisrael, and the centrality of the State of Israel and Jerusalem, its capital, in the life of the nation;

Aliyah to Israel from all countries and the effective integration of all immigrants into Israeli society.

Strengthening Israel as a Jewish, Zionist and democratic state and shaping it as an exemplary society with a unique moral and spiritual character, marked by mutual respect for the multi-faceted Jewish people, rooted in the vision of the prophets, striving for peace and contributing to the betterment of the world.

Ensuring the future and the distinctiveness of the Jewish people by furthering Jewish, Hebrew and Zionist education, fostering spiritual and cultural values and teaching Hebrew as the national language;

Nurturing mutual Jewish responsibility, defending the rights of Jews as individuals and as a nation, representing the national Zionist interests of the Jewish people, and struggling against all manifestations of anti-Semitism;

Settling the country as an expression of practical Zionism.

Encouraging recruitment and service in the Israel Defense Forces and the security forces and strengthening them as the protective force of the Jewish people living in Zion, as well as encouraging full National Service for anyone exempted in law from service in the IDF.

In order to vote in elections for The World Zionist Congress you must first affirm that you are indeed a Zionist (and member of The American Zionist Movement) by signing that you agree with The Jerusalem Program. That means you must agree that the state of Israel is central to the life of the Jewish Nation, that Hebrew is its national language, that Israel, as a Jewish, Zionist, and democratic state is rooted in the vision of the prophets, the IDF is the force that protects the Jews living in Eretz Yisroel, that you support full national service for all people not serving in the IDF, and that Zionism is Klal Yisroel’s national liberation movement.

R’ Elchonon Wasserman was once asked about a proposition to join the Jewish National Council (ועד הלאומי, whose first chairman was the well know religious Zionist Avrohom Yitzchok Kook) his answer was “. . .that to join with people like this is ossur even for a mitzvah. . .” and quoted The Chofetz Chaim as saying, “Better for the majority of yeshivas to close ח”ו than to join [The Jewish Agency].” (See above that the Jewish Agency (סוכנות) is part of the WZO)

R’ Aharon Feldman (Rosh Yeshiva of Ner Yisroel in Baltimore) wrote an article (see pg. 4) that appeared in the fall 2022 edition of Dialogues decrying the involvement of Orthodox Jews in Eretz Hakodesh. In it he cites a story during World War II of R’ Moshe Blau, head of the Agudah in Eretz Yisroel at the time, who asked the Chazon Ish if it was permitted to work with the WZO in order to saves Jews in Europe that would otherwise be impossible to save. The Chazon Ish told him, “After 120 years, when you come before the Heavenly court and are asked why didn’t you save more Jewish lives during the war, if you will answer that there was no way to do so without joining the WZO, I will back you.” (The story is recorded by R’ Elyokim Schlesinger, R’ Moshe Blau’s son-in-law, in his sefer הדור והתקופה p. 51)

Pesach Lerner

In 2018 The Jewish People’s Policy Institute (JPPI), a WZO/Jewish Agency think tank, wrote their annual assessment in which they describe the current state of the Zionist movement. One major issue discussed is the growing disconnect of liberal Jews from Israel and the rapid population growth of Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox Jews both in Israel and America. Their recommendation was for major Jewish organizations to promote the involvement of the Orthodox in the “public sphere” and larger political issues. Full text here see pages 74-78.

A year later their prayers were answered by Rabbi Pesach Lerner who launched the Eretz Hakodesh party to run in the World Zionist Congress elections. Desite Eretz Hakodesh’s ad campaign acknowledging that frum Jews would never want to vote in the World Zionist Congress (except now we “need” to. . .) Pesach Lerner was no stranger to the WZO. This was his third time running in the WZO elections and for years Lerner was head of The National Council of Young Israel, a Modern Orthodox organization that proudly supported the Mizrachi party in previous World Zionist Congress elections in a coalition with other religious Zionist groups like YU and Bnei Akiva. In fact according to their website, “Young Israel has always been fiercely Zionistic.”

Pesach Lerner speaking about the purpose of Eretz Hakodesh

Eretz Hakodesh delegate Marc Jacob described how he got involved in an article for the STL Jewish Light:

Lerner . . . told me he wanted Haredim, traditional Orthodox Jews, to express the love they have for Israel and the Jewish people by voting in these elections. . . The rabbi had no idea whether he would get rabbinic support or that of the voting public, because Haredim have not really been a part of the WZC. Of the three Haredi political parties in Israel, only one identifies as Zionist and gets seats at the Congress. Although they are religious Jews who love their fellow Jews and the Land of Israel, many Haredim have theological issues (for reasons beyond the scope of this article) with the concept of a secular Jewish State in the Holy Land. That was our challenge. Rabbi Lerner wanted to change this relationship, and I was all in. Imagine if we could unite the Jewish people over our love of Israel at a time when so many young Jews have become disillusioned with Israel. And what do we want to accomplish? Rather than focusing on the chasm between certain segments of the American Jewish community and Israel, Eretz Hakodesh seeks to identify and grow those areas that represent positive aspects of Jewish unity. We are hoping for five years of effort to increase Jewish education and facilitate Aliyah. Tens of thousands of Jews traveling to Israel, learning Hebrew and studying their heritage each year can lead to a life of support and investment in Israel.

His campaign reached the ears of many frum Jews during the 2019 Agudah Convention when R’ Elya Brudny was asked about joining Zionist organizations such as the World Zionist Congress. He strongly encouraged people to participate in Lerner’s party saying that Agudas Yisroel itself can’t participate because it was created to “fight the secular Zionist movement” so there can’t be an official connection between the Agudah and the WZO but for an individual to participate would be “a good zach” and through this they could “prevent gezeiros in Eretz Yisroel.” And finished off that, “that does not mean we are talking about hischabrus (the prohabition of joining with reshoim), it’s not more hischabrus that our gedoilim sanctioning our people being part of the Israeli governmental systems. . .”

Other than not addressing what R’ Elchonon paskened, quoting The Chofetz Chaim, that participating in the WZO is ossur, the idea that this is no less hischabrus im hareshoyim than joining the Israeli government is directly discussed by R’ Reuven Grozovsky (who was chairman of The Agudah’s moetzes in 1948) in his sefer בעיות הזמן (pg. 29-32) where he explains the היתר to join the government:

כי כיון שאין הוראת היתר ההשתתפות בממשלה אלא כעין עבירה לשמה להצלת ישראל צריך הדבר להעשות מתוך אונס גמור וכאילו כפאו שד, ושלא ליתהני מעבירה כיעל ואסתר דטובתן של רשעים רעה היא אצל צדיקים. ושלא לכבדם יותר מהמוכרח ומהמקום המוכרח והאיש המוכרח . . . הנה אפילו אם על פי הוראת בית־דין הותרה ההשתתפות בממשלה למעשה אין לנו אנחנו פה לקדם בברכה את ההשתתפות הזו, כי מזה יבוא העם לידי מסקנה שההשתתפות עצמה היא דבר טוב וברכה בה ויש בה משום אחדות ישראל והצלחת המדינה, ושקר נחלו אבותינו ורבותינו עליהם־השלום, שהזהירו אותנו מזה בכל תוקף . . . ומה שרוצים לדמות [היתר] זה למה שאסרו רבותינו זצ״ל להתחבר עמם ולשלוח שלוחינו לקונגרסים הציוניים, הא לא דמי אלא כי עוכלא לדנא, וכמו שביארתי דהתם כל השותפות ברצון היתה

It should be noted that it was undebatable that joining the WZO was ossur and the only reason joining the Knesset would be mutar is if it could be distinguished from the WZO.

(See also the letter from R’ Moshe Sternbuch below that calls the comparison “דברי הבל ממש ולא קרב זה על זה כלל”)

More recently, in 2010, Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv directed that a statement be published in the Yated Ne’eman (Parshas Bo 5770) in response to Shas joining the WZO:

“A Nevala shayin kimosa— an incomparably revolting deed– has been done in Klal Yisroel— a shameful act which impinges upon the very foundations of the Torah ideal of separation from the ideological Zionist establishment.” (Full text English translation, Hebrew front page)

Shortly after, R’ Elya Brudny changed his position and his endorsement has since been removed from the Eretz Hakodesh website.

Letter from R’ Chaim

Eretz Hakodesh later put forward a claim that R’ Chaim Kanievsky wrote a letter in support of voting for Eretz Hakodesh in response to R’ Shmuel Kamenetsky. While this letter was never made public, R’ Aharon Feldman wrote an explanation of why the question asked is not an accurate representation of what voting for Eretz Hakodesh means and what is at stake in the vote. Read the full letter here.

Pesach Lerner describing his brochah from R’ Chaim.

Response of Other Gedolei Yisroel

Iyar 5783, R’ Yeruchim Olshin, R’ Dovid Goldberg, R’ Hillel David, R’ Yaakov Horowitz, R’ Yosef Harari-Raful R’ Elya Ber Wachtfogel, R’ Shlomo Miller, R’ Yisroel Neuman, R’ Yitzchok Sorotzkin, R’ Aharon Feldman, R’ Malkiel Kotler, and R’ Dovid Schustal signed a letter forbidding voting for Eretz Hakodesh. Stating clearly that this violates the issur of previous Gedolei Yisroel of joining in any way with the Zionist movement as well as the prohibition declared by R’ Aharon Kotler, R’ Moshe Feinstein, and R’ Yaakov Kamenetsky together with their contemporaries of joining any umbrella organization that includes the Reform, in addition to being a chillul Hashem: