O-blog-dee-o-blog-da

The 37th World Zionist Congress currently taking place in Jerusalem for the first time is setting up a unit to work with the LGBTQ Jewish community. Within the framework of Pride Month, the World Zionist Organization (WZO )has established a Unit for Activities with the LGBT community that will operate in three spheres: The central one will be  to assist members of the LGBT community to make aliyah and strengthen the connection with them.This unit will be part of the Department for Zionist Enterprises of the World Zionist Organization, which is headed by member of the WZO Executive, Dror Morag from Meretz.

This new unit will assist LGBTQ immigrants from the LGBTQ community, in cooperation with the Association for the LGBT Community. This unit was established in order to give answers to the special needs and interests of those interested in Aliyah, new immigrants and those who have already made Aliyah in the past.

This is to ease their transition and integration into the Israeli society and the LGBTI community, in order to give them services through the Department for Zionist Enterprises of the World Zionist Organization, the Association for the LGBT Community and other LGBT organizations in Israel.

The purpose of the project is to bring down barriers for the LGBTQ community that are interested in making aliyah by setting up a data base of easily accessible information and a platform for questions and answers,accessibility to Hebrew language courses (Ulpanim) of the World Zionist Organization throughout the world, lectures on various subjects relating to Aliyah and setting up various services that will ensure a soft landing for these new immigrants when they arrive in Israel.

Another project Is Zionist Pride. With its framework, the World Zionist Organization issued a call for action to LGBT youth organizations and community organizations throughout Israel to submit unique and special projects. These projects dealt with the issue of Jewish Peoplehood,establishing an exemplary society,tolerance and pluralism in a diverse Israeli society. The projects chosen will receive a special grant to carry out these activities.

Three initiatives that were chosen within the project are:

1.The Transball Soccer Team of the Gay Sports Club.A soccer team that is geared towards youth on the transgender spectrum in order to give them a secure and professional place for their activity.

2. The history of the LGBT movement- An innovative New Media project that will establish a digital archive that will include all LGBT Jewish stories, Israeli,Zionist and from the diaspora. This digital database that will be written In Hebrew.

3. IGY International Live, that will establish joint leadership groups of Israeli gay youth and gay youth from the Zionist Youth Movements for Zionist Fulfilment in the diaspora.

Dror Morag, Head of the Department for Zionist Enterprises in the World Zionist Organization said:

“Gay pride month will be especially remembered this year by the fact that the World Zionist Organization setup a unit for Zionist activities among  the gay Jewish communities in Israel and in the diaspora.This pioneering activity strengthens the organization as a pluralistic and up to date one.I am proud of the activity that we have initiated and especially promoting  the values of an exemplary society as proposed by Theodor Herzl-equality, pluralism and prevention of discrimination.They are central themes in Israel’s Declaration of Independence.”

World Zionist Congress Passes Recognition of Support for the LGBT Community – READ MORE WZO: HERE