What is the World Zionist Organization (WZO) and the World Zionist Congress (WZC)?
Think of the World Zionist Organization (WZO) as the original movement behind modern Zionism. It
was founded in 1897 by Theodor Herzl to rally Jews around the idea of creating a Jewish homeland.
Fast forward to today, and the WZO continues to promote Jewish identity, support Israel, and
strengthen Jewish communities worldwide.
The World Zionist Congress (WZC) is like the big decision-making gathering of the WZO. It meets
every five years, bringing together Jewish representatives from around the world to decide on policies
and funding that impact Jewish organizations globally. It’s essentially a Jewish parliament where major
decisions about Jewish life and Israel are made.

How is the WZO connected to KKL (JNF) and the Jewish Agency for Israel?
These three organizations are all part of the Zionist infrastructure, but they have different roles:
• Keren Kayemet Le Yisrael (KKL), aka Jewish National Fund (JNF) outside of Israel – Originally set
up to buy land for Jewish settlement, today it owns and manages large portions of land in Israel
and helps fund the WZO.
• The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) – This is the WZO’s executive arm, focusing on aliyah (helping
Jews move to Israel), Jewish education, and strengthening Jewish life in Israel and abroad.

Where does the WZO get its funding?
Historically, WZO funding came from JAFI and KKL. More recently, they’ve also received funding
directly from the Israeli government, giving them more financial independence to support their
initiatives.

Why should American Jews vote in the WZC elections?
American Jews have a huge say in how Jewish resources are allocated worldwide! The U.S. Jewish
community can send up to 152 of the 525 delegates to the Congress-almost 30% of the total voting
power. That means their votes directly shape the policies and funding priorities that impact Jewish
communities, both in Israel and abroad. If you care about Jewish education, combating antisemitism,
or Israel engagement, your vote makes a difference!

How does voting work?
The WZC elections use a proportional representation system—basically, Jewish voters choose from
different slates (lists of candidates), and the number of votes each slate gets determines how many
delegates they send to the Congress. This system ensures that a wide range of Jewish perspectives
and ideologies are represented.

How does WZO decide where the money goes?
The WZC sets priorities, and the elected leadership decides how to divide up the budget. Funding
supports:
$ Programs in Israel – Aliyah, Jewish education, leadership development, and combating
a n t i s e m i t i s m
$ Land & environmental projects – Managed by KKL-JNF
Global Zionist initiatives – Supporting Jewish life in communities around the world
$ Educational programs – Grants for youth movements, religious schools, Birthright, Masa, and more

Why does voting cost $5?
That’s an admin fee set by the WZC to help cover the cost of running a global election. Every voter, no
matter which slate they support, has to pay it.

When is voting open?
March 10 – May 4 – Mark your calendars and start planning your campaigns