Currently the sitting president of the American Zionist Movement, Debbie also serves on the World Mizrachi board. Additionally, she is part of the steering committee in the campaign for the Orthodox Israel Coalition-Mizrachi Slate #5 in the upcoming World Zionist Congress (WZC) election, in which she is a potential delegate.
Debbie’s advocacy path began years ago when she joined the AMIT New Gen board, the only newcomer in the group with no family ties to the organization. She moved up in the ranks, holding several key roles before she rose to president of AMIT Children, a position she held from 2011-2015. During her tenure, she worked closely with AMIT’s Israel leadership on the development of its Gogya model of education which approaches education holistically and promotes academic excellence, values, socialization, emotional development, and exposure to the real world.
Throughout her time as president Debbie shared successes and, unfortunately, heartache with the AMIT family. Her presidency overlapped with Operation Protective Edge in 2014, in which Hadar Goldin, an AMIT alumnus, was taken hostage by Hamas. Hadar attended AMIT Kfar Batya Technology School in Ra’anana and his family received the full support of the AMIT network throughout their horrific ordeal, which continues even today, as Hadar’s body is still being held in Gaza.
Her years of experience have shown Debbie how crucial representation is and how much delegates can accomplish. In the previous election, OIC-Mizrachi secured 60 seats worldwide and played an important role in the national institutions advocating for their agendas. This year, there is even more urgency to secure seats at the Congress, due to the volatile situation in Israel and the need to combat the worldwide surge in antisemitism.
Historically, OIC delegates have been a voice of compromise, taking a moderate stance to “straddle the line between extreme voices and build bridges between the far right and far left,” Debbie explained.
Addressing the interests of the Dati Leumi community within the World Zionist Organization, Keren Kayemet L’Yisrael and The Jewish Agency is another central focus of those sent to the Congress. Since the war began, the issue of the religious community and army service has flared up in Israel and is just one example of the unique perspective the Mizrachi slate can offer. “Our constituency is religious and serves in the army, which is not true of other delegates,” said Debbie.
The OIC slate also prioritizes education, ensuring academic standards and championing of Zionist values: Jewish identity and the centrality of the State of Israel. Delegates highlight the part the Religious Zionist community plays in the sustainability of the State of Israel—and how integral it is to the state’s success and survival.
Debbie noted that votes in support of OIC-Mizrachi protect AMIT’s interests, fund its programming, and provide the opportunity to develop important connections with government officials, a crucial step for realizing objectives.
With 152 potential delegate spots and 21 slates vying for seats, voting in the World Zionist Congress election is more important than ever. Vote to secure the right representation for the State of Israel and make a difference in the Jewish future.
Vote OIC-Mizrachi, Slate #5 at www.voteoic.org
