I am honored to have been elected Vice President of Programming at last month’s biennial. Over the last four years I have worked hard to promote the progressive agenda of not just Ameinu, but of the majority of American Zionists.
It was through my work with people on the left, center and the right that I was the consensus choice of the AZM’s nomination committee and it was my work on committees that enabled me defeat a right wing candidate who was nominated from the floor.
I look forward to working with other newly-elected AZM officers—including the first female President—over the next four years. The last four years were fraught with ugliness during which time the prior AZM leadership pushed an advocacy agenda that neither reflected the sentiments of the American Jewish Community nor the majority of AZM consensus constituent organizations. The new leadership understands that we have some healing to do in the AZM. We are a diverse group and come to our positions with experience from across the religious and political spectrum, from A to Z.
Ameinu is not the only A represented as I am joined with officers from AMIT (President Deborah Isaac), ARZA (National Board Chair Michael Laufer and Treasurer Susan Longo), Emunah (Vice President for WZO Relations Mindy Stein), Hadassah (Vice President for Inter-Organizational Relations and Communications Ellen Hershkin), MERCAZ (Vice President for Governance and Operations Naomi Yadin-Mendick), Religious Zionists of America (Vice President for Financial Resource Development Martin Oliner), and ZOA (Secretary Lori Lowenthal Marcus).
I look forward to “resetting” the AZM’s agenda and assessing what programs should be undertaken by this umbrella organization and what activities are better suited to be led by other Jewish organizations.
The American Zionist Movement and Israel are both stronger when we all work together but this success requires the AZM to understand and accept that the American Zionist community does not endorse all actions by any given Israeli government. Like all Ameinu members, I am a proud Zionist who is always working to help and support a better Israel. Programming needs to reflect this fact but I also believe that being an AZM officer is a reminder to those who constantly try to discredit Progressive Zionism that I am just as ardent a Zionist as they are. I will be at the “table” promoting balanced programming, working and learning with and from other membership organizations, and ensuring that we in the Progressive Block are represented in committees and task forces.
B’Shalom,
Nomi Colton-Max
Vice President, Ameinu
Vice President of Programming, AZM
