A historic letter has been obtained from a correspondence in 2020 between Hagaon Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva of Philadelphia, and Hagaon Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l, regarding participation in the World Zionist Organization (WZO) elections.

Rav Kamenetsky explains that he had heard from reliable sources that Rav Chaim had encouraged to take part in the WZO elections, “specifically to protect and preserve the kedusha of Eretz Yisroel.”

In his letter, Rav Kamenetsky addresses all the concerns that have been raised regarding taking part in the WZO elections.

The letter mentions the concerns that were raised regarding this guidance, as it seems to contradict the long-standing tradition of the gedolei hador to distance oneself from the Zionist movement and its ideology.

Moreover, the letter points out that in order to vote in the WZO elections, one must become a member of the organization – through the now-well-known Jerusalem Program – thus affirming allegiance to its principles. Rav Kamenetsky asks about the concern that such participation could lead to a chillul Hashem, and asks whether Rav Chaim truly issued such an instruction or if he relied on others for this opinion.

The letter goes on to emphasize the gravity of the matter, stating that since it concerns the broader Klal Yisroel, it is necessary to clarify Rav Chaim’s stance and to ensure that the report regarding his opinion is accurate.

Rav Chaim’s response to the letter from Rav Shmuel was brief and succinct: “יש לעשות כנ”ל One should act as mentioned” thereby confirming his guidance to participate in the election even under these exceptional circumstances.

This letter is being released now, during the final days when people can still vote in the Zionist Congress elections. It comes after reports that Conservative Movement members Yizhar Hess and his assistant Eyal Ostrinsky funded a large campaign and paid Charedi contacts to stir up controversy against the “Eretz Hakodesh” group.

“Throughout this time, I’ve kept this letter private,” says someone who has possessed the letter for several years. “I didn’t share it with anyone because the religious leaders (gedolei yisroel) decided that voting instructions for Eretz Hakodesh should remain private guidance shared person-to-person rather than through a public campaign. However, now that we’ve discovered that outside groups deliberately created controversy to upset the Charedi community in the United States, there’s no reason to let them benefit from our discretion. Therefore, I’ve received permission from our religious authorities (Da’as Torah) to make these instructions public.”

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