What happened at the end of the World Zionist Congress is not a sign that you should walk away disappointed. You can’t fix a broken system by sitting on the sidelines and shaking your head. You roll up your sleeves, get back in and work until it reflects the vision it was meant to serve.

Last night, as the plenary of the 39th World Zionist Congress unfolded in Jerusalem, many delegates left the hall shaken. Reports surfaced that Yair Netanyahu, the prime minister’s son, was being nominated for a senior executive role within the World Zionist Organization — a position carrying the salary, perks and influence of a minister. It was a moment that crystallized everything many of us have worried about: that our Zionist institutions — the very ones founded to build the Jewish future — are tools of political convenience rather than platforms of purpose.

Judah Ari Gross/eJewishPhilanthropy

The 39th World Zionist Congress opens at in Jerusalem on Oct. 28, 2025.

For many, that revelation felt like the air leaving the room. But I believe it should have had the opposite effect.

If you walked away frustrated, even heartbroken, that means you care. And caring is where change begins.

You can’t fix a broken system from the outside. The only way to repair it is to step in, roll up your sleeves and get to work.

Why we must stay in the room

For Israelis, these institutions often seem distant and bureaucratic, measured in budgets, land ownership and appointments. But for Jews in the Diaspora, the World Zionist Congress is one of the few global tables where they can speak passionately and freely about Israel and Zionism without worrying about political correctness or local communal decorum.

It is a rare space that belongs to all of us. A space where values, not just votes, are supposed to drive the agenda. And that is precisely why it must not be abandoned to cynicism, careerism or complacency.

When we give up on shared institutions because they disappoint us, we leave the field open to those who see them only as ladders, not as missions. Institutions don’t change when good people leave. They change when good people insist on staying.

Despite the headlines, much good happened this week in Jerusalem. Important resolutions passed to expand Hebrew education, fight Antisemitism, taking care of IDF veteran’s mental health and many more. Others that conflicted with global Jewry’s values were blocked. These victories rarely make the news, but they matter.

Our delegation, and many others, showed that integrity and partnership still have a place in Zionist life. W We stood up for what we came to represent: integrity, partnership and a commitment to a healthier, more inclusive Zionist movement.

If this week taught us anything, it’s that the Zionist enterprise cannot afford business as usual. The world has changed since Oct. 7, 2023; so must our institutions. Here’s where we start:

1.) Set clear standards for leadership. Executive roles in Zionist bodies must be earned. Publish transparent criteria, residency and time commitments, and measurable outcomes.

2.) Ensure leadership pipelines. Bring in women, young leaders, Israelis abroad and voices from diverse communities.

3.) Modernize the message. Invest in education and storytelling that reach where young Jews actually are. The future of Zionism depends as much on narrative as on structure.

4.) Judge by impact. Stop rewarding noise and start rewarding results. Measure progress by how many families, students and communities are strengthened by our work.

If you left the Congress angry, disappointed, or disillusioned, take a deep breath and then take ownership. This is your movement. The Zionist tent was never meant to be perfect; it was meant to be shared. Its beauty lies in the fact that it is always being rebuilt.

So let’s not retreat. Let’s rebuild. Let’s hold our leaders, and ourselves, to higher standards.
Let’s roll up our sleeves, return to the table and make the Zionist institutions worthy once again of the dream they were created to serve.

Because disappointment is not the end of commitment — it’s the beginning of responsibility.

Aya Shechter is the chief programming officer of the Israeli-American Council and a Los Angeles resident.