The Am Yisrael Chai slate is being accused by other slates of vote buying in the World Zionist Congress elections after offering incentives — from kosher chicken tenders to raffle tickets to win a diamond tennis bracelet, a private jet flight or cold hard cash — to people in exchange for recruiting others to cast their ballot for the group, according to screenshots of the promotions obtained by eJewishPhilanthropy.

Several slates running in the election, which kicked off on March 10, complained about these promotions to the AEC, which then released a memo affirming that while slates can pay people to serve as “ambassadors” or “influencers,” they cannot compensate people based on the number of votes that they bring in “as this can lead to a pyramid scheme and vote buying.” Once the memo was sent out on March 16, Am Yisrael Chai halted the promotions. A spokesperson for the Am Yisrael Chai slate did not respond to a request for comment. 

This get-out-the-vote campaign is now being reviewed by the Area Election Committee, which oversees the election, to determine if it violates the election bylaws barring slates from paying the $5 fee required to vote or “from paying voters to vote in the election and/or for their slates.” The bylaws also call on slates to consult the AEC with any questions regarding this provision, which Am Yisrael Chai does not appear to have done. 

If they are found to be a violation, the slate could see the votes they received through these campaigns disqualified and other sanctions. 

“[The American Zionist Movement] is aware of the allegations surrounding the activity of the Am Yisrael Chai slate, and our Area Election Committee chairs are currently reviewing the issue as part of AZM’s role to ensure that a fair election is held. We have no further comment at this time while the matter is under review,” AZM Executive Director Herbert Block told eJP. AZM did not disclose which slates filed the complaint against Am Yisrael Chai.

Every five years, Jews around the world cast ballots for representatives to the World Zionist Congress, the self-described “parliament of the Jewish people” that was launched more than a century ago by Theodor Herzl. In this year’s election, American Jews can choose from among 21 slates representing a diverse range of Jewish voices, from Reform to Orthodox and liberal to conservative. The winners will have a say in over $5 billion in funding for Jewish causes.

The election will also have a major impact on contentious issues such as religious pluralism, settlements and educational programs in Israel and abroad, and the slates work to get out the vote accordingly, deploying armies of influencers, publicists and rabbis to encourage Jewish community members to vote. 

Voting runs through May 4. The election is shaping up to be one of the largest, with twice as many people voting in the initial weeks of the election as in the same period in 2020, according to AZM. 

Am Yisrael Chai is a new slate that describes itself as a voice representing “young Jewish leaders,” particularly those who have turned to pro-Israel advocacy and Jewish communal involvement after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. The slate is affiliated with several Orthodox Jewish organizations, including Olami, Meor and some NCSY chapters. 

Supporters of the party orchestrated a campaign to reward activists based on how many people they convinced to vote for Am Yisrael Chai. One team, affiliated with the Israeli yeshiva Ohr Somayach, shared a graphic that stated: “More votes means more rewards!” People who brought in more than 100 votes could opt for a $1,500 cash prize or a $2,600 trip voucher, with the poster showing destinations including Panama, London and Jerusalem. (Ohr Somayach did not respond to a request for comment.) 

Another online graphic stated: “WIN BIG. More votes = more raffle entries.” Twenty votes would earn volunteers 10 raffle tickets to win prizes including a MacBook Air, a bespoke suit and Am Yisrael Chai-branded merchandise. 

One instructed voters to forward their confirmation email to MG Craft Kitchen, a kosher restaurant in Lawrence, N.Y., to receive a free order of chicken tenders. (An email to the account set up for this purpose received an automatic reply, which suggested that the promotion has ended: “Please disregard any free offers etc. that might be circulating online in relation to voting in the WZO elections.”) 

In 2020, 123,000 American Jews voted in the elections, the largest number in history. The “Vote Reform” slate, representing the Reform movement, won a plurality of the votes, followed by “Orthodox Israel Coalition — Mizrachi,” which represents major Orthodox Zionist organizations including the Orthodox Union and Yeshiva University.