From the NZ Jewish Council…

Shana Tova all,

The Council held a community engagement session to discuss proposed changes to its constitution, attended by council leadership and representatives from several congregations and communities. We appreciate the representatives who took the time to attend and share their views. Some of the issues raised are likely to be useful for others, so we are sharing this further explanatory update.

Why the change is happening

The first part of our constitutional update (adopted last year at our AGM) was legally required under changes to the Incorporated Societies Act.  That process, and community feedback, highlighted that there is a need and an opportunity to modernise a structure originating several decades ago. Currently, the Council’s eighteen “members” are individuals appointed years ago by regional councils that have since stopped functioning — several weren’t even aware they held the role, and others live overseas. The current setup is legally compliant but no longer genuinely representative.

The core proposal

Move membership from individuals to congregations. Recognised congregations (defined broadly to include community groups that function as congregations, even if not formally religious, provided they are legal entities) would become voting members and elect the executive annually. Voting would use a simple three-tier weighting based on congregation size, replacing the current outdated, census-based formula, with the aim of broadly reflecting size while preventing the largest centres from dominating. Note that the only issue that is voted on annually is the composition of the Executive   (this is common for peak bodies of this type) – plus major matters like constitutional change.

A new “affiliate organisation” category would cover groups that aren’t congregations. These wouldn’t get a vote but would be guaranteed regular consultation (likely quarterly or six-monthly) so their views are heard on major issues. The executive would stay capped at around eight people, with at least half drawn from member congregations (a legal requirement under the Incorporated Societies Act), leaving room for unaffiliated individuals to be elected to the Executive, which enables greater diversity including of individuals and groups that may not be well reflected in congregations.

Key discussion points

A suggestion was made that the executive should aim for broader diversity, not just congregational status, balanced against how hard it already is to recruit willing, capable volunteers. We are considering adopting an objective of diversity on the Exec, but also note the small number of capable and willing individuals who are prepared to take on this role.

Questions were raised about how smaller or informally structured local community associations that function similarly to congregations but are not affiliated with a particular stream of Judaism would be treated. Our intention is that these would qualify as congregations if they formalise as legal entities, with a transition period to help them do so.

There was broad agreement that the voting mechanics matter far less than people assume, since they mainly affect the annual executive election rather than day-to-day decisions, and the Council plans to communicate this more clearly.
Attendees discussed the need for better ongoing communication channels between the Council and congregations/affiliates, beyond one-off updates, potentially including regular town halls or a more two-way communication channel.

Timing  – Extension of consultation period until Friday 2 October

The Council hoped to finalise the new constitution by the AGM at the end of November but may need a special general meeting instead, followed by a transition period. One congregation requested, and was granted, an extra two weeks to gather feedback given the timing coincides with the High Holidays. We have therefore decided to extend the consultation period until Friday 2 October for all respondents.

Overall, attendees were supportive of the direction of the reforms, while emphasising that ongoing engagement and clearer public messaging matter more in practice than the technical voting formula.

B’shalom

The Executive
New Zealand Jewish Council