Member of Gulfport synagogue to travel to Jerusalem for World Zionist Congress

Julian Brook of Gulfport's Beth Israel synagogue will go to Jerusalem on Oct. 20 to attend the quadrennial World Zionist Congress as a MERCAZ USA representative.

Officials from MERCAZ USA said Brook, who works as a data processing systems designer and consultant in Alabama, is a member of Temple Beth-El in Birmingham along with the Gulfport synagogue.

The 37th World Zionist Congress is a 500-representative body consisting of 190 delegates from Israel, 145 from the United States and 165 from the rest of the world. The congress sets policies for the Jewish National Fund, Jewish Agency for Israel and the World Zionist Organization.

Brook is being sent to the congress on behalf of MERCAZ USA, which was founded more than 35 years ago to support religious pluralism in Israel and strengthen the connection between Israel and the Diaspora.

This story was originally published October 13, 2015 at 7:56 PM with the headline "Member of Gulfport synagogue to travel to Jerusalem for World Zionist Congress ."