From 1992–2004 Hirsch served as executive director of the Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA), the Israel arm of the North American Reform movement. An ardent Zionist, he guided ARZA to accept a new platform embracing Zionism in 1997. He was also a leader in the struggle against Israel's Orthodox religious establishment – which he called "the monopoly" – to recognize the Reform movement in Israel, and was influential in the successful lobbying effort to change Israel's Conversion Law to recognize conversions performed by non-Orthodox rabbis in Israel.