e-masorti

Vol. III – No. 2

Heshvan 5764

November 2003

1. From the editor’s table

2. Masorti members vie for seats on local councils

3. Government to upgrade site of the Masorti Kotel

4. State finally recognizes Jewishness of Levy family

5. Second annual Sukkat Shalom in Kfar Vradim

6. Project Reconnect Israel: encouraging North American Aliyah

7. Tourism Ministry finances Masorti emissaries

8. Government to dismantle Ministry of Religious Affairs

9. Contact information and subscriptions

In this month’s issue, I think that we have a very clear view of the inroads that we in the Masorti Movement are making into Israeli society.  Our members are participating in municipal councils, the Ministry of Tourism is sponsoring Masorti emissaries, and the government is about to revamp the Masorti Kotel.

There’s still a long way to go and plenty battles to be fought, but we’re definitely getting there.  More and more people in Israel are aware of the Movement and the type of Judaism that we have to offer – and more people are attending services and events at our kehillot.  On the national level, there is greater recognition from both the executive and judicial branches of government.

Of course, we cannot rest on our laurels, and we continue to expand our public relations effort, as well as our services to our members and Israeli society.

Mikie Goldstein
Resource Development Director

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A record number of Masorti members ran for office on local councils in municipal elections, held October 28 in most parts of Israel.  Whilst Masorti is an apolitical movement, it salutes its members’ personal involvement in the political arena.  Election day saw the participation of eight Masorti members, many running for local, independent parties, four of whom were successful.

Moshe Cohen, longtime member of the Succat Shalom Masorti Congregation in the northern town of Ramat Yishai, was no. 3 on a local list supported by the Labor party.  Cohen won his position on the list as the Masorti representative and was successfully elected to the council.

Karen Katzman, ex-chair of the Nitzavim Masorti Congregation in the town of Even Yehudah, a few miles north of Tel Aviv, ran at the head of a non-aligned party.  While unsuccessful in her attempt to become mayor, she did win a seat on the local council.  Katzman commented that, during her campaign, she sometimes met opposition when talking about the Masorti Movement.

Asher Raz, of the Magen Avraham Masorti Congregation, in the Negev town of Omer, unsuccessfully contested the position of mayor.  However, he did earn a seat on the local council.

Yonatan Rimon, of the Masorti Congregation in the central town of Kochav Yair has just concluded a five-year term as mayor.  In these elections, he was successfully elected to the town council.

Amalia Bitelman, a longstanding member of the Amitai Masorti Congregation, in the city of Raanana, ran in the eighth place on the incumbent mayor’s independent list.  While unsuccessful in her bid to become a city councilor, she has been appointed to the municipal Immigrant Absorption committee.  Amalia also chairs the Masorti Immigrant Absorption committee.

Other, unsuccessful candidates include: Rabbi Yosef Kleiner, spiritual leader of the Adat Shalom-Emanuel Masorti Congregation in the city of Rehovot, running in a mixed secular-religious party; Cristina Moso, chair of the Bet El Masorti Congregation in the northern city of Nazareth Illit, running on the Shinui ticket; and Rabbi Shmuel Shaish, spiritual leader of the Tagel Arava Masorti Congregation in the southern city of Eilat, where he headed the Meretz party list.

Conservative candidates compete in record numbers – Jerusalem Post, 23 Oct.

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In a meeting, held last week at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, government secretary Israel Maimon directed the East Jerusalem Development company to immediately start preparing a prayer plaza to serve the Women of the Wall (WOW) and the Masorti Movement.  The new prayer area, to be situated in the archeological gardens to the south of the Western Wall and slightly to the north of the present Masorti Kotel, reaches up to the stones of the Wall.

The government initiative comes in the wake of the Supreme Court decision of March 2003, in the matter of the WOW, which determined that “if the government would prepare the Robinson’s Arch site – in an agreeable fashion – within the following 12 months, then the WOW would be allowed to pray there, according to their custom.”

The East Jerusalem Development company, in conjunction with the Israel Antiquities Authority, has prepared a detailed plan of an access route, also accommodating the disabled, ending at a 34 m² (366 sq. ft.) prayer plaza, adjacent to the stones of the Western Wall, in the area known as Robinson’s Arch, between the Western Wall Plaza and the Old City Walls.  The cost of the project is estimated at NIS 1.7 million (US$ 380,000).  Due to the relatively small size of the new plaza, the government assured the Masorti Movement that it would continue to have access to the present site, at the southern end of the Western Wall, for large events such as during Shavuot and Tisha Be’av, when typically a few hundred people attend prayer services.

Plans for the site also include a room for storing Torah scrolls and prayer books, in the Davidson Visitor Center, at the entrance to the site.  Another meeting will be held to finalize the subject of the supply of religious artifacts and the availability of the site for prayer services.

Masorti Movement president, Rabbi Ehud Bandel, who participated in the meeting, expressed his disappointment at the Supreme Court for not sanctioning the request of the WOW to conduct services at the main Western Wall Plaza.  Nevertheless, Rabbi Bandel views the Court’s decision to upgrade the present Masorti Kotel as an acceptable solution and a significant improvement to the current conditions for Masorti/Conservative worshipers. Thanks to a previous government arrangement, the Masorti Movement has been realizing egalitarian prayer services at the Robinson’s Arch site, over the last three years.

Women of the Wall wail over new prayer site – Jerusalem Post, 31 Oct.

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The Masorti Movement continues to fight for State recognition of Masorti/Conservative conversions performed both in Israel and abroad.  The following story illustrates the importance of this struggle and shows that we are making headway.

Peli and Mevorach Levy met on kibbutz Bet Nir in 1979 and were married in their native Mexico.  Peli and Mevorach – a Jew from birth – made Aliya after their marriage.  Their children, Yafa and Eldad, were born in Israel.  Peli wished to convert to Judaism, even though this was not a prerequisite for receiving Israeli citizenship.  The Orthodox rabbinate insisted that the couple leave the kibbutz, in order for Peli to be accepted to the conversion course.  This unacceptable demand led the couple to abandon Peli’s conversion process.

In 1985, the family moved to Mexico City, joining the (Conservative) Beth Israel Community Center, where Peli studied for conversion under the tutelage of Rabbi Shmuel Lerer.  In 1989, Peli appeared before the Bet Din and she and her children successfully satisfied the requirements of the rabbinical court, following which the couple wed in a religious ceremony.

In 1993, the Levy family returned to Israel, settling in Nazareth Illit, where they joined the Bet El Masorti Congregation.  The Ministry of the Interior refused to recognize Peli and children as Jews and registered them, instead, as “Mexicans”.  The Ministry insisted that only if Peli and the children would undergo an (Orthodox) Chief Rabbinate conversion and the children study in a religious school, would they be registered as Jews.  At this stage, the family turned for help to the Masorti Movement.

The case of the Levy family is an illustrative example of the difficulties which, even today, the Ministry of the Interior imposes upon Conservative converts.  These difficulties derive from the directives of the Attorney-General Eliakim Rubinstein, who has been acting against the recognition of non-Orthodox conversions for many years.

The deputy legal advisor of the Ministry of the Interior, attorney Malka Kogan, was not content with the conversion certificates and the family’s affidavits.  Not even the endorsement of the authenticity of the certificates by the Rabbinical Assembly of Israel was sufficient.  Agreement to register them as Jews was conditioned upon the family submitting a signed affidavit from the rabbi who converted them.

As an alternative, Masorti Movement attorney Dan Evron submitted an affidavit from Rabbi Reuven Hammer, president of the International Rabbinical Assembly, confirming the existence of the Beth Israel Community Center and the authority of Rabbi Lerer to perform conversions acceptable to all Conservative Judaism.  Nevertheless, it took many more hard and drawn-out discussions until the deputy legal advisor was prepared to “make do” with Rabbi Hammer’s affidavit, even then maintaining that this case was not to serve as a precedent for the future.

The leadership of the Masorti Movement, together with its legal advisor, continues in its efforts to help other families with conversion problems.

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The second annual Sukkat Shalom (Sukkah of Peace) festival, bringing Jews and Arabs together for a series of cultural events, drew crowds to Kfar Vradim during the intermediary days of Sukkot.  Held under the auspices of Masorti’s Traditional Family Minyan, the festival included artistic, intellectual and social events.

Children from both Jewish and Arab school choirs sang together about peace. Local Jewish and Arab artists presented work in an exhibition, the preparation of which was a shining example and real expression of the concept behind Sukkat Shalom.  The presentation of “Bereshit” by Jewish and Arab youngsters from the Upper Galilee, through movement and mime, succeeded in touching the audience.

A moving discussion was held with Father Emil Shufani, Ruti Bar-Shalev and Sheikh Fadl Mansour, who participated in the recent Judeo-Arab mission to Aushwitz.  They spoke of their joint experiences and of the ceremony in which the Arab members read out the names of the perished relatives of the Jewish participants.  The evening ended with a joint prayer for peace by the Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Druze audience.

This year’s Sukkat Shalom activities attracted even larger crowds than last year, especially from the Arab sector.  Rabbi Zvi Berger, a key organizer and spiritual leader of the Traditional Family Minyan, noted the organizers’ sense of hope generated by the various events and that many people offered to help in arrangements for next year’s Sukkat Shalom.

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As an organization founded by many olim (immigrants), the Masorti Movement is especially conscious of the importance of absorbing new olim, both into our kehillot and Israeli society.  Helping olim, especially those with a Conservative background from North America, is not only beneficial to them, but also very positive for the kehillot, which attract new members and activists.

Project Reconnect Israel encourages potential olim and supports arriving olim, by inviting them to join events of a kehillah in the area in which they wish to settle.  Kehillot will arrange home hospitality and adopting families, as well as accompany new immigrants during their first year in Israel, showing them around town and providing a warm, friendly atmosphere.  Potential olim who check the Conservative box on their Aliyah forms will be directed to the project.

The project, chaired by Rabbi Paul Freedman, is a joint venture of the Masorti Movement, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism and other Conservative organizations.

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The New York office of the Israeli Ministry of Tourism has recently signed an agreement with Mercaz USA (the Zionist organization of the Conservative Movement) to partially cover expenses of Masorti emissaries, traveling to the USA on fundraising trips arranged by the Masorti Foundation for Conservative Judaism in Israel.

The official Movement emissaries are expected not only to promote Masorti, but also to encourage Conservative tourism to Israel.  The first “tourism emissary” was Movement president, Rabbi Ehud Bandel, who was sponsored by the Ministry on his April visit.  Due to the success of this pilot, the Ministry has since signed an agreement, helping finance the October visit of Judith Edelman-Green, Bar/Bat Mitzvah for the Special Child national director, and the November visit of Rabbi Elisha Wolfin, spiritual leader of the Zichron Yaakov Masorti Congregation.

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In an official communiqué, the Masorti Movement welcomed last month’s decision of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to dismantle the Ministry of Religious Affairs and transfer its authorities to other ministries and municipal councils.  The decision comes in the wake of the coalition agreement with the secular Shinui party, which has long advocated the breakup of the ministry.

However, the National Religious Party, who agreed to the breakup when joining the government, are now contesting the move, due to the transfer of the religious courts to the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice, under the leadership of the Shinui leader, Yosef (Tommy) Lapid.

Masorti Movement President, Rabbi Ehud Bandel, commenting on the imminent dismantling of the oft-perceived mismanaged ministry, said, “This decision will improve the functioning of the system and will bring its departments into acceptable norms of public administration.”

Reform, Masorti Movements welcome decision – Haaretz, 9 Oct.

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Contact information

e-masorti is produced by the Development Department of the Masorti Movement in Israel.
13 Ben Yehuda Street, PO Box 7559, Jerusalem 91074 ISRAEL Web: www.masorti.org
Telephone: +972 (2) 624 6510 Fax: +972 (2) 624 6869 E-mail: development@masorti.org

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