Vol. III – No. 4

e-masorti
Tevet 5764

January 2004


In this month's edition:

From the editor’s table

The beginning of a new year, even if only a secular one, is characteristically accompanied by a sense of introspection.  Even more so for the Resource Developer, who is busying himself in preparations of annual reports for benefactors and budget deliberations for the new fiscal year.

 

2003 was a positive year for the Masorti Movement, both in terms of activities - just a small portion of which you have read about here in e-masorti and in the wider public acknowledgement that the Movement continues to gain.  We have survived a financially difficult year and are confident that we can continue to spread our message of open and inclusive traditional Judaism to Israeli society.

 

Next month, we will welcome some 300 Conservative and Masorti rabbis from all over the world for the 2004 Convention of the Rabbinical Assembly, here in Jerusalem.  We look forward to showing the rabbis around our communities and familiarizing them with our programs.  I hope that many of you will hear all about these rabbis’ experiences, when they return to their homes and congregations.

 

With best wishes from Jerusalem,

Mikie Goldstein
Resource Development Director

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Massive press coverage for Masorti intervention against changing the status quo at the Western Wall

In December, the Rav Hakotel (Orthodox rabbi responsible for the Western Wall) initiated a building project to add a large section of the public area of the Western Wall Plaza to the prayer area.  This would essentially change the status quo in a large section of the Plaza, through the erection of a mechitzah (partition between men and women used in Orthodox synagogues) in this new area, further removing mixed groups from the actual Wall.

 

Further information about this story and the Masorti Movement’s intervention, can be found in the following articles:
Conservative Movement challenges Western Wall plaza space change - Haaretz
Western Wall Works draw ire - Jerusalem Post
Masorti objects to Wall plan - Jewish Week
A land grab at the Western Wall - The Forward

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NOAM Hanukah Leadership Seminar

Nearly 150 youth and staff participated in NOAM’s three-day Leadership Seminar, held at the Masorti Kibbutz Hanaton, in the Galilee, during Hanukah.  The seminar focused on NOAM members’ identity and commitment as Masorti Jews and was dubbed “The First Masorti Youth Congress at Kibbutz Hanaton.”  The youngsters discussed issues such as their commitment to Halachah and to the Masorti Movement, the meaning of being a Masorti Jew in Israel, and how they, as a movement, can influence society and religion in Israel.

 

As a traditional part of the seminar, the participants devoted a day and a half to a major Tikkun Olam (social action) project.  This year, six groups ran various programs and projects for children and youth from under-privileged homes and from the special education sector.  Two large groups participated in projects of Sachlav (see last month’s e-masorti), where our Nahal Garin Keves is performing its National Mission.  One group cleared an area around Sachlav’s Day Center for a garden and planted flowers around the building.  The other group painted the exterior of the Sachlav hostel in Haifa, called Hayyim House (the House of Life).

 

All the participants returned to Hanaton with a great feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction.  The combination of younger NOAM members together with soldiers of the Garin on this project helped to strengthen the concept of the natural progression of NOAM high school members to military service in the Garin NOAM framework.  In addition, four members of Garin Naveh, presently in the preparation stages in Kibbutz Ketura, participated in the Seminar as staff, demonstrating the important place of NOAM graduates among our leadership.

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Three new Masorti rabbis in Israel 

In a ceremony in Jerusalem on December 16, 2003, the Rabbinical School of the Masorti Movement and the Schechter Center of Jewish Studies ordained three new Masorti rabbis.  The Movement is proud that each of these new rabbis has already found employment in Masorti kehillot: Rabbi Avi Novis-Deutsch at Maayanot, Rabbi Zvi Graetz at Shevet Achim, and Rabbi Paul Shrell-Fox at Yaar Ramot – all in Jerusalem.  Rabbi Carlos Tapiero was also ordained at the same ceremony.

 

In his acceptance speech on behalf of the four newly ordained rabbis, Zvi Graetz said, “I would like to thank the Masorti Movement, especially NOAM and Marom.  If you want to see a concrete bridge within Israeli society, then it’s not a dream.  I am a second generation Masorti Jew in Israel and I’m very proud of this fact.  I think that all of us studying at Schechter should show our appreciation to the Movement to which we owe so much.”

The Masorti Movement wishes its new rabbis every success in their new positions.

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Bar/Bat Mitzvah for the Special Child director receives prize

On December 14, 2003, Bar/Bat Mitzvah for the Special Child program national director, Judith Edelman-Green, was awarded the Liebhaber Prize for Religious Tolerance.  In the previous e-masorti, we reported that Judith had been chosen for the prize.  Since then, the program has benefited from wide media coverage, in both the written and electronic press in Israel.  Judith has appeared on television and has spoken about the program in many magazine features.  At the very emotional prize giving ceremony, Judith was honored by the presence of scores of the program’s supporters including educators, teachers, Masorti members and, most importantly, program graduates.

 

In other news, Judith recently made a tour of schools in the north where the program is active.  At Kibbutz Ein Hashofet, where program teaches youngsters with autism, Judith took part in a lesson in which the children took great joy in dancing with the Torah and singing prayers. In Acco, Judith joined Yehuda Rand-Lakritz, of the Masorti Family Minyan in Kfar Vradim, in teaching how to make blessings in sign language.  The children were very excited when they opened the small wooden Holy Ark, kissed the Torah, and practiced being called up to the Torah.

 

At Bet Uri, a residential home for those with moderate to severe developmental disabilities just outside Afula, Gary Kayman, from the Masorti Moshav of Shorashim, teaches two classes of adults and one of young children. During Judith’s visit, the adult students practiced being called up to the Torah by their Hebrew names, shaking hands and saying “yashar koach.”

 

Read articles about Judith winning the Liebhaber prize:
Bar Mitzvas for special kids - Jerusalem Post
Special rites of passage - Haaretz
Special children, special day - Jerusalem Post

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Masorti kehillot support soldiers with no family in Israel

Roman, a combat soldier in the IDF, made aliyah three years ago and has been serving in the IDF for the last two.  His mother, recently arrived in Israel, has not been granted any official status, and he has not been in contact with his father for a long time.  The IDF is presently checking whether he and his family are eligible for financial support, but Roman is already loosing faith and is thinking of leaving combat service.  Inbal Cohen, the Masorti Movement’s spokesperson, recently interviewed Roman by phone, who spoke in a weak voice, after a difficult night on duty.

 

Roman told Inbal how he had met Joan Kedem, at the Moreshet Israel Masorti Congregation in Jerusalem, on the first night of Hanukah, when she was giving out supermarket coupons for soldiers with no family in Israel, most of them olim (new immigrants).  This is not the first time that this kehillah has helped him.  “For Rosh Hashanah, I received a parcel in the post which really warmed my heart,” said Roman.

 

The project of adopting soldiers with no family in Israel, which began in 2000 with a woman soldier severely injured in a terrorist attack, was a personal initiative of Joan.  Today, the project helps almost 200 soldiers from the Jerusalem area.  Joan, who helps to build a personal rapport between the soldiers and the kehillah, told Inbal, “I know each and every soldier and remember their family stories.”

The soldiers tell their friends about the project and so demand for help rises.  Joan maintains contacts with IDF commanders who direct needy soldiers to her.  Roman affirmed at the end of the interview, “It’s great that there are people who really care for us.”

 

The Yaar Ramot Masorti Congregation in Jerusalem is also involved in the effort to assist these soldiers.  Tziki Ud, who has been doing similar work for the last six years, arranged for his kehillah to join forces with Moreshet Israel.  Yaar Ramot members help olim to prepare themselves for their enlistment into the IDF.  They accompany the soldiers, helping them buy equipment and sending them letters and parcels once they are in the army.

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Contact information and subscriptions

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: mikie@masorti.org

Donations

In the US : Masorti Foundation for Conservative Judaism in Israel

475 Riverside Drive,
Suite 832,
New York, NY 10115-0122
Tel: (212) 870-2216, (877) 287-7414
E-mail: info@masorti.org
To make an online donation, click here.

In Canada : Canadian Foundation for Masorti Judaism

1000 Finch Ave. West #508,
Toronto, ON M3J 2V5
Tel: (416) 667-1717, (800) 419-5666
Fax: (416) 667-1881
Email: canada@masorti.org

Israel and all other countries : to the offices in Jerusalem (above).

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