Masorti Olami

Tevet 5763, December 2002
By Judy Dvorak Gray
In this Report
Installation of Officers of Masorti Olami
Art Auction on Behalf of Camp NOAM Argentina
Camp NOAM Argentina
Visit to Bet El Madrid
“Increasing the Light"- Marom UK Visits Jerusalem
Ordination of Rabbi Gesa Ederberg
Kehillat Adath Shalom (Paris) Visits Israel
Hazamir Choir Connects Youth from New Jersey, Madrid and London
Tu B’shvat Websites
Other News Briefs
A Word from the Editor
Installation of Officers of Masorti Olami
The installation of officers for Masorti Olami took place on December 12, 2002 (7 Tevet 5763) at Congregation Agudath Israel of Caldwell, New Jersey.
Margie Samuels chaired the installation. Rabbi Joe Wernik, Executive Vice President of Masorti Olami, installed the officers who will serve for a two-year term on the Board of Directors. Rabbi Alan Silverstein, President of Masorti Olami, delivered the keynote address. The program also included a welcome by Ira Rosenbloom, President of Congregation Agudath Israel, greetings from Mr. David Raij, representing the Masorti community of Montevideo, Uruguay and Ned Gladstein, newly installed Vice President as well as a choral selection from the Hazamir New Jersey Teen Choir.
The officers for 2002-2004 are:
President: Rabbi Alan Silverstein
Rabbi of the Council: Rabbi Benjamin Kreitman
Vice Presidents: Ned Gladstein, Gloria Landy, J.B. Mazer, Rabbi Arthur Oleisky, Rabbi David Steinhardt, Mark Sternfeld, Janet Tobin, Skip Vichness
International Vice Presidents: Jayme Blay (Brazil), Roy Clements (MERCAZ), Lawrence Harris (England), Claude Machline (France), Mario Ringler (Argentina),Rabbi Philip Scheim (Canada), Rabbi Shmuel Szteinhendler (Chile).
Treasurer: Jack Topal
Financial Secretary: Bill Lipsey
Corresponding Secretary: Rabbi Gordon Freeman
Recording Secretary: Phyllis Haas
Executive Committee at Large: Rabbi Leonardo Bitran, Daniel Dunn, Irene Edelstein, Rabbi Jacob Herber, Marjorie Saulson, Allan Silverman
The new board held its first meeting on December 12 and is already busy at work. We wish our new leadership a fruitful, successful term and look forward to their contribution to the advancement of Masorti Olami.
Art Auction on Behalf of Camp NOAM Argentina
Masorti Olami sponsored an art exhibit on Saturday evening, November 23, featuring the works of Argentinean artist Mirta Kupferminc. Lisa and Robin Lissak of Congregation Agudath Israel of Caldwell, New Jersey, Board members of Masorti Olami, hosted the event at their South Orange home. Ruth Foroutan, Jaiver Neiman, Marcelo Luftman and other members of the Argentina Task Force of Congregation Agudath Israel organized the event.
Mirta Kupferminc, a well-known artist from Argentina whose work focuses on contemporary Jewish themes, attended the exhibit. The artist selected a wide assortment of works to be exhibited including hand made books, etchings and oil paintings.
Rabbi Eliseo Rozenwasser of Adath Shalom in Morris Plains, N.J., a native of Argentina, spoke about the economic, social and spiritual crisis in the Jewish community of his childhood. Rabbi Joseph Wernik and Rabbi Alan Silverstein addressed the crucial mitzvah of "spiritual rescue" among our distressed Argentine brothers and sisters. Rabbi Silverstein stressed that over 200,000 Jews in Argentina need our help in sustaining Jewish life and Jewish connections amid economic and social despair.
The event raised approximately $15,000 to help 1500 Masorti youth attend Argentina's Camp NOAM which took place from Dec. 19-23 (see more about the camp in the article below).
Pictures from the evening can be viewed on our web site: http://www.masortiworld.org/art-auction.htm
Camp NOAM Argentina
This month, 1500 children and staff participated in Camp NOAM Argentina, under the direction of Daniella Kuzis Yakin, Masorti Olami shlicha to Argentina. Three separate five-day camps took place, with 500 children from five kehillot in Buenos Aires participating in each camp. For many of the children, this was their only opportunity to participate in a Jewish educational framework, as many can no longer afford to attend day school or supplementary Hebrew schools.
Activities included t’fillah, sports, games, arts and crafts and a moving celebration of Shabbat. Udi Givon, Director of Marom Olami, visited one of the camps, which took place from December 19-23. Udi reported that a highlight of the camp session was an original musical show performed on Saturday evening that highlighted the life and contribution of Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer (z”l). Rabbi Meyer was influential in building the Masorti Movement in Argentina and was a strong spiritual force for Argentinean Jewry.
A Masorti kaytana (day camp) will take place in January for 500 campers from nine Masorti kehillot in Buenos Aires. This is the first time a joint day camp has been organized thanks to the efforts of our shlicha Daniella.
Pictures of Camp NOAM Argentina and the kaytana will be posted on our web site soon!
Visit to Bet El, Madrid, Spain
Rabbi Joe Wernik visited Kehillat Bet El, Madrid from December 17-19 in order to gain a better understanding of the challenges currently facing the community. With the influx of many new immigrants from Argentina who have fled the economic crisis there, the congregation has expanded from 60 families to over 100 families during the past year. The kehillah is expecting many more families to join during the coming months. Mr. Mario Stofenmacher, director of Bet El, reports that he receives approximately 15 e-mail messages a day from Argentineans interested in moving to Spain.
Chayl Masorti volunteers, Eytan Hammerman and Rebecca Hoffman Hammerman, are living in Madrid this year and are very involved with the kehillah. Their activities include organizing programs for youth and for Marom young adults, teaching Hebrew to adults, developing the Sunday school in the kehillah and assisting the new immigrants. Rabbi Wernik praised the outstanding contribution they are making to the community.
In addition to meeting with Eytan and Rebecca, Rabbi Wernik met with Bet El Director Mario Stofenmacher, Bet El President Felipe Crasny and addressed the kehillah on the topic, “Past, Present and Future of Masorti Judaism”. He also visited the Jewish day school “Escuela Estrella Toledano—Ibn Gabirol” where there are currently 280 students in grades one through ten.
Women’s League is organizing a Fall 2003 mission to Madrid and Israel with an emphasis on the Masorti Movement. For further information, contact Women’s League: womensleague@wlcj.org
" Increasing the Light "- Marom UK Visits Jerusalem
by Avigail Ben Aryeh, Masorti shlicha to the UK
From November 29th through December 1st, a group of 35 participants from the United Kingdom comprised of young adults, students and the NOAM staff came together for a fabulous three-day “Increasing the Light” Marom seminar in Jerusalem. The major themes of the seminar were the meaning of Hanukkah for Jews today and the current situation in Israel and how it affects Diaspora Jews.
We were joined by Israeli Marom members, staff and students of the Conservative Yeshiva, NOAM Bogrim (graduates) and NOAM’s Israel Drachim program participants for a weekend of learning, davening, socializing and sightseeing. There were 70 participants at the Friday evening program at the Dan Panorama Hotel in Jerusalem. There was an extremely positive feeling about our strength and a real feeling of unity in the group.
Highlights of the seminar included studying at the Conservative Yeshiva, walking through the Old City, visiting the Kotel by night and digging and crawling in the Beit Guvrin caves with Archaeological Seminars.
The participants came back with the feeling that they can and should go to Israel as often as possible in order to show their support to the country and to breathe in the spirituality of the land. There was an agreement that Israel is a much safer place then what is shown through the media.
We sincerely wish to thank all the organizations and people who helped make this seminar possible including the Jewish Agency, WZO Hagshama Department, the Conservative Yeshiva, Masorti communities in the UK, Gesher and Masorti Olami.
Ordination of Rabbi Gesa Ederberg
We are pleased to announce that Gesa Ederberg, from Berlin, Germany, was ordained by the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem on December 10. Gesa returned to Berlin in July and has begun to organize “Masorti Verein”, the organization for Masorti Judaism in Germany. Gesa is working part-time with the kehillah in Weiden teaching students in the religious school, giving a bi-monthly evening shiur (lesson) to the congregation and leading services a few times a month. She is also working with new immigrants from the Former Soviet Union, most of whom have little or no Jewish knowledge but are searching for a Judaism that answers their needs.
Gesa is preparing to open a Lehrhaus in Berlin. The Lehrhaus will serve as a resource center for the small congregations in Germany and will be a center for Jewish learning, providing both informal learning and professional training in a modern, pluralistic atmosphere.
A wonderful article about Gesa appeared in the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz on December 16th and can be viewed at:
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=241395&contra...
For more information about our activities in Germany, visit: http://www.masortiworld.org/countries/germany/
Kehillat Adath Shalom (Paris) Visits Israel
A group of thirty members from Kehillat Adath Shalom is currently on a ten-day visit to Israel. In addition to touring and lectures on many subjects, the group has met with members of the Masorti Movement in Israel and joined Kehillat Ma’ayanot in Talpiot for t’fillot on Shabbat. We look forward to hearing a report of their visit and seeing pictures on our web site!
Hazamir Choir Connects Youth from New Jersey, Madrid and London
Cantor Joel Caplan of Caldwell, New Jersey led a delegation of 32 Masorti teens from New Jersey congregations on a singing tour to interact with Masorti youth from Madrid and London. The New Jersey teens hailed from Congregation Agudath Israel in Caldwell, Beth Shalom in Livingston, the Summit Jewish Center and other neighboring congregations. They performed in front of 180 people in Madrid and participated in a rare, festive Bar Mitzvah in the rapidly growing kehillah.
Additionally, Hazamir connected the emerging Madrid NOAM group with NOAM in London, by bringing a Madrid delegation with them to London to perform jointly with our NOAM London Hazamir Chorale Group. The British, Spanish and American NOAM links were exciting and will continue this February when a delegation of European NOAM youth are hosted by Cantor Caplan's New Jersey Hazamir Group. They will also participate in the Hazamir Choral Festival that will include a dozen groups from all over North America.
Tu B’shvat Web Sites
Tu B'Shvat, the New Year for Trees, falls on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shvat, which will commence this year at dusk on Friday, January 17 and continue until nightfall on Saturday, January 18.
Jacob Richman’s website contains 67 links about Tu B'Shvat, ranging from explanations and customs to games and recipes. Site languages include English, Hebrew, Russian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German and Italian. The web address is: http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/j-hdaytu.htm
Be sure to also check the web site of the Jewish Theological Seminary for a variety of lessons, readings, recipes, environmental tips, and more: http://learn.jtsa.edu/tubshevat/
You can also plant a tree in Israel on the Jewish National Fund (Keren Kayemet L’Yisrael) web site: http://www.kkl.org.il/englishMain.asp
Tu B’shvat Sameach!
Other News Briefs:
The Twinning Program with Argentinean Kehillot continues to expand. If your kehillah is interested in joining the twinning program, please be in contact with our Twinning Program chairmen Rabbi Leonardo Bitran (rab007@speedlink.net) or Rabbi Eliseo Rozenwasser (adath@nac.net)
Two Marom birthright groups are currently touring in Israel. We are pleased to welcome a group from Spain and a group from Budapest.
A very successful Marom Budapest Chanukah Festival took place during the holiday. 300 Hungarian young adults participated in workshops and learning sessions about Chanukah.