Masorti Olami

June, July & August 2008 - Sivan, Tamuz & Av 5768
By Judy Dvorak Gray
 
Although it’s summer here in the northern hemisphere, our work does not stop and go on holiday! Many exciting events take place during the summer in Europe and the FSU. In the southern hemisphere, our kehillot are at the height of their winter activities.
 
Enjoy the highlights from these past few months: Masorti AMLAT Masorti Europe Africa New Shlicha to North America Coming Events Masorti AMLAT (Latin America) 120 people from throughout Latin America, along with representatives from North America, Israel and Marom leadership, attended the Masorti Latin America (AMLAT) Conference in June in Buenos Aires.
 
Rabbis and lay leaders came together to study, discuss ideology and work together to build and strengthen the movement. Prof. Isabel Burstein was recently appointed Executive Director for Masorti Latin America. Ms. Burstein, a member of Nueva Congregación Israelita (NCI) in Montevideo, Uruguay, has more than 30 years of Jewish educational experience in different fields in the Uruguayan community, teaching students and teachers, youth and adults and volunteering in community work. She has been active in MERCAZ Uruguay since 2002. We wish her success in her new position.
 
On August 16-18, a special course for 200 NOAM Argentina madrichim (counselors) took place at a camp outside Buenos Aires. The theme of the retreat was “Shoa and Jewish identity.”
 
47 participants on the Marom “Shnat” (year) program from Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina have been in Israel since February and are currently finishing their wonderful community service work in Beit Shean and Carmiel. They spent time with NOAM Israel at camp this summer and had a bonding experience. After a preparation seminar, they will begin time volunteering on Kibbutz Revivim on September 1st.
 
A group of Bet El Mexico City post-high school participants arrived in Israel in August and are located on Kibbutz Geva in the Jezreel Valley. They have already begun to integrate into kibbutz life and are enjoying weekly educational trips, seminars and the kibbutz atmosphere. Masorti Europe Rabbi Jules and Navah Harlow made their tenth visit to our Beit Yisrael in Lisbon, Portugal in June. They were also invited to visit our kehillot in Madrid, and Valencia. The Harlows were warmly received by the communities, bringing their special ruach (spirit) and enthusiasm teaching, praying, singing and participating with kehillah members in community activities. Yasher Koach!
 
Budapest Marom Festival – Over 300 young adults from Hungary and across Europe took part in an eight day festival in August, which took place in a small village near the resort town of Lake Balaton outside of Budapest. The festival included workshops on various subjects such as Israeli theater and gender, concerts, drama sessions and much more! The Wall Street Journal wrote about this unique festival and interviewed Adam Schoenberger, Marom Budapest Coordinator: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121753435158101893.html
 
David Touboul, Schorsch Fellow and fourth year student at the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary, visited Association “Centre Judaica”-Communaute Massorti Marseille-Provence for Shabbat Nasso, June 6-7. The kehillah formally joined Masorti Olami in November 2007. David met with co-presidents Jean-Marc Benaccoun, Gerard Adjadj and Sonia Binisti along with Massorti France President Sergio Wax. Touboul participated in tefillot and joined the kehillah for a community dinner, answering questions about Masorti Judaism. David, a native of Paris, is committed to returning to serve as a rabbi in France upon his ordination in 2009.
 
NOAM UK had a very successful summer with over 400 campers in both Wales and France. Their time was filled with outdoors activities and meaningful sessions all in the special spirit of NOAM. 120 youth were part of the largest ever NOAM UK Israel Tour who toured the country for four weeks learning about Israel, Masorti Judaism and their personal relationship to the land and the people. 18 members of NOAM UK arrive in Israel on August 28 to participate in the Drachim program. This is the largest delegation of Masorti UK “gap year” students to date. They will spend 10 months in Israel studying, volunteering and getting to know the country.
 
Africa Rabbi Gershom Sizomu was ordained at Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and returned to Uganda in July to serve the Abuyadaya community. We look forward to working together to develop programs for youth and members of the community.
 
New shlicha (emissary) to North America Itamar Kremer, Masorti shaliach to MERCAZ USA and KOACH, is finishing his two year service as a shaliach in August. We thank Itamar for his successful work. Naomi Freedman will be taking his place at the beginning of September. Naomi grew up in Jerusalem and was an active member of NOAM and served on the senior staff of NOAM and Camp Ramah NOAM. She has her B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She is also a licensed tour guide, certified folk dance instructor and has served as an educational guide for birthright groups, Ramah Israel Seminar and Nesiya. We wish Naomi a successful journey!
 
 
Coming Events Masorti Olami – World Council of Conservative Synagogues invites you to join us at our Evening of Tribute Concert and Reception on November 2, 2008 (4 Heshvan 5769) at Park Avenue Synagogue in New York City. We are proud to honor three extraordinary leaders this year: Dr. Ismar Schorsch will receive the Boneh Israel Award, Rabbi David H. Lincoln is the recipient of the Rabbi Mordecai Waxman Memorial Lifetime Rabbinic Leadership Award and Hazzan Alberto Mizrahi will be honored with the Hiddur Mitzvah Award. To place a greeting in our Commemorative Journal or for further information, please contact: World Council of Conservative Synagogues, tel: 1-212-280-6039. worldcouncil@masortiworld.com
 
 
A meeting in Madrid is scheduled for September 7 to discuss plans for forming a Federation of Spanish Masorti Communities. Representatives from our kehillot in Madrid, Valencia and Alicante will meet with Rabbi Tzvi Graetz, Executive Director of Masorti Olami, and Rabbi Carlos Tapiero from Israel, who has served as a visiting rabbi to Alicante over the past few years.
 
 
A European Masorti Lay Leadership Seminar will take place from Friday, Sept. 12 through Sunday, Sept. 14 in London. Lay leaders from across Europe will attend the seminar which includes a rich variety of sessions on Masorti Judaism, management of a community, creating a vision, working with youth, volunteerism and more!
 
 
United Nations: NGO/DPI Conference in September The 61st Annual NGO/DPI Conference which will take place at UNESCO in Paris, France on September 3-5, 2008. This year’s theme, in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the passage of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights passed in Paris in 1948, is entitled "Reaffirming Human Rights: Universal Declaration at 60". Gloria Landy, World Council’s main NGO representative with the Department of Public Information in association with the United Nations, is Chair of Registration for this conference. Judy Horowitz, World Council’s alternate representative, serves on the Registration Committee.
 
Adath Shalom, our Masorti synagogue in Paris, France in walking distance of UNESCO, has invited the NGO delegates and officials to Friday night services and Shabbat dinner at the synagogue.
 
New web site on its way We are continuing to develop a new web site for Masorti Olami, MERCAZ Olami, Marom Olami and NOAM Olami. We are aware of the frustration since the original site has stopped functioning in January. We ask you for your patience and hope that the final product will provide you with up-to-date information and educational resources. Kehillot: If you have not sent in your “kehillah page” with your updated information, please do as soon as possible!