Masorti Olami Tribute Dinner a Success
Thank you to over 160 people who participated in the Masorti Olami Tribute Dinner which took place at Park Ave. Synagogue on November 29 and joined us in honoring several outstanding individuals.
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| An Evening of Tribute at the Park Ave. Synagogue, NY |
Rabbi William H. Lebeau, Dean of the Rabbinical School and Vice Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary, received the Rabbi Mordecai D. Waxman Memorial Rabbinic Leadership award. Abby and Jon Winkelried, philanthropic and communal leaders who dedicated “Camp Elise”, the network of NOAM Argentina’s summer camps in honor of Abby’s mother, Elise Lipsey, received the Sherut L’am Ambassador Service Award. Radka and Jacob Labendz, who advanced the Masorti Movement in the Czech Republic with skill and dedication, received the Simon Schwartz Memorial Young Leadership Award.
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| (left to right) Rabbi Joe Wernik, Jacob Labendz, Radka Labendz, Rabbi William Lebeau, Abby Winkelried, Jon Winkelried, Rabbi Alan Silverstein. |
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| Honorees (left to right) Abby Winkelried, Jacob Labendz, Radka Labendz, Jon Winkelried. |
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| Ned Gladstein and Rabbi William Lebeau |
Incoming President Alan Silberman |
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| Rabbi Alan Silverstein (left) and Rabbi Joe Wernik |
Patricia Vaturi Neiman, NY office coordinator (left), with Janet Tobin, chairperson of the dinner |
Rabbi Benjamin Kretiman presented Jack Topal with a certificate of recognition for his commitment and devoted service as treasurer and World Council board member over the years.
Rabbi Alan Silverman, outgoing President of Masorti Olami, was thanked for his dedication and accomplishments. Alan Silberman has become the next president and we look forward to continuing to develop our movement. (see separate articles about Rabbi Alan Silverstein and Alan Silberman.)
Mazal Tov to Ms. Janet Tobin, chairperson of the Tribute Dinner, members of the dinner committee, Patricia Vaturi Neiman, NY office coordinator, and Eytan Hammerman, Development Director, for all their hard work in making this event so successful.
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Yasher Koach to Rabbi Alan Silverstein
Rabbi Alan Silverstein has completed a five year term as President of World Council of Conservative / Masorti Synagogues—Masorti Olami. During his years in office, many important achievements took place for our movement including establishing the Jerusalem office together with MERCAZ Olami, affiliation of more than two dozen new congregations, continual growth of Marom, NOAM and its summer camps, launching Chayl Masorti (Masorti Peace Corps), creating a position of Latin American Regional Director and a Director of the European Beit Din, increasing involvement of lay leaders in the Board of Directors, increasing partnership with all arms of the movement…and more.
We thank Rabbi Silverstein from the bottom of our hearts for his enthusiasm, commitment and devotion and we look forward to his continual involvement in Masorti Olami in the years to come. Yasher Koach! May you continue to go “may-chayil l’ chayil”—from strength to strength.
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Meet the New President of Masorti Olami
- A Message from Mr. Alan Silberman
| Mr. Alan Silberman will be inaugurated in December as President of World Council of Conservative / Masorti Synagogues (Masorti Olami). He is a member of North Suburban Synagogue Beth El in Highland Park, Illinois. Alan grew up in Chicago, attended Yale Law School and returned to Chicago, where, as time permits, he is a practicing attorney, heading the national Antitrust, Marketing Practices, Franchising & Distribution practice of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, LLP in Chicago and eight other cities. He also serves as a Director of Lex Mundi, an association of more than 160 law firms around the world, and chair its Anti-trust Competition and Trade practice group. In past years, he was chair of the Anti-trust Section of the American Bar. He is married to Margaret, Abba to his daughter Elena, son-in-law Eric, and to son Mark, and Saba to Lauren and Andrew. |
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The main point about the seven minute video on this, the 60th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, is that it makes clear that the violence and murder that was perpetrated against the Jews was undeniably factual and was genocide. The film features a short view of Mr. Lamkin and notes that he originated the term "genocide" to describe the end goal of the Nazis towards the Jewish people.
The opportunity to serve the World Council of Conservative/Masorti Synagogues is an honor exceeded only by the scope of responsibility that it entails. To be asked to follow in the footsteps of Rabbi Alan Silverstein, Dr. Henry Sender, Rabbi Marc Liebhaber, Rabbi Zachary Heller, Rabbi Benjamin Kreitman, and many others who have provided leadership and guidance to our efforts, is more than humbling. At the same time, the knowledge that we have the continuing active involvement of so many leaders, and particularly those who have been working day-to-day to support the World Council, is of enormous comfort. Together, we will continue fostering the development and growth of Masorti kehillot throughout the world -- kehillot which reflect a commitment to Jewish knowledge, study and practice, guided by halacha in modes that enable our timeless values to resonate in today's time and place.
Many friends have offered good wishes with hopes that in these efforts I will go "may-chayil l'chayil" -- from strength to strength. I appreciate their expression. At the same time, it has led me to ask--why "may-chayil l'chayil"? Why not "may-chayil l'gvurah" (from strength to valor!) or some other formulation? Perhaps this is the answer: repeating the same word emphasizes growth that takes place within a single, constant context. In my case, that context has been Conservative Judaism. Both my wife Margaret and I, and now our children and grandchildren, are products of our movement. Each step in our journeys -- from synagogue and community-based schools to Camp Ramah and our youth movements, to leadership positions in Camp Ramah in Wisconsin and the National Ramah Commission (on which I have served for more than 25 years, including four years as its President), to work with MERCAZ and Masorti Olami -- has remained focused on the challenges and opportunities of Conservative Judaism. God willing, it has and will continue to be "may- chayil l'chayil".
There is both a great opportunity and a significant challenge before us It calls for the personal commitment and involvement of people who will be devoted to building "Amcha Yisrael, b'chol m'komot moshvotayhem" (Your people Israel wherever they dwell) -- taking the words from our Shabbat Musaf Amidah and turning them into real facts. I pray that we will move forward in a way that will continue to merit your affection, devotion and support.
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5766 Schorsch Fellows
We are pleased to announce that Jean Claude Suder and David Touboul have been named as the recipients of the 5766 Schorsch Fellowships. The fellowship is awarded to two students studying at the Schechter Rabbinical Assembly in Jerusalem who are committed to serving kehillot abroad after their ordination. We thank Mr. Gerson Kekst for his support in making these scholarships possible.
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David Touboul |
Jean-Claude Suder |
Jean-Claude Suder from Paris has been a student at Schechter for the past three years. From February through May, he completed a five month internship in Adath Shalom Est, the new Masorti kehillah in East Paris. Jean-Claude returned to the kehillah for the High Holidays and will continue his involvement with visits throughout the coming year.
David Touboul, also from Paris, is beginning his rabbinical studies at Schechter this
year. David received his M.A. in Hebrew from the Inalco National Institute for Oriental Languages in Paris. This past year, he worked with Rabbi Rivon Krygier, rabbi of Adath Shalom in Paris, at the Masorti Talmud Torah and in the kehillah.
We wish both Jean-Claude and David success in their studies. We look forward to their contributions to the development of Masorti Olami.
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New Masorti Olami Board of Directors
We welcome the new members of the Masorti Olami – World Council of Conservative/Masorti Synagogues--Board of Directors elected in September and are pleased that so many other involved lay leaders will be continuing to serve on the board.
We sincerely thank Rabbi Alan Silverstein who served as President of Masorti Olami for the past five years. Under his outstanding leadership, our organization has truly flourished. We also want to thank Mr. Jack Topal, former treasurer and member of the financial committee, for all of his hard work and dedication.
President: Alan Silberman (USA)
Vice Presidents:
Ned Gladstein (USA)
Raymond Goldstein (USA)
Gloria Landy (USA)
Rabbi Vernon Kurtz (USA)
J.B. Mazer (USA)
Rabbi Rafi Rank (USA)
Marc Sternfeld (USA)
Janet Tobin (USA)
Skip Vichness (USA)
Judy Yudof (USA)
Wolfgang Levy - Argentina
Mario Grunebaum – Brazil
Rabbi Phil Scheim – Canada
Claude Machline - France
Miriam Marcus – Germany
President of Masorti Israel
Ricardo Elias- Mexico
Gillian Caplin - UK
David Raij – Uruguay
Treasurer: Bill Lipsey (USA)
Financial Secretary: David Simon (USA)
Recording Secretary: Rabbi Richard Hammerman (USA)
Corresponding Secretary: Temma Kingsley (USA)
Rabbi of the Council: Rabbi Benjamin Z. Kreitman (USA)
Honorary Presidents: Dr. David Golinkin (Israel)
Rabbi Zachary I. Heller (USA)
Gerson Kekst (USA)
Dr. David Lieber (USA)
Rabbi Marc Liebhaber (USA
Mario Ringler (Argentina)
Dr. Yoel Schoner (Hungary)
Dr. Ismar Schorsch (USA)
Dr. Henry Sender (USA)
Rabbi Alan Silverstein (USA)
Rabbi Robert Wexler (USA) |
May we continue to go from strength to strength!
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National Ramah Young Leadership Trip to Argentina
Reported by Rabbi Mitch Cohen, Director of the National Ramah Commission
Our senior staff from Ramah camps in North America are going to participate in our first Ramah Argentina experience from December 26, 2005 to January 4, 2006. The purpose of the trip is to educate and connect our future leaders to Jewish communities beyond North America and Israel. We are working together with Masorti Olami to build stronger relationships amongst Conservative Jews throughout the world, thereby broadening the perspective of our North American young leadership. In addition to spending some time at the Argentinean Camp Ramah program, our students will have the opportunity to visit this very strong Conservative Jewish community, as well as spend time with Jewish university and graduate students from Buenos Aires.
We hope that the relationships formed between our North and South American staff members will lead to continued friendships, and perhaps some will come to our Ramah camps in North America for all or part of next summer. This promises to be a unique experience which will broaden and deepen the knowledge and perspective which Ramah senior staff can bring to our camps next summer and beyond, as well as bring added strength to the Conservative Movement world-wide!
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