New
Student Fieldworker for UK
| David
Goldman, from Marblehead, Massachusetts is thrilled to be coming
to England at the beginning of September for a year to work with
Assembly of Masorti Synagogues as the Student Fieldworker for
UK. David graduated the Joint Program between Columbia University
and List College of the Jewish Theological Seminary this past
May. At both Columbia and JTS, David was an active student, serving
as a Resident Advisor and Student Council President at List College. |
Dave Goldman |
He also was a member of Pizmon, the Jewish a cappella group of Columbia
University. In Pizmon, David travelled around the United States, Canada,
Argentina, and Uruguay in order to bring Jewish music to the various
Jewish communities of those regions. David came to the Joint Program
to learn how to balance secular and Jewish studies and life. He is
eager to share his experiences that he learned as a Jew of the Conservative
movement living in New York City, and he is even more eager to experience
life as a Masorti Jew in London and the U.K.
The position of student fieldworker provides a link for the students
with the Masorti community when they are away from their home synagogues.
Dave will travel to university campuses across the UK to organize
sessions on Jewish topics, lead Shabbat services and introduce or
strengthen Masorti ideology among Jewish university students. He will
work to empower students to take initiative on their own university
campuses and will encourage the students to be actively involved with
Judaism in their own lives. We wish him well in his new position.
Dave is replacing Shira Schwartz who made a mark on Masorti student
life in England. As Michael Gluckman, director of AMS, wrote, “Shira
has had an outstanding year, working with an energetic intensity and
seeing more of the UK than I ever have! Once again she demonstrates
the quality of graduates that we have had here from JTS.” We wish
Shira success in her next adventure.
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Prague – UK Marom
Seminar in September
By Joel Stanley, Marom
Coordinator UK
Maromnikim
from the UK and Prague will join together for a special Marom seminar
in Prague from Thursday, September 22 until Sunday, September 25.
The theme will be "Renewal and Redemption through Music and Song"
and the connection of music to the high holidays. There will be Israeli
movies, singing, some "niggunim", a Prague choir workshop,
tours of Prague (together with nights on the town), an exciting spiritual
Shabbat and a great chance to meet Marom Prague people.
The seminar will take place in the Jewish quarter of Prague with home
hospitality provided by Marom members in Czech Republic.
For more information, write to Petra Mohylova, Marom coordinator
for Czech Republic at Petra_mohylova@yahoo.com
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Marom Argentina
Seminar
By Udi Givon, Director of Marom Olami
On
the weekend of July 22-24, a seminar for students and NOAM counselors
took place outside of Buenos Aires. 320 participants from Argentina
and Chile attended the event.
The theme of the seminar was Zionism. Workshops included a range
of topics such as: The Disengagement from Gaza and Northern Samaria,
What is Zionism Today, Israeli Music as a Cultural Mirror to Society,
and the Relationship of Israel to the Diaspora. We also learned about
the period called "ben ha'metzarim", the three weeks between
the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av.
A highlight of the seminar included a presentation by the graduates
of the "Machon l'Madrichim" from NOAM that told of their
experiences on the year long leadership training program in Israel.
After the presentation, 23 participants signed up to participate in
next year's Machon program.
We are happy to announce that as a result of the initiative of Marom
Argentina, there will be a Marom birthright group to Israel each year
for the next few years. The first group will arrive in February 2006.
This fourth annual Marom Winter Seminar was an experience that strengthened
the Jewish and Zionist identity of the participants and encouraged
the students to participate in both short and long term Israel programs.
I'd like to thank our shaliach in Argentina, Adrian Kohan, for his
help in creating the educational program and organizing the logistics
of this successful seminar.
