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Ukraine - July 2011
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Join us in Ukraine next July for a 6 day trip exploring Odessa and Kiev, meeting Ukranian Masorti families and celebrating the installation of Reuven Stamov as the first Masorti Rabbi in the Former Soviet Union. Please note the dates for the trip have now been changed to July 11th to 17th. Click here for details of the itinerary and how to register. |
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Masorti Olami's annual Evening of Tribute will take place in on Sunday, December 11, 2011 starting at 5pm For further information, to reserve your ticket or to place a Tribute ad or message for our honorees, go to www.masortievent.org |
Masorti Olami projects are supported by
The World Zionist
Organization
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September 2011
ELUL 5771 / TISHREI 5772 |
  Shalom,
As the Jewish year draws to a close, we look back at a year in which our worldwide movement has continued to grow and strengthen. New kehillot have been formed in several parts of Europe, and existing kehillot in Latin America have joined our ranks. Throughout the world, youth and young adults have continued to attend local meetings as well as winter and summer camps in great numbers. This past year has seen a record number of young people travel to Israel for short-term and long-term programs. Our successes are many, and we hope that the coming year will be filled with even greater ones.
We look forward to a year of growth in our kehillot, greater connection between our kehillot and with Israel, and of course to even greater numbers of people participating in Masorti educational seminars at home and in Israel.
We also pray for a year of peace, prosperity and happiness for the State of Israel and all Am Yisrael.
Shana Tova,
Dr Steve Wolnek President, MERCAZ Olami
Alan H Silberman President, Masorti Olami
Rabbi Tzvi Graetz Executive Director, Masorti Olami & MERCAZ Olami
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NOAM Olami Shabbaton
Last Shabbat, 60 young leaders from Masorti/Conservative youth organizations in Argentina, Brazil, UK, USA, Canada, and Israel came together for a NOAM Olami Shabbaton celebrating both their shared values and their diversity. For many, including those on NOAM UK's Drachim program, USY's Nativ program and NOAM Israel's Shnat Sherut and Garin programs, this Shabbaton came at the start of their one-year experience of learning and volunteering in Israel.
The event was truly uplifting and moving, with the young leaders discussing their Jewish, Zionist and Masorti/Conservative identities. Personal relationships between young leaders from these different countries were created, and there was a great desire to further these relationships in the future. One participant told us, "Now I understand that we actually have a worldwide movement, and what that could mean to me. Even though we are different, I really feel that we're so much the same. I'm going to make sure to keep in touch with all the new friends I made, and look forward to the next NOAM Olami event."
Click here to see pictures from the Shabbaton, and to keep up-to-date with NOAM Olami news, click 'like' on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NOAMOlami
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MAROM builds minority ties with Roma in Hungary
From August 1st to 7th, more than thirty young volunteers met in Hungary to build partnerships between the Roma and Jewish communities across eight countries of Europe. The "Volunticipate!" project was organized primarily by MAROM, the Masorti young-adult organization, with participants engaging in community building, volunteer and social change activties.
Volunticipate! coincided with MAROM Budapest's third annual B�nkit� Festival at Lake Bank, which brings together over 4,000 activists, artists, students, and anyone interested in social change, and dialogue with minority groups such as the Roma and Jews. The festival provides a forum to exchange best practices for grass roots initiatives, and ties between Hungarian and Slovakian culture are also strengthened by common cultural projects that happen during the festival.
B�nkit� included a full schedule of activties with strong Jewish content, aimed at Jewish and non-Jewish participants. Read more about both of these projects in a Jerusalem Post article here.
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 Celebrating Eid ul-Fitr in Paris
Masorti kehillah, Adath Shalom, in Paris has a long-standing tradition of interfaith dialogue and support in the city. Last month, Rabbi Rivon Krygier along with members of Adath Shalom joined with local officials and diplomats in France, to celebrate Eid ul-Fitr with 700 of Paris' Muslim community. Eid ul-Fitr marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
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 Shalom South Africa
Last month, Rabbi Robert Golub, Executive Director of MERCAZ USA visited South Africa, and spent Shabbat with the Shalom Independent Congregation in Johannesburg. Rabbi Golub, pictured right (with his family outside the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg) read the Haftara, led parts of the Shabbat morning service and facilitated a fascinating Shiur relating to issues of conversion in the worldwide Masorti/Conservative movement.
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 Hammer in Sydney
Rabbi Professor Reuven Hammer from Jerusalem visited the Emmanuel Synagogue in Sydney, Australia last month and gave a Shabbat afternoon shiur on 'Judaism in the 21st Century State'. Rabbi Hammer, who has lived in Israel for almost 40 years, is one of the founders of the Masorti Movement in Israel, educating for many years at the Schechter Institure of Jewish Studies. In addition to writing books, he is also a regular columnist for the Jerusalem Post. Rabbi Hammer spoke about Jewish life in the State of Israel, and the challenges that Masorti Jews face.
The Emmnuel Synagogue in Sydney has a Masorti minyan which meets each Shabbat morning as well as on Chagim.
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