A new publication of Masorti AMLAT in cooperation with the Latin American Rabbinical Assembly, the Seminario Rabinico, NOAM Amlat, MAROM  Amlat and the WZO

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L'hitraot Marcus!

Thank you Marcus Frieze for all of your hard work on our behalf!  We wish you much success in your new position!

 

Masorti Olami

MERCAZ Olami

MAROM Olami

&  NOAM Olami


The Mitzvah of Brit Milah (circumcision)

 

 With the sponsorship of Masorti Olami, Dr. David Ungar , a physician from  Melbourne Australia will be traveling to North America to participate in Karyat HaBrit, a program that trains physicians to be mohelim.  

 

Upon his return, Dr. Ungar will be able to provide a much needed service to Masorti families in Melbourne and other communities in Australasia.  

 

Yashar Koach to Rabbi Adam Stein and Dr. Ungar on this important initiative!


Masorti Olami projects are supported by
The World Zionist
Organization
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Purim 5773/February 2013
 
Be like Esther!
 
Of all of the Jewish Holidays throughout the year, only Purim has at its very center a woman, Queen Esther.  The midwives in Egypt and the prophetess Miriam who play a central role in the story of the Exodus from Egypt do not appear in the Haggadah.   

So why Esther? There are those who claim that Esther was merely a pawn of her Uncle Mordechai and the other men in the story.  There are those who claim that Esther was an integral part of  saving the Jews of Shushan from annihilation.  There are some who deride Esther for participating in what was a Persian version of Miss America with the winner joining the King's harem, not getting a scholarship for college!  

What we can all agree on about Esther is that she had courage. Whether Mordechai was in charge or if she came up with the ideas herself - it was only Esther who put herself at risk to carry out her mission of saving her fellow Jews.  She could have failed or she could have died, but she was still motivated by her inner compass of knowing what she had to do.  The Megillah never states whether that inner compass is God, in fact God's name never appears in the entirety of Megillat Esther.  Literally read, it is the victory of a small nation that secures its right to live within a bigger one.  

Today, Jews do not only live in Eretz Yisrael.  They live all over the world and like Esther, they are sometimes called upon to defend their faith.  Yet, They also have succeeded in building Masorti communities that blend support of Israel with pluralism and tradition.  

Be like Esther!  Stand up and be counted as a Masorti Jew wherever you are. Take action for those causes you know are just.  

.ליהודים היתה אורה ושמחה וששון ויקר.  כן תהיה לנו
Grant us the blessings of light, gladness, joy, and honor which the miracle of deliverance brought to our ancestors.  Esther 8:16


Kol tuv,
Rabbi Tzvi Graetz
Executive Director, Masorti Olami & MERCAZ Olami    
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Welcome to Israel!   
A record 95 Participants from Latin America in the MAROM Olami Gap Year in Israel Program for NOAM and Chazit HaNoar (South American Masorti/Conservative Youth Movement) arrive in Israel the last week of February!  Keep an eye on future newsletters for pictures!

 

Celebrating Tu B'shvat in Argentina (left) and above in Spain!  
Kehillah Neve Shalom in St. Germain en Laye hosts Rabbi Dr. Rony Klein for a day long study on the Book of Exodus   

 

Rabbi Dr. Rony Klein paralleled two different interpretations of the book of Exodus; that of Emmanuel Levinas in a Talmudic reading entitled "The temptation of temptation" and that of French Philosoper Dr. Shmuel Trigano in his book The New Jewish Question.

 

Both lectures  shed light on amazing episodes of well known biblical stories and illustrated how they can be read from almost opposite assumptions. 

 

Dr. Rabbi Rony Klein holds a Ph.D. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a graduate of the Schechter Rabbinical School in Jerusalem, is a specialist in Jewish thought and contemporary French philosophy. He lives in Tel Aviv.  

 

The day long study program was supported by Masorti Olami and the WZO.
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