4 ways of connecting your Seder to Israel and other news from Masorti Olami

Uganda To South Africa -

A Historical Rabbinic Visit

Rabbi Gershom Sizomu, Rabbi of the Abuyadaya community in Uganda recently visited the Masorti Shalom Congregation in Johannesburg, South Africa. The kehilla warmed to him immediately as his magnetic personality, warmth of character and Jewish insight permeated through the congregation.

Rabbi Sizomu spoke on the local Jewish radio station ChaiFM. He was also interviewed by the local Jewish newspaper The Jewish Report, a weekly publication.

He gave the D'var Torah on Friday night, Maftir and Haftorah on Saturday morning, gave a talk on the Abuyadaya congregation on Saturday morning as well as singing for us on Sunday Morning at a Breakfast Minyan.

"It was an absolute pleasure to have him with us and we do foresee that we will certainly be able to connect with him and his congregation in the future. As a gesture of our 'twinning' with his congregation we gave him our old Torah covers and curtain to take back with him as ours were recently redone as a result of a donation which we received. He in turn dedicated the new covers in our shul. We were absolutely overawed by his presence and thoroughly enjoyed his interaction with our congregation." wrote Tony Harmon, Chairman of Masorti Shalom Congregation.

O Canada!

Rabbi Tzvi Graetz visited Canada earlier this month. He served as the Scholar in Residence at Congregation Beth Tzedec in Toronto.

Many thanks to Rabbi Baruch Frydman-Kohl (above right) and his entire kehilla for a wonderfully warm reception.

The MERCAZ Canada Reception at Beth Tikvah Congregation in Toronto. Thank you to Rabbi Jarrod Grover (back 3rd from left) for hosting. Also pictured: Rabbi Sean Gorman (l), Rabbi Jennifer Gorman (front 1st from left) and Rabbi Tzvi Graetz (middle) and other members of MERCAZ Canada.

Morning services at Or Shalom in London, Ontario.

On Sunday, he visited Or Shalom in London Ontario, where he spoke on Religious Pluralism in Israel. Or Shalom's

Rabbi Catherine Clark said "Thank you for speaking at Or Shalom this morning. Already a number of congregants reported back that they are pleased to have had the opportunity to learn about the important work of MERCAZ and Masorti Olami. Greater appreciation for the many ways in which Judaism is practiced is important to the congregants at Or Shalom."

Rabbi Graetz also spent time at Beth Jacob in Hamilton Ontario and with members of MERCAZ Canada.

At Beth Jacob Synagogue with Rabbi Dan Selsberg (l) and Rabbi Jennifer Gorman (middle).

Thank you to Rabbi Jennifer Gorman, Executive Director of MERCAZ Canada and to Marion Mayman, MERCAZ Canada President, for helping us to spread the word about the importance of MERCAZ around the world!

Masorti Olami projects are supported by
The World Zionist
Organization

March 2013/Nissan 5773

Shalom,

I am pleased to once again present our annual '4 ways of connecting your Seder to Israel and the Jewish People' publication.

This year we encourage you to discuss the groundbreaking speech of MK Dr. Ruth Calderon in the Knesset, to ponder the meaning of freedom, to wonder what you can do to promote change in the world and to connect your Seder and yourself to the State of Israel.

4 ways of connecting your Seder to Israel and the Jewish People is available online on our website in English, Hebrew, Spanish, French, Portuguese and coming soon -Russian. You can download and print either in color or black and white.

Feel free to share our ideas and conversation starters with friends and family to enhance the Seder experience.

On behalf of all of us at Masorti Olami and MERCAZ Olami we wish you, your family, your friends and all of Am Yisrael a Chag Pesach kasher v'sameach. Happy Passover!

Kol tuv,
Rabbi Tzvi Graetz
Executive Director, Masorti Olami & MERCAZ Olami

Click below to download the 4 ways to connect your Seder to Israel & Jewish People. Available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian (coming soon), Hebrew and French.

It was a Happy Purim around the world!

Comunidad Hebrea de Guadalajara, Mexico

Purim at Congregacion Bnei Israel in Costa Rica

3 generations of Purim in Circulo Israelita Santiago, Chile

Reading megillah at Weesp-Alsmere in Holland

Comunidad Aviv in Valencia, Spain

Purim in Uganda

Maayane Or in Nice, France

MAROM Purim Tea in Bristol, England

Purim Shpiel at Adath Shalom in Paris

Celebrating Purim at the Masorti Kindergarten in Berlin

The whole megilla at Centro Unión Israelita Argentina

NOAM Latin America Shabbaton in Buenos Aires, Argentina

On March 8 & 9, over Shabbat, the leadership of NOAM AMLAT (Latin America) gathered together to begin planning the main cross country projects for the year. Representatives from Chile, Argentina and Brazil elected new leaders and put in place the structure to move these projects forward.
Congratulations to Eliana Waingortin (Chile) who was elected as the new president of NOAM Amlat. Also to Fernanda Tomchinsky (Argentina) as the head of education and Henry Gherson (Brazil) as secretary.