MERCAZ Newsletter -Fall 2003
News from the Worldwide Conservative-Masorti Movement

Mazal Tov

. . . To MERCAZ USA Board Members Dr. Izzie Weinzweig and Gillian Krieger. Izzie was honored by the American Zionist Movement-Chicago Region at its Biennial Assembly this past May, upon the successful completion of his term of office as President, while Gillian was installed at the same time as one of the organization's new Vice-Presidents.

. . . Also to MERCAZ Board Members Matthew Earne and Noah Liben who represented Marom/Koach at the Marom Europe Seminar, which took place this past May in Budapest.

Conservative Youths Returning to Israel

Despite the continuing matsav in Israel, the Conservative Movement can take great pride in knowing that our various youth programs to Israel are rebounding from last year's fall-off in numbers, in contrast to virtually every other non-Orthodox youth organization.

USY presently has 237 participants in its Israel Pilgrimage, up from 74 last summer. Ramah has 189 in its Israel Seminar, almost 80% of its enrollment in years past. In addition, some 50 participants are expected to join USY's yearlong Nativ program this coming fall, compared to the 23 that were here in 2002-03. Ramah's academic programs are also continuing apace, with several Solomon Schechter day schools having reinstituted their 8th grade Israel class trips.

Masorti Movement Receives Government Allocations

Earlier this year, the Masorti Movement was granted $67,000 by Israel's Education Ministry for Jewish studies and cultural activities undertaken in 2002. This award came on top of a wholly unexpected allocation of $4,000 by the Ministry of Religious Affairs for the printing of the new Masorti prayerbook "Va'Ani Tefilati". While grateful for the unexpected funds, the Masorti Movement leadership is not sure if the Religious Affairs Ministry realized that the siddur in question is not a standard Orthodox prayerbook!

New Fuchsberg Center Facility Opens

The United Synagogue's Fuchsberg Center in Jerusalem has celebrated recently two important milestones. First off, the long-term Residence and Program Center, at 2 Agron Street, was formally opened. The century-old structure, which can accommodate up to 70 students in 19 residence rooms, has now become the home base for the USY NATIV program and other long-term study programs.

In addition, the Youth and Education Center at 6 Agron Street received final zoning board approval after nearly two years of legal wrestling and is scheduled to open for groups as of Spring 2004. The new center, which is to be named in memory of Alan J. Tichnor, a former United Synagogue president and MERCAZ USA Board member, includes 34 rooms, two dining halls, an auditorium, classrooms and lecture halls.

Both facilities, which are on the level of a 3-star hotel, are also available as accommodations for individuals and groups. Synagogue groups interested in accommodations at the Fuchsberg Center's facilities should contact Rabbi Edward Romm, Director of Education, at romm@uscj.org. Individuals and families wishing to stay at the Center should contact the Israel Youth Hostel Association, at iyha@iyha.org.il or fax 972-2-655-8430, and indicate interest in the Fuchsberg Center Residence Facility.

Schechter Institute Gains Israeli Accreditation

After nineteen years of operating as a branch of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies (SIJS) in Jerusalem recently received accreditation by Israel's Council for Higher Education to operate as an Israeli institution of higher learning. Gaining full membership into the Israeli academic community, this recognition paves the way for the Schechter Institute to grant an Israeli academic degree.

Following guidelines set by the Council of Higher Education, the Schechter Institute has set up separate oversight boards to govern the academic activities of the Institute, its graduate School for Advanced Studies, and the non-academic activities, which include the TALI Education Fund, the Rabbinical School and Midreshet Yerushalayim. While the former will now be governed as an independent academic unit, the Schechter Institute remains committed to the spirit of Masorti Judaism, which will continue to underlie the other educational units, such as the Rabbinical School.

New Tel Aviv Masorti Center

Planning and fundraising is moving ahead on a new Masorti Movement cultural center to be constructed in Tel Aviv's historic southern Neve Tzedek neighborhood. The Center will be housed in the historical Lorenz House, which was a focal point for artists and intellectuals at the beginning of the 20th century when the new Jewish city of Tel Aviv was founded outside the ancient port city of Jaffa. When completed, the Center will serve as a unifying factor for the various institutions of the Masorti Movement in the Tel Aviv area, including the synagogue of the Sinai Congregation and the Bet Midrash of the Tel Aviv Midreshet Iyun. Rabbi Roberto Arbib heads both institutions.

Conservative Yeshiva Selects New Head

Rabbi Richard Lewis was appointed the new Rosh Yeshiva of the United Synagogue Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem, joining Rabbis Joel Roth and Pesach Schindler as the program's educational leaders. Rabbi Lewis, a graduate of Columbia University, who made aliyah from Worcester, MA, in 1979, was ordained at the Schechter Institute in 1995 and has served as a senior lecturer in Talmud and Halacha at Schechter. He succeeded Rabbi Roth as a Rosh Yeshiva in July, following the latter's return to New York to resume fulltime teaching responsibilities at the Jewish Theological Seminary.

MERCAZ "Greens" Impact KKL Policies

At last year's Zionist Congress, MERCAZ Olami officially welcomed the Green Zionist Party into our ranks and quickly appointed two of its Israeli representatives to fill MERCAZ positions on the Keren Kayemet/Jewish National Fund Board of Directors. With their strong backgrounds in ecology and their unwavering commitment to environmental activism, Dr. Eilon Schwartz and Dr. Alon Tal have quickly made their mark on the organization.

One area where the new MERCAZ representatives have been successful has been in getting the KKL to adopt "tunnels" as a way of mitigating the environmental impact of new highways on the Israeli landscape. For example, the Board's decision to put a new section of the Trans-Israel Highway (Route #6) underground through the scenic region of the Menashe Forest came about through Dr. Tal's lobbying. At the same time, Dr. Schwartz continues his work as an advisor to help enrich the KKL's environmental education initiatives and was recently a featured speaker at an international KKL conference for young Jewish environmentalists.