MERCAZ Newsletter - Summer 2001

Around The Worldwide Conservative/ Masorti Movement

Mazal Tov

...to Rabbi Alan Silverstein, President of "Masorti Olami", the new name for the World Council of Conservative/Masorti Synagogues, who has established the organization's international headquarters in Jerusalem.

...to Rabbi Matthew Futterman, spiritual leader of Congregation Netzach Yisrael in Ashkelon, who was elected president of the Rabbinical Assembly-Israel Region and, with MERCAZ USA Board Member Rabbi Gerald Skolnik of The Forest Hills Jewish Center, was appointed Co-Chair of the Rabbinical Assembly's Israel Committee.

...to Rabbi Ehud Bandel, President of the Masorti Movement, whose appointment to the Jerusalem Religious Council was approved earlier this year by a special Ministerial committee set up by former Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Since the appointment, however, the Orthodox members of the council have been boycotting the council meetings to protest the participation of non-Orthodox members.

...to Dr. David Breakstone, MERCAZ Olami representative on the Executive of the World Zionist Organization and Chairman of the Department of Zionist Activities, who assumed the chairmanship of the Masorti Movement.

Refuah Shlaymah

to Monique Goldwasser from the Masorti congregation Netzach Yisrael in Ashkelon, who was one of the 23 soldiers injured at the beginning of March when a Palestinian driver intentionally rammed his bus into the bus stop outside the coastal town, killing eight young people. Critically injured in the attack, Monique has been recuperating at Sheba Hospital at Tel Ha-Shomer outside of Tel Aviv.

Zichronam Livrachah

Rabbi Charles W. Siegel, founding rabbi of the Moriah Synagogue in Haifa. Ordained from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1968, Rabbi Siegel immediately made aliyah and was a pioneer on behalf of the Conservative/Masorti Movement in Israel for over 30 years.

Rabbi A. Joseph Heckelman, founding rabbi of the Conservative/Masorti community Kehilat Shalvah in Safed, a position he held until his death. Ordained in his 40's after a career in business, Rabbi Heckelman made aliyah in 1968 and served as president of the Rabbinical Assembly-Israel Region.

Baruch Cohen, the 59-year old custodian at the Masorti-oriented TALI Frankel Elementary School in Jerusalem's French Hill neighborhood and father of five, who was shot and killed by Palestinian terrorists while driving on the Gush Etzion-Jerusalem Highway en route to work from his home in Efrat.