MERCAZ Newsletter - Summer 2002
News From Masorti Olami, World Council of Conservative/Masorti Synagogues

A Message From Rabbi Alan Silverstein, President, Masorti Olami
We are witnessing an unprecedented disappearance of young Jews throughout the world seeking to “blend in” with their peers, and disappear. As Conservative / Masorti Jews, our challenge is clear! We must establish vibrant Masorti synagogues, schools, camps, NOAM youth groups and MAROM young leadership networks everywhere that Jews reside: Western and Centeral Europe, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, Latin America, Australia and South Africa. Our message is unique and indispensable to World Jewry. We invite you to join with us in these efforts.

Masorti Growth in Eastern Europe
Exciting developments for Masorti Judaism are taking place in Eastern Europe. In Prague, Rabbi Ron Hoffberg is serving at Bejt Praha, the Prague Open Jewish Community, and has been accepted by the Federation of Czech and Moravian Jewish Communities as the Rabbi of the Czech Republic. Bejt Praha, established in 1994, now meets for Kabbalat Shabbat and kiddush every week and a full Shabbaton once a month in the city’s beautiful Spanish Synagogue.

Rabbi Ivan Caine, serving in Wroclaw, Poland, has become the official rabbi of the Union of Jewish Congregations in Poland. In Moscow, Michael Kogan, a rabbinical student at the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, has been working to develop a new Masorti kehillah, while in Ukraine, Gila Katz, has been helping as the Masorti Olami fieldworker with the new Masorti communities in Chernowitz, Uzhgarod and Kiev.

European Marom Conference
On February 15-17, 35 young adult leaders from England, France, Belgium, Sweden, Germany, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, together with Eytan Hammerman from MERCAZ USA, came together at Kehillat Adath Shalom in Paris to get to know one another and to begin to build a European MAROM movement. Though MAROM, the organization of Masorti college students and young adults ages 18-30, exists in different frameworks in many countries, this was an opportunity for the young leaders to develop Masorti Judaism together in Europe.

Besides Adath Shalom, led by Rabbi Rivon Krygier in Paris, there are French-speaking Masorti congregations in Nice (Maayane Or - Rabbi Yechaya Dalsace) and Brussels (Beth Hillel - Rabbi Henri Noach).

Helping Our Brethren in Argentina
We are concerned for the welfare of our chaverim during the current political and economic crisis in Argentina. The ongoing financial crisis has had a devastating effect on all the institutions in the Jewish community, including congregations, schools, youth movements and camps.

Rabbi Joe Wernik, Executive Vice President of Masorti Olami, traveled to Argentina in March to meet with Masorti rabbis, community leaders, teachers and youth advisors to listen to their needs. It should be noted that Masorti Judaism is the dominant movement within Argentine Jewry. As a result of Rabbi Wernik’s visit, Masorti Olami is now focusing on the following projects:

1. Kehillah Twinning: coordinating a congregation to congregation project to directly help our kehillot with their increasing needs

2. Day schools and Supplemental Hebrew schools: including support for tuition fees, hot lunch program, transportation, books and school supplies

3. Informal Jewish Education through NOAM and Marom and summer camps: providing additional education and outreach programs to our youth and young

4. Seminario Rabbinico Latinoamericano “Marshall T. Meyer”: the academic, cultural and religious center of the Masorti Movement in Latin America needs funds for scholarships for students, salaries for staff and expansion of library resources.

In addition, we are working with the Masorti Movement in Israel to help with the absorption of new immigrants in our kehillot in Israel. We are also assisting our Masorti community in Madrid to prepare for the influx of a sizable number of Argentine emigres to their community.

Join in a Masorti Olami Mission
Visit our Masorti kehillot this summer and meet our rabbis, lay leaders and members in Eastern Europe, Ukraine and South America. Show your support of our Movement and see for yourself the exciting developments by participating in a mission to our communities and institutions. For further information, contact Larry Ritter at Israel Tour Connection, 1-800-247-7235.