September 17, 2026
Rabbi Loren Sykes
Shalom!
I spent the first few weeks in my new roles getting my bearings, including learning policies and procedures, organizational charts, and some institutional history. I dedicated significant time to listening to professional colleagues from MERCAZ and the Rabbinical Assembly in Israel and the US, as well as lay leaders. I traveled to Israel and back, spent the Shabbat before Rosh HaShanah at Camp Ramah Darom, where we celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of our inaugural summer, and then went to Midbar Kodesh Temple in Las Vegas to join my friend, Rabbi Bradley Tecktiel, in conducting Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur services. It has truly been a whirlwind beginning!
As we enter 5787, my first major goal as the Executive Director of MERCAZ USA is to dedicate even more time to listening to members of:
To name just a few.
During my listening “tour,” I want to hear your Jewish and Israel/Zionist origin stories, to learn what you see as the most central issues in Israel today, and why they matter to you. I hope to discover what Israeli and Jewish culture you are absorbing to fill your neshamot, your souls, from literature to visual and performance arts, from sacred to modern texts, from spiritual to intellectual experiences, and from liturgical to current Israeli music. This tour matters to me personally because I have always been interested in people, their journeys, and their inspirations.
However, there is a far more important professional reason for devoting time to this listening tour: You, the members of MERCAZ USA. You worked hard to get people to vote in the last World Zionist Congress elections. You voted. As a result, we received more mandates, more representation, and more power to make a difference! The next elections will be held in the year 2030. In the interim, we want to give back by sharing stories about people participating in and being impacted by the programs that receive increased funding because of our greater representation in the World Zionist Organization, Keren Kayemet L’Yisrael (KKL), and the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI). We will share stories about members of the Masorti Movement who are contributing good to Israel and about people who got involved with Masorti because they served as shlichim, delegation members, at our camps, in our day schools, and in our communities. We will produce more webinars on important developments in current affairs, culture, science, and technology in Israel, and we will increase resources on Israeli history. We will develop all of this based on what we learn from the listening we are doing now.
I am eager to get your input and invite you to join our listening tour. In addition to organizing online small group meetings based on time zones to learn more about you, your passion for Israel and Zionism, and your interest in MERCAZ USA, I invite you to reach out to me directly at lsykes@mercazusa.org to set up a time to talk.
I wish you a Shabbat Shalom and a meaningful Yom Kippur,
Loren