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IN THIS
ISSUE:
HUC/JERUSALEM ORDAINS LARGEST CLASS OF RABBIS
Hebrew Union
College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) ordained six new rabbis
on November 10 during ceremonies at Mercaz Shimshon-Beit Shmuel, the
World Union’s education and culture center in Jerusalem. The six were
Ilana Baird, Ezra Nadav Ende, Nava Hefetz, Ofek Meir, Avraham Yitzhak (Stas)
Wojciechowicz and Corrie Zeidler, who together constituted the largest
group of Progressive rabbis ever ordained in Israel. (Brief profiles of
the new rabbis appear below, in the Addendum section.)
In a frank and
introspective address made to the 500 guests on behalf of her fellow
ordainees, Hefetz said there is a young generation that “thirsts for a
message of values and significance” yet “distances itself from anything
having even a whiff of Jewishness” owing to the implied connection to
Orthodoxy. “It is incumbent upon us,” she said, “to connect with the
youthful forces of society, to strengthen and empower them, to show them
the way with a Torah of sanity, to sound forth with a voice that is
Jewish and religious, yet different.”
The planned venue for the
ceremony changed twice during the week of the ordination: It was moved
to the Israel Museum when threats by the city's ultra-Orthodox
communities to turn out en masse to block a gay pride parade
scheduled to take place at the same time near Mercaz Shimshon-Beit
Shmuel raised the specter of severe disruptions and even violence. It
was then moved back when parade organizers instead agreed to hold a
modest rally at a more secure location - this time near the museum.
Remarks by Rabbi Michael
Marmur, dean of the Jerusalem campus of HUC-JIR, touched on the issue
when he said, "As we stand here today, we are aware of everything that
has happened around us, the expressions of pride and prejudice, of
tragedy and tension." Rabbi David Ellenson, president of HUC-JIR, added,
"Every person was created in the image of God, and we must promote this
view in all our deeds and actions."
HUC-JIR awarded an
honorary doctorate of humane letters to Aharon Barak, the recently
retired president of Israel’s Supreme Court. In a wide-ranging address,
Barak said that Judaism is not monolithic and, in a clear reference to
the Progressive movement, said that a universal stream of Judaism
"better reflects the values of Israel as a democratic state" than do
more narrow-minded streams. However, he pointed out that the state's
Jewishness could not be ignored. "We are a democracy and our values are
like the values of any democratic state. But we are also a Jewish state
and for this reason our values are the values of a Jewish state. Israeli
society as a whole is going to have to contend with this duality."
Honorary doctorates were
also awarded to two HUC-JIR alumni: Rabbi Kinneret Shiryon, spiritual
leader of Congregation Yozma in Modi'in and a former chair of the
Council of Progressive Rabbis in Israel (MARAM), and Rabbi Gil Nativ, an
educator and the spiritual leader of a Masorti (Conservative)
congregation in Beersheva.
A post-ordination photo
at Mercaz Shimshon-Beit Shmuel: (l-r) Rabbi David Ellenson, president of
HUC-JIR, Rabbi Ilana Baird, Rabbi Avraham (Stas) Wojciechowicz, Rabbi
Corrie Zeidler, Rabbi Ezra Ende, Rabbi Nava Hefetz, Rabbi Ofek Meir,
Rabbi Michael Marmur, dean of HUC-JIR/Jerusalem, and Dr. Yehoyada Amir,
director of HUC-JIR's Israeli rabbinic program.
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BROOKLYN
CONGREGATION BRINGS TORAH TO RUSSIA
Sixteen members of
Brooklyn Heights Synagogue of Brooklyn, New York, recently traveled
to Lipetsk, some 300 miles southeast of Moscow, to present the city’s
Progressive congregation with a specially restored Torah scroll. The
effort grew out of a call to the World Union to determine how best to
help Progressive communities in the former Soviet Union.
“We decided to acquire a Torah scroll, restore it and present it to a
congregation identified by the World Union,” says Linda Sosnowitz, a
member of the delegation to Lipetsk. “We hired a scribe who located a
Torah that had been written in Russia, and who spent a year preparing
it. That year was designated ‘The Year of the Living Torah’ at the
Brooklyn Heights Synagogue, and every member, from preschoolers to
seniors, was included in the project.”
“When we were ready to bring the scroll to Russia,” she continued, “16
people ranging in age 13 to 83 traveled together to Moscow, then by bus
for eight hours to Lipetsk. We passed the Torah from the oldest to the
youngest, and then to the Lipetsk community (see photo below). We sang
with them, danced and ate, and we felt the bonds of kinship.”
Says Olga Zamyatina, chairwoman of the Lipetsk community, "I
drove to the outskirts of the city to be the first to meet and greet the
bus. We had a lovely Kabbalat Shabbat service, and the
congregation prepared food for the Oneg Shabbat. We sang Hebrew,
Yiddish, Russian and American songs and we really felt like one family.
Next morning, the scroll was read for the first time in Russia. I
certainly feel that the wonderful gift of the Torah scroll will continue
to enrich our lives as Progressive Jews.”
”Those who made this journey,” says Linda Sosnowitz, “received blessing
without measure and know that we have kept the covenant made for us and
by us at Sinai. Our congregation will continue to support the
Progressive movement in the FSU, and particularly the Lipetsk community,
in every way we can.”
To find out how your congregation can help the World Union develop
Progressive Judaism in the FSU, contact its Jerusalem office at
wupjis@wupj.org.
Rachel Landman, the
youngest member of the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue delegation, hands the
Torah scroll to Mikhail Mordukhovich, the Lipetsk congregation’s oldest
member.
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WORLD
UNION V.P. MEETS WITH TOP E.U. FIGURES
Rabbi Joel Oseran, World Union vice president for international
development, met with senior officials of the European Union during a
recent trip to Brussels. They included Dr. Michael Weninger, a
top adviser to Jose Manuel Baroso, President of the European Commission
(the executive body of the EU); Jan Figel, EU commissioner of education
and culture; Vladimir Sucha, director general of the commission for
education and culture; and Xavier Troussard, head of the special EU
project called "Year 2008 for Inter-cultural Dialogue."
“I wanted to make sure
these high level officials in the EU were aware that Judaism is
pluralistic,” said Oseran, “and that it includes more than just the
Orthodox (Chabad) approaches, which are constantly lobbying for
attention and funding. I briefly explained our movement’s message and
why we can be excellent partners to help the EU accomplish its
objectives: to increase inter-cultural dialogue, as well as tolerance
and respect for religious diversity; to promote the value of education
in helping to change attitudes; and to counter racism and
anti-Semitism.”
Oseran highlighted the
importance of youth leadership as a key agent for change, especially in
light of the aforementioned “Year 2008 for Inter-cultural Dialogue”
project. “One area that seems appropriate for collaboration,” he says,
“is the role that youth movements can play in promoting interreligious
dialogue and intercultural respect and tolerance. Our Netzer Olami youth
movements throughout Europe can serve as a bridge for such efforts with
other religious youth movements.”
Oseran urged the EU officials to include Progressive Jewish
leaders in roundtable discussions with the heads of the continent’s
Jewish communities, and when inviting Jewish leaders to interfaith
sessions with leaders from other religions. “I explained that we have an
ongoing effort in interfaith dialogue and we would be pleased to
cooperate,” he said. Oseran added that this already appears to be paying
off, in that Weninger, the top advisor to European Commission president
Baroso, has already begun to invite World Union leaders to meetings on
issues involving religious affairs.
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JOCUM
MADE HONORARY LIFE VICE CHAIR OF TOP S.A. JEWISH BODY
Simon Jocum, a stalwart of the Southern African Union for Progressive
Judaism (SAUPJ), was recently honored with the title Honorary Life Vice
Chairman of the Cape Council of the South Africa Jewish Board of
Deputies, where he is a former chairman. Jocum is one of a handful of
Progressive Jewish leaders who have risen to positions of prominence in
the general South African Jewish community. Members of the SAUPJ say
Jocum is held in very high esteem across the entire spectrum of Jewish
organizations in the region. The World Union salutes him on his latest
honor.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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ADDENDUM
The following are brief
profiles of the six rabbis ordained recently at Hebrew Union
College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Jerusalem:
Rabbi Ilana Baird
was born in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk and made aliya in
1993. She has a teaching degree and a Masters Degree in Jewish history
from Haifa University. On numerous occasions during her rabbinic
studies, she traveled to the former Soviet Union to
assist Progressive congregations in outlying areas
as part of a joint project of
HUC-JIR and the World Union.
Rabbi Ezra Ende was born
in Israel. He has degrees in education and Jewish studies, and prior to
his rabbinic studies was education director at Mevakshei Derech, a
Progressive congregation in Jerusalem. More recently he served as
student rabbi for the young Progressive congregation in the Jerusalem
suburb of Tzur Hadassah.
Rabbi Nava Hefetz was born
in Israel, but being the daughter of a U.N. employee, spent much of her
childhood and adolescent years in Europe and Africa. She studied at the
Sorbonne and has a degree in linguistics and French literature. She has
worked as a museum curator and educator, and currently serves as
director of education for "Shomrei Mishpat - Rabbis for Human Rights."
Rabbi Ofek Meir, also a
Sabra, was first exposed to Progressive Judaism as a scout in Noar Telem,
its youth division. He remained active in the movement and helped found
its Havaya summer camp (see
WUPJnews #227). He studied classical guitar at London's Royal
College of Music and holds a Master's Degree in Jewish education. More
recently he founded the Lokey International Academy of Jewish Studies on
the campus of Haifa's Leo Baeck Education Center.
Rabbi Avraham
Wojciechowicz was born in Tashkent. He made aliya immediately
after high school and later was followed by his family. He holds degrees
in political science and Jewish history. As a rabbinic student he, too,
traveled often to the FSU to work with Progressive congregations in
small towns. He also served as student rabbi at Esh David, a
congregation of mostly Russian-speakers in Ashdod.
Rabbi Corrie Zeidler was
born to Protestant parents in the Dutch colony of New Guinea. She came
to Israel as a kibbutz volunteer and met her husband-to-be. After
marrying in a civil ceremony in Holland, the couple returned to Israel,
where Corrie underwent an Orthodox conversion. (Her parents underwent
Reform conversions in Holland and followed her to Israel.) She has
Batchelor's and Master's degrees in Hebrew and has translated 11 books
by such authors as David Grossman and Shifra Horn into Dutch.
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