In honor of International Day of Social Justice, which gives us an opportunity to reflect on the reality in which we live in, and our place within it, Masorti Olami created a study page with texts from the sources and works of modern thinkers in order to offer a Masorti/Conservative perspective of the responsibility of the individual towards one another or the vulnerable in society. Click here to read a special message from Executive Director Rabbi Mauricio Balter and download the files in English, French, Hebrew, Portuguese, Spanish, and Ukrainian.

Masorti and MERCAZ Olami remain committed to raising awareness about the 120 hostages, men, women, and children, that are still being held captive in Gaza, and we pray for their immediate and safe return home, and for an end to the suffering of all innocent people.

Click on the images to read the statements and learn how to join us in our efforts to help bring our people home.

We have organized various different briefings, events and resources to bring to our communities, which you can read more about here.

The Zionism Under Attack Seminar, hosted by MERCAZ Olami in Israel from February 6-8, brought together 30 representatives from Masorti/Conservative communities in Canada, Chile, Argentina, Russia, UK, Hungary, Sweden, and France. The seminar's purpose was to address challenges facing Zionism in the contemporary world and to foster discussions on the role of Masorti/Conservatives communities in supporting and defending Zionism.

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The World Zionist Congress, which will take place next year, is your chance to shape a vision for Israel built on democracy, equality, and pluralism. By supporting MERCAZ, you're not just securing vital funding for Masorti/Conservative programs globally—you're ensuring resources for community education initiatives and promoting religious pluralism in Israel. 2023 brought unprecedented challenges. Now, as we stand with the Jewish state, MERCAZ is at the forefront of responsible recovery efforts, strengthening the bonds between Diaspora Jews and Israel.

We encourage you to be an advocate for MERCAZ and to Israel's pluralistic future, and the unity of the Jewish people. To learn more about MERCAZ Olami and the World Zionist congress, visit: mercazolami.org.

From June 26-30, NOAM Olami held its International Conference in Jerusalem themed Sustainability Through a Jewish Lens: NOAM Leaders Shaping Tomorrow. The event gathered 35 NOAM leaders from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, El Salvador, France, Germany, Israel, Spain, the UK, and Ukraine. With panels, workshop sessions, visits, and tours, the conference program included activities led by our NOAMists and by prominent figures.

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In early January, NOAM Ukraine welcomed 40 chanichim and madrichim from across the country to its winter camp, which took place in Sun Valley, Chernivtsi district.

With 'The Stars of Judaism' as its main theme, the camp included workshops and activities, some led by the chanichim themselves. 

In partnership with the Center for Social Innovation of University of San Andrés, in Buenos Aires, the third edition of Masorti AmLat’s Leadership Development Program was concluded in March. This edition, which featured the participation of Masorti and MERCAZ Olami Executive Director Rabbi Mauricio Balter, who led a in-person session in Argentina, trained 30 volunteer and professional leaders from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and El Salvador. 

Our AmLat region released a promo video for its environmental best practices and standards campaign, Eco Masorti. In the video, rabbis from Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico, and the president of the Latin American Rabbinical Assembly, Rabbi Judy Nowominski, bring the decalogue norms and their importance and relevance, and invite our communities to join the initiative. Click on the player to watch.

Masorti Europe, in collaboration with Masorti Judaism in the UK, hosted their first regional gathering since the pandemic, which brought together an international delegation of over 250 participants from 14 different countries for Masorti Europe’s regional conference. The participants, including community presidents, rabbis, cantors, youth directors, community directors, lay leaders, professionals, and members of communities, came together for a weekend of shared learning on the theme of ‘A European Conversation,’ to explore perspectives on being Jewish in Europe today.

❱❱ Read the full report ❰❰

We celebrated and welcomed the two new rabbis ordained by our European Masorti Rabbinical School Zacharias Frankel College in Germany: Rabbi Levi Israel Ufferfilge and Rabbi Karen Engel.

Masorti Olami and Masorti Europe were proud to send key representatives to honor and celebrate our two newest rabbis in the movement, including Masorti Europe President Wanda Teplitsky, Masorti and MERCAZ Olami Executive Director Rabbi Mauricio Balter and Deputy Director Tehila Reuben.

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Our Ukrainian Masorti/Conservative communities welcomed 13 new mashgichim who completed an intensive 7-month Kashrut Supervisor Course taught by Rabbi Shlomo Zacharow.

Masorti Olami is excited to welcome the new certified mashgichim to our network, and to support this project together with the Schechter Institutes. 

Kehillat Aviv, our Masorti/Conservative community in Chernivtsi, brought together 60 people from Odessa, Kharkiv, Kyiv and Chernivtsi for their Family Camp in May. Families and children participated in educational and fun activities and games, attended Shabbat services and shiurim, and were joined by an additional 30 other Chernivtsi community members for a Sunday Lag BaOmer celebration.

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This Purim and Pesach, Masorti Olami together with Schechter Institutes called upon our friends and supporters worldwide to give generously to a special joint campaign based on the mitzvah of Matanot L'evyonim - Gifts for the Needy - for our communities in Ukraine that continue to struggle with the repercussions of the ongoing war, which began in 2022.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine we have managed to provide our Ukrainian community members, both in Ukraine, and those refugees in Europe, Israel and the US with Jewish communal life.

The tallitot collected in a campaign led by Masorti Olami together with Masorti Israel communities were delivered to the Namanyonyi community in Uganda.

Moshe Sebagabo, spiritual leader of the community that is one of the nine Abayudaya communities in the country, received the donations that will certainly make a big difference in their religious services.

Together with Masorti Olami, current Denver Jewish Day School senior students Maya Friedlander, Mia Wexler, and Megan Coughlan fundraised money for matzah, wine and other Pesach essentials for the Abayudaya Jewish communities in Uganda and Kenya. The campaign was a huge success and we were able to provide 10 communities across Uganda and Kenya with wine and matzot for the holiday.

Click here to learn more about this generous initiative by the students from Colorado, USA.

We thank all donors and friends around the world for continuing to help us support the Abayudaya communities and their more than 2,500 members spread across villages and centers in eastern Uganda and northern Kenya.

Thanks to these generous donations, we continue to help them by providing ritual objects for Shabbat and Holidays, helping to develop their future leadership and teachers, and working with NOAM youth to plan their activities, conferences, formulate a long-term work plan, and increase their network. | ❤ Make a donation today!