From June 1–8, 29 rabbis, lay leaders and movement professionals from North America traveled to Argentina and Chile as part of the Gladstein Fellowship & Masorti Olami Mission to Latin America. Meeting with local rabbis, community leaders, educators, and volunteers, participants learned how Masorti/Conservative communities in the region are building Jewish life, engaging younger generations, strengthening leadership, and responding to local needs while exchanging ideas they could bring back to their own communities.

Building on the success of the first Gladstein Fellowship & Masorti Olami European Mission in 2015, this initiative reflects a longstanding partnership dedicated to developing Jewish leadership and strengthening connections across the global Masorti/Conservative movement. Inspired by the vision of Jane and Ned Gladstein, whose investment in entrepreneurial rabbinic leadership has helped shape generations of Jewish leaders, these two missions and our partnership throughout, bring together rabbis, lay leaders and professionals, to learn directly from Masorti/Conservative communities around the world and build lasting relationships across regions and generations.

The mission was designed to give participants a firsthand look at Masorti Jewish life in Argentina and Chile. Through community visits, engaging in dialogue with local leaders, and shared Shabbat experiences, participants explored how different communities are engaging members, developing leaders, and responding to local realities while remaining connected to the broader Masorti/Conservative movement.

Rabbi Mauricio Balter shared: “This mission brought together an extraordinary group of rabbis, leaders, and volunteers whose diversity and depth enriched every moment of our journey. Thanks to the inspiring vision of Jane and Ned Gladstein, we witnessed how a shared Masorti dream can flourish in different ways while remaining rooted in the same core values. This experience reaffirmed for me the importance of strengthening a global network of learning, support, and mutual inspiration across our communities.”

The itinerary introduced participants to a wide range of Masorti communities, leadership approaches, and educational initiatives across Argentina and Chile. By visiting and inviting representatives from communities of different sizes and backgrounds, participants gained a broader perspective and glimpse into how Jewish life is being shaped across Latin America today.

The group explored key sites of Jewish and national history in Argentina, including AMIA, a symbol of resilience within Argentina's Jewish community. They also visited Plaza de Mayo, the Casa Rosada, and the historic La Boca neighborhood, gaining insight into the events, traditions, and cultural influences that have helped shape Argentine society.

Throughout the week, they met with rabbis, community leaders, Masorti Argentina leadership, Masorti AmLat leadership, including President Denise Alterwain who joined us for most of the mission, educators, young adults, and volunteers. These conversations offered firsthand insight to explore how communities across Latin America are developing leaders, engaging members, and strengthening Jewish life in their local contexts.

In Argentina, sessions and panel discussions hosted by Lamroth Hakol and Casa Malka, Amijai Community's young adult initiative, explored the history and evolution of Argentina's Jewish community, the development of Masorti Judaism in the country, rabbinic leadership, social action initiatives, and questions of Jewish peoplehood and identity. Participants also met with young adults from Casa Malka to discuss the opportunities and challenges of building Jewish life as a new generation of Masorti leaders in Argentina today and shared a traditional Argentine asado prepared by members of Casa Malka, together with its leaders and representatives of the Amijai community.

The group also visited and toured Hacoaj, one of the country's most influential Jewish sports club, gaining insight into the unique role Jewish communal organizations play in Argentine Jewish life.

In Chile, participants explored the history of Jewish immigration and community life in the country, learned about the development of Chile's Masorti communities, and engaged in discussions on antisemitism, leadership, and the relationship between rabbis and lay leaders in communal life. During Shabbat at Círculo Israelita de Santiago, the group joined services, met with young leaders and rabbis, and took part in conversations about Jewish values, identity, and what drives contemporary Masorti Jewish life.

Beyond the formal sessions, they also traveled into the Andes, visited Laguna del Inca with stunning views of Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere, and toured Viña San Esteban winery. These experiences provided time for informal conversation and reflection, complementing the discussions and learning that took place throughout the week.

Participants also saw the strong and deep connection many Latin American communities maintain with Israel. Whether through educational programs, community initiatives, or everyday conversations, Israel remained a visible and important part of Jewish life across both countries. The exchange of ideas was a defining part of the mission. The group not only learned about Jewish life in Latin America, but also shared their own experiences and perspectives with colleagues from different countries, discovering common challenges as well as new approaches to leadership, community engagement, and Jewish life.

The mission reinforced the important role Latin American communities, from Masorti Olami’s largest region, play within the global Masorti/Conservative movement. From young adult initiatives and leadership development programs to vibrant communal and spiritual life, participants saw examples that sparked new ideas and conversations about what might be adapted in their own communities.

Ned Gladstein reflected: "Our Fellowship/Masorti Mission to Latin America was wonderful for so many reasons, but mostly for the opportunity to continue meeting and learning from our rabbinic and lay colleagues about the similarities and differences in Jewish practice among communities around the world that add to the richness of Am Yisrael – and to experience it all with people we love and respect. And, of course, we are especially grateful to Tehila Reuben for her dedication and doggedly hard work in making this Mission possible, and to Mauricio Balter for his vision and leadership of Masorti Olami, as well as his very dear friendship to us these many years."

The relationships formed among the participants were another important part of the experience. Bringing together rabbis, lay leaders, movement professionals, and educators from different countries created space for new connections, conversations, and collaboration that will continue beyond the mission itself.

The mission demonstrated the value of investing in opportunities that connect different parts of the global Masorti/Conservative movement. By creating space for learning, collaboration, and relationship-building across regions, it strengthened ties that will continue long after the program ended.

More than a decade after the first Gladstein-Masorti mission brought participants to Europe, Masorti Olami was honored to partner again with the Gladstein Fellowship for this mission to Latin America, continuing a longstanding investment in global leadership development and exchange. It was a tremendous privilege to do so under the leadership of Rabbi Mauricio Balter, ahead of his retirement after more than nine years of service as Executive Director of MERCAZ and Masorti Olami, and over 50 years devoting his life to building communities, strengthening leadership, and helping shape the Masorti/Conservative movement in Latin America and around the world.

Masorti Olami extends its tremendous gratitude to Jane and Ned Gladstein, whose vision made these missions possible; to the Gladstein Fellowship alumni and students – who bring such energy, experience, thirst for knowledge and insight to our entire program; to our board members and lay leaders who joined the mission – for bringing your leadership, support and passion for our global movement to our group; to Makor Educational Journeys and the entire team of staff members who made this trip possible; to Masorti AmLat who joined us on the ground and guided us through their important work; and to our host communities, Lamroth Hakol, Casa Malka/Amijai, Nueva B'nai Israel (NBI), and Círculo Israelita de Santiago, who opened their doors to our group as if we were already part of their community, and helped us successfully achieve our goals of this mission.

As participants return to their communities across North America, the conversations, ideas, and relationships built throughout the mission will continue to shape their work and strengthen connections across the global Masorti/Conservative movement. We look forward to building on this momentum through our next Gladstein Fellowship and Masorti Olami Mission to a new region!

Photos by Ariel Jerozolimski