The Reuven Hammer Institute for Masorti Jewish Learning

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In Memory of Rabbi Reuven Hammer z”l

Masorti Olami has recognized a serious need to expand and help support the local Giyur (conversion) process for our communities around the world, beginning in Europe and the Former Soviet Union (FSU), with the aim of growing in the near future to other regions where we are needed. Individuals have been turning to Masorti Olami as well as their local communities and rabbis more and more, and it is our job to support them. Masorti Olami currently provides the funding for the regional European Av Beit Din, who supervises all the Giyur programs and courses in Europe and the FSU. We are looking to continue and deepen our work in Giyur through developing more materials, increasing our presence, and including more interested candidates. Giyur was a topic very close to Rabbi Reuven Hammer z”l’s heart, and he spent his life dedicating his work towards the worldwide Masorti/Conservative movement. In memory Rabbi Hammer z”l, together with the Hammer Family, we are honoring his name and passion for Giyur by setting up the Reuven Hammer Institute for Masorti Jewish Learning at Masorti Olami.

The Hammer Institute in Practice

The overarching goal of the Institute is to ensure that all those interested in converting through the Masorti/Conservative Movement around the world are able to and supported in doing so. This in turn will strengthen the overall Masorti/Conservative Movement.

The Institute will support and enable conversions in the following ways:

Support and provide additional teachers and educators to help teach conversion candidates and guide them through the conversion programs.
Enable rabbis, teachers and the Av Beit Din to travel to communities to work on conversion programs and with conversion candidates.
Recruit volunteer rabbis and students to donate their time to mentor and guide candidates through the conversion process.
Prepare [new] and update existing conversion educational materials, including translating materials into a variety of languages.
Host lecture in honor of Rabbi Reuven Hammer z”l, to raise awareness of the Institute and to help fund its work.

We are a registered non-profit charity in the United States (we are registered under our official name "World Council of Synagogues, Inc." and donations are tax-deductible for US taxpayers). We are also a registered non-profit (Amutah) in Israel with a certificate of good standing (Nihul Takin).

United States