Launch Event - August 24, 2021

The Masorti Olami Shmita project was launched on August 24, 2021, just before Rosh Hashana. In this event we introduced the topic of Shmita, and heard a fascinating lecture by Dr. Ruth Calderon, former Member of Knesset and Founder and Director of Alma, Home for Jewish Culture, which can be viewed here.

Shmita and Zionism 

Our first lecture to open our series of monthly lectures is on the topic of Shmita and Zionism, presented by Dr. Yizhar Hess, Vice Chairman of the World Zionist Organization.

This lecture discusses how the Mitzvah of Shmita was implemented in the early days of the Zionist enterprise, in the late 1800s. When the first settlers came back to the land of Israel after years of exile, they suddenly found themselves having to face the dilemma of observing Shmita for the very first time.

Laws of Shmita 

Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin, President of the Schechter Institutes, INC., 

Rabbi David explains the Halachot (Jewish laws) related to Shmita, and walks us through his fascinating Tshuva (response) on Shmita and how it can be implemented in the land of Israel.