Today, July 30, marks the International Day of Friendship. We at Masorti Olami want to take this opportunity to explore how the Jewish tradition defines friendship, a topic that remains very relevant today. In an era where most of our relationships exist digitally and are facilitated through various media sources, it is interesting to ask: Who is a friend? What is the role of friendship these days? And what can we learn about the new reality of life through the conceptual and value-based framework of our tradition?

I hope that the study page we have prepared, which includes diverse texts from different periods, will shed light on and inspire personal curiosity among us to think deeply about the value of friendship and its place in the various relationships in our lives. I believe it is not for nothing that Chazal said, “Havruta O Mituta,” meaning "companionship or death," since a life in solitude lacks spaces of meaning that are essential to human life and development.

Special thanks to Rabbi Natasha Mann from one of our Masorti/Conservatives communities in the UK, New London Synagogue, who wrote a dedicated text for our study page. We were hoping and praying for better days and for the immediate release of the hostages.

Rabbi Mauricio Balter • Masorti Olami and MERCAZ Olami Executive Director