CJ Shorts: News in Brief about Conservative Judaism
New Training Offered for Israel Advocacy
“We’re in an information war, but it’s an information war we
can win,” says Gary Acheatel, founder and president of Advocates
for Israel. In response, MERCAZ, the Conservative movement’s
Israel advocacy arm (www.mercazusa.org), is training a core
group of advocates to mobilize their synagogue communities at
special Israel training seminars. So far three seminars have been held,
in Baltimore, Chicago, and Los Angeles. MERCAZ partnered with both
the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the World Zionist Organization
to produce the training seminars, at which representatives
from more than 50 Conservative synagogues across America
participated. As participants follow up with organized activities
in their home communities, the MERCAZ advocacy initiative
will reach hundreds of thousands of Conservative synagogue
members.
To learn more about future seminars, contact MERCAZ USA at 212-533-2061 or info@mercazusa.org.
Calling All USY Alumni
Remember USY? Regional kinnusim, swimming in the Dead
Sea, late night sing-alongs with friends, spending Shabbat
with a family you just met, or davening at sunrise at the Grand
Canyon? This transformative Jewish program, now 60
years old, is as strong as ever, connecting thousands of young
people a year to the joy and meaning of Jewish life.
You can help support these programs so that all of our
teenagers can have the opportunity to enjoy the USY experience.
The USY Alumni Association has launched its first
annual campaign, with the goal of creating new leadership
development programs and scholarship opportunities for
our young people. You can support the campaign in two
ways. First, you can make a donation at www.usy60.org. Second,
you can share this information with other USY alums.
Your support will give more teens the chance to strengthen
and celebrate their Jewish identity, acquire leadership skills
and build lifelong friendships. Just like you did.
Cantors Assembly Takes Historic Trip to Germany
Last summer, about 200 people traveled to Germany and then on to Israel with
the Cantors Assembly on a trip that evoked some of the magic and majesty of
the German Jewish culture that flourished before the Holocaust. The highlight
of the trip was an interfaith concert at the Berliner Dom, one of Europe’s most
magnificent churches. The president of Germany was among the guests, together
with members of the country’s flourishing Jewish community, who enjoyed a
program of Jewish and Christian music.
A haunting service and memorial program took place at Dachau, as well as a
special program in memory of the Israeli athletes murdered at the 1972 Munich
Olympics.
The Germany trip is part of a long-time vision of the Cantors Assembly to
take Jewish musical and religious traditions to corners of the world with interesting
and especially difficult histories. “We must never forget the Holocaust and the
many tragedies that have befallen our people through the centuries,” noted CA
President Cantor Jack Chomsky. “But we must not lose sight of the richness of
our history and culture that preceded those terrible events. We were inspired
by the many Jews who have chosen to make Jewish life possible again in Germany
today – and tomorrow.”
Inclusive Simchat Torah Flags from Masorti Olami
There is a 300-year history of Simchat
Torah flags being used to celebrate the giving
of the Torah. But as religious life in Israel
has become dominated by the fervently
Orthodox, it has become impossible to find
flags that depict anything other than men
and boys or male rabbis. Rabbi Tzvi Graetz,
executive director of Masorti Olami, decided
to change that with a new flag emphasizing
the Masorti values of inclusion and
Zionism.
The look of the flag reflects the values
of our modern day kehillot as grandparents,
parents and children dance together in a circle
that represents the passing of our tradition
from one generation to another. All
are included regardless of race, gender or disability.
On the right side, past generations
witness the centrality of the State of Israel
– from Moses to Herzl. Twenty countries
where there are Masorti kehillot – in Europe,
Latin America, North America, the FSU,
and Africa – are represented by their flags.
Over 17,000 flags were sold in the first
five weeks, 10,000 to North America and
the rest to Israel and other communities
around the world. The flags were shipped
with a kit for educational activities using
the flag as a trigger for discussions about
Jewish identity, Am Yisrael and Jewish history.
Flags for next year will go on sale at the
beginning of 2013.