What We Eat - United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

24 CJ — VOICES OF CONSERVATIVE/MASORTI JUDAISM
and working at an absorption center for
Ethiopian olim as part of Noam’s Shin-Shin
community service program in the year before
army enlistment. Listening to the director of
the absorption center praise these bright
young men and women, I realized that the
future of our movement is in great hands.
We heard from enthusiastic leaders of several
new kehillot in Tzur Yitzchak, Petach
Tikvah, Holon, and Pardes Hanna about
how they are building their communities.
Rabbi Hanna Klebansky showed the group the
megilla scroll she inscribed.
In Karmiel, Rabbi Mijael Even David and kehilla leaders showed off the new addition
to their building and shared their plans
for continued growth.
In Kfar Vradim, just south of the Lebanese
border, we were moved by the persistence
of Mayor Sivan Yechieli in helping the kehilla
realize its dream for a new home. For nearly
10 years that dream was on hold, as government
ministries under the control of
ultra-Orthodox parties blocked efforts to
construct a facility. Even though Sivan is
not observant, he could see the importance
of the Masorti kehilla to the Kfar
Vradim community, and he was determined
to make the building happen.
Pluralism has made its way onto the radar
of many of Israel’s leading political figures.
At our opening dinner, Tzipi Livni,
who then was the head of the Kadima party,
offered some very forceful words in support
of democratic values. Her appearance, given
the timing in a critical primary season, was
testament to her view of Masorti’s growing
stature. We met, too, with Meir Dagan,
the former head of Mossad, and with Rabbi
Uri Regev, the head of Hiddush, a Jerusalembased
organization promoting religious freedom
and diversity. And one of my proudest
moments was meeting U.S. Ambassador
Dan Shapiro at the American embassy. He
and his family are regular and active members
of our Masorti kehilla in Kfar Saba.
Finally, during our visit to the Knesset we
held the first egalitarian prayer service to be
held in the synagogue there since the building’s
dedication in 1966. The service was
lead by Rabbi Jennifer Gorman, a Conservative
rabbi. It followed a morning of
meetings with government ministers and
Knesset members, where we made the point
that religious pluralism and democracy are
matters of major concern to diaspora Jewry,