Masorti Olami

Masorti Europe is made up of 29 congregations in ten different countries with several more in the process of joining. Masorti Europe provides religious and community services to Jews from across the continent, including:

The European Masorti Beit Din provides halachic conversions, divorces, and halachic rulings. Their Kashrut supervision program offers a unique "One Day License" providing regular caterers a kosher kitchen, ingredients, and supervision which reduces the cost of catering a kosher event.[8]

EAJL, The European Academy for Jewish Liturgy pairs lay leaders with cantors and trains them as Schlichei Tzibur (prayer leaders). This empowers small communities and Chavurot who don't have a full-time rabbi or cantor and is key to creating self-sufficient Masorti communities across Europe. In addition to EAJL, Masorti Europe's Rabbinical placement provides small congregations with rabbis and cantors for the High Holy Days.[9]

NOAM and Marom chapters are active around Europe and hold regional conferences.

Masorti Europe also holds regular leadership conferences for members involved in Jewish Education, Security and Interfaith work, Israel Education, and synagogue board members to create networks of regional collaboration and mutual support.

In Europe, the Masorti Movement is the fastest-growing of the major branches of Judaism.[10] A Masorti rabbinical school opened in Berlin in 2013 to cater to those who want to become Masorti rabbis and serve European communities. The Zacharias Frankel College is based at the University of Potsdam and offers a five-year course in English. It is associated with the School of Jewish Theology at the University of Potsdam and the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies of the American Jewish University in Los Angeles. The college is named for Rabbi Zacharias Frankel, who provided the foundational principles of what is now Masorti/Conservative Judaism.[11]

Masorti AmLat is the largest and fastest-growing region of Masorti Olami. It contains more than 70 congregations in eleven Latin American countries from Mexico to Argentina as well as NOAM Olami and Marom chapters. In 2017, Masorti AmLat began an organizational renewal titled "Hitjadshut" to boost its networking and cooperation across the region.[12] This region has seen a recent proliferation of successful programs, some examples of which include:

• Tikunea - Rooted in the Jewish value of Tikkun Olam, Tikunea provides services to those in need including a soup kitchen as well as clothing, a library, yoga, theatre, and group therapy. Tikkunea was founded by the Weitzman Comunidad Educative-Adat Israel in Buenos Aires.[13]

• Bet El 3.0 - Comunidad Bet El of Mexico aims to shape the next generation of leaders and volunteers for their community by mobilizing young adults and newlywed couples. Participants from Bet El spent months in training sessions culminating in a trip to Israel organized by Masorti Olami and Marom where they met leaders of NGOs, startups, social projects, and the Masorti movement and learned how to start and implement initiatives for their community in Mexico.[14]

• YESH! aims to engage young adults in the Jewish community at the critical 18-35 age range. Participants take several trips together during the year and YESH! creates a space to discuss their needs and priorities within the Jewish community. YESH! is a collaboration between Marom and Masorti in Argentina.

• Shituf is the name of the annual Masorti AmLat gathering, focused on joint movement building and training of all member countries, communities, and leaders. Shituf 2019 happened in Montevideo, Uruguay between June 13 and 15 with approximately 100 participants. Shituf 2020 and 2021 took place virtually. Shituf 2021 was opened by the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog.[15]

Masorti Olami is helping with the renaissance of Jewish life in the Former Soviet Union. Masorti Ukraine currently consists of communities in Kyiv, Chernivtsi and Odessa as well as minyanim in Kharkov, Lvov and Berdychiv. The Masoret Kyiv Community was formed when Ukraine native Rabbi Reuven Stamov was installed as the first Masorti Rabbi in the Former Soviet Union.[16]

Masorti Ukraine has extensive and expanding youth activities. There is a Jewish school in Chernivtsi and Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies have held Camp Ramah Yachad in Ukraine for over twenty years.[17] In 2018, NOAM Ukraine opened its first NOAM Winter Camp and the Masoret Kyiv Community hosts an annual family camp where children and parents can learn, experience traditional Jewish life, and worship together.[18]

Masorti Ukraine collaborates with Rabbi Chaim Weiner and Rabbi Shlomo Zacharow to pioneer the first Conservative Hashgacha in Ukraine. Masorti Ukraine continues to bring traditional Judaism back to Ukraine and connect Jews to their roots in a meaningful and modern way.

Australia is the newest frontier for the Masorti movement. Masorti Australia comprises two congregations, Emanuel Synagogue in Sydney and Kehillat Nitzan in Melbourne, and has great possibilities for expansion in the future.[19] Additional bonds are being fostered with Masorti India, having communities in Mumbai, New Delhi, Alibaug and Ahemadabad.

Masorti Africa consists of a community in Johannesburg, South Africa and approximately 2,500 Abayudaya Jews spread across Uganda and Kenya. The Abayudaya Jewish community in Eastern Uganda and Kenya numbers approximately 2,500 members and has eight synagogues and schools in villages around Mbale, Uganda, and in the Ugandan capital Kampala.[20] The community was founded in the early 20th century by Semei Kakungulu, a Ugandan military leader who discovered Judaism after breaking away from Christianity following a fallout with the British colonial authorities. The Abayudaya community formally converted to Judaism in 2002 under the auspices of the Conservative Movement.[21] The community is active, performs its own shechitah, have their own schools and NOAM Olami youth groups and send participants to study at the Conservative Yeshiva and to take part in Onward NOAM Olami.[22][23][24] Many members of the Abayudaya have tried to make Aliya to Israel and Masorti Olami has attempted to support them in doing this. However, Israel's high court has consistently denied the community's ability to do so. Masorti Olami filed a petition on behalf of Yosef Kibita, a Ugandan Jew who had his Aliya denied.[25]

Masorti Olami sends professional Masorti Shlichim (emissaries) from Israel to serve in Latin America, Europe, and Africa, as well as volunteers to Australia, Spain, Prague, UK, and Africa. In order to train and further educate future leaders of Conservative and Masorti communities, Masorti Olami operates a program to send interested rabbinical school students from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America - during their year of study in Israel - to assist in leading Masorti kehillot in places such as Europe. Masorti Olami also partners with the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary in Jerusalem in sponsoring and placing these rabbinical students in France, Germany, Spain, Ukraine, and other locations.[26]

Masorti Olami partners with the International Rabbinical Assembly in its service to Latin American and European regions rabbis. Masorti rabbis serve more than 80 diverse kehillot in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, El Salvador, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, Sweden, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Russia, Australia, South Africa, Uganda, China, Japan and elsewhere.