October 15, 2010

Dear Chevra,

I am writing this after midnight in my hotel in Tel Aviv. I have just completed a whirlwind 4 day Masorti leadership mission with 26 others, all of them from the U.S. I can't sleep. I am too excited. My head is spinning with the voices I have heard and the sights I have seen. Although I am looking forward to talking to you all at greater length in our next Traditions newsletter I simply cannot wait until then to share my news.

Our "little" Israeli Masorti Movement has made it "Big Time."

In spite of being grossly underfunded and likely to have to cut back its efforts, given the drop in the US dollar and the drop in North American funding, Israelis in all walks of life are clearly now aware of our existence. True, many are not quite sure of what we stand for yet. But they do know that we provide them and their children, through our programmes, with an opportunity to explore and learn about their Jewish heritage and in our shuls the opportunity to freely participate in communal prayer and Jewish life cycle events in an open, non-dogmatic, acceptable (read 'not ultra Orthodox') fashion and..... they want what we're selling!

The most powerful indication of our penetration into Israeli society to me was not our 60 kehillot (Masorti shul communities) or the requests for new ones, to which we cannot afford to respond, but the fact that 6 MKs from Likud, Labour, and Kadima, including Isaac Herzog, Avishay Braverman and Michael Eiten (all cabinet ministers) spent a total of 4 hours with us. They were with us both in and out of the Knesset, the majority expressing their concerns for the spiritual health of the country, their frustration with the ultra-orthodox and their willingness to help us where possible.

Six MKs obviously thought we and our issues important enough to take the time.

We (the Conservative/Masorti Movement) will never have a better opportunity to help transform Israel into a pluralistic democratic and uniquely Jewish society where all will be treated fairly and equally. Ironically, we are faced with the critical question at this time of all times - "Will Masorti now have the financial resources to take advantage of all the hard, good work its people in Israel have done to create this opportunity?"

We simply cannot afford to fail if Israel is to become the country of which Herzl dreamed. We will not fail.

I am confident that you will help me show my new American friends that Canadian Conservative Jews are up to the challenge.

Kol Tuv,

Ron

Ron Hoffman, President
Canadian Foundation for Masorti Judaism
e-mail: ronhoffman@rogers.com

FOR DONATIONS OR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Tel: 416-667-1717 / 1-866-357-3384 OR on our Website: www.masorti.ca
OR by contacting Ron Hoffman personally.