Dear WRJ Friends,

 

Shabbat shalom!  It seems as if each day brings another fabulous experience, one after the other.  We are having the most wonderful time, with the women on our trip and now with others.  We have joined with the World Union for Progressive Judaism’s 33rd International Conference.  More than twenty-five countries with 500 delegates are participating in the WUPJ Convention.

 

We’re in Jerusalem…it is late March…AND it snowed on Wednesday!  It has been raining ‘cats and dogs’ since we arrived. Yet, we all persevere, change our socks and jackets a lot, and keep going!

 

• Thursday morning we began the day with Anat Hoffman, Executive Director of the Israeli Religious Action Center (IRAC).  Anat is a feminist who, with extraordinary moxie and serious brainpower, accomplishes incredible feats.  To me, she is a twenty-first century Jewish hero. 

A current example of one court case involves the government-subsidized Egged Bus Company which segregates nine bus lines on which women must sit in the back of the bus.  IRAC is suing, requesting that additional lines be made available with typical mixed seating.  Of course, Egged claims there are no such restrictions on these nine lines, but an investigation by two IRAC interns proved otherwise.

 

A warning from Anat:  DO NOT CONTRIBUTE, RESPOND, OR PARTICIPATE in any overture that involves ‘buy and release of women from bondage (prostitution)’ for Pesach.   These programs are bogus.

 

Later on Thursday morning, we visited the gan (pre-school) at HUC-JIR, one of many programs in the Israeli progressive movement to which we give funds.  These pre-schools are an entry point for many secular Jews to learn about Reform Judaism. Of course, the kids are darling and the program fabulous. 

Sobering, however, was the decorated, fully-equipped bomb shelter should it be needed; always, there is a reminder that we are in Israel.

 

We also met with Rabbi Naamah Kelman, director of the First Year in Israel Program for HUC-JIR students.  Naamah, a great WRJ fan since she was a child, reported that there are fifty-eight first year HUC-JIR students with a balance between male and female students (Shelley and I are meeting with the students for lunch on Sunday).  Thirty-two students will head to the former Soviet Union to lead Seders for Pesach.  WRJ underwrites the cost of one student rabbi participating in the Pesach program.

 

Naamah proudly said, “WRJ sees the future” which reflects our significant investment in youth and professional leadership for tomorrow, both in North America, in Israel, and around the world.

 

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• On Thursday evening, we crossed King David Street to the YMCA for the opening session.  It was grand - with drums beating, flutes playing, a huge shofar blowing, and fabulous singing. Resident singer for the weekend is sensational Danny Mesang. Young adults shared their stories of why they are already committed Reform Jews. A children’s choir sang. WRJ Immediate Past President Helene Waranch, now a WUPJ vice president and co-chair of the conference, made us all kvell.

 

Rabbi David Ellenson delivered the opening keynote address on Friday. Rabbi Ellenson, HUC-JIR president, stated, “human beings are called by God to create community in every generation…with an ability to enhance the world.” HUC-JIR students are learning what qualities it takes to stand before God.  As Rabbi Leo Baeck said at the first WUPJ Conference in 1928, “the task today is to begin to create the future.”

 

Shabbat in Israel is really Shabbat!  The country rests.  The people rest.  There is minimal traffic; stores close and probably, people turn off their computers.  Every one of the 500 delegates selected a Reform congregation to attend and then we were all hosted in private homes for Shabbat dinner. 

 

Women of Reform Judaism was honored to recite blessings for the fifth aliyah at services this morning. We have a sizable contingent and felt enormously proud to represent our 75,000 women in this public venue. We greatly appreciated the World Union singing our praises and acknowledging our ongoing partnership.

 

More opportunities for walking tours and/or study follow. More time to eat meals with other Reform Jews from South Africa, Brazil, Bombay, the Czech Republic, Germany, and the FSU.  What’s really fun is to reconnecting with someone I’ve met in Moscow or Uruguay and laughing at our shared history in exotic places.  This world of Reform Jews includes nearly 2,000,000 people in forty-two countries but it remains a world where we recognize faces and welcome back friendships in a moment.

 

I was thrilled to have a few minutes during Havdalah to greet all the delegates on behalf of all our members throughout the US and Canada.  I mentioned how proud we are to be a supportive partner of the World Union and fulfill the part of our WRJ mission to strengthen progressive Jewish life around the world. Speaking to such a distinguished group was an honor. To do it on behalf of WRJ was the icing on the cake.

 

Just when you think you are so tired and have reached your limit, guess again.  Fabulous performer Danny Mesang captured the entire audience with two hours of singing.  If Danny comes to San Diego, do not miss him.  His magnificent voice is equal to his phenomenal guitar playing.

 

Sunday featured Rabbi David Saperstein, Director of the Religious Action Center in Washington, DC, who talked about attending a World Union meeting with his parents in 1959 and meeting Lily Montagu.  His engagement with world Jewry was instilled in his youngest days.  According to Rabbi Saperstein, “we can transform Jewish history.  Seminaries Geiger, Baeck and HUC will provide necessary leadership.  Social justice, the third pillar, emanates from the prophets and our understanding of what God demands of us. We are God’s partner in building a world with justice, peace, and equality. If Judaism doesn’t offer our young people an opportunity to address the great moral issues, we will have failed.”

 

Sunday evening we traveled to Tel Aviv to the inaugural event of Miskenot Ruth Daniel, a new center, both a hostel and an event and social center, for Beit Daniel in Jaffa.  Miskenot Ruth Daniel offers two-hundred comfortable rooms, a large hall which will accommodate all types of lifecycle events, and a view from the rooftop that is awesome, Israeli sea and skyline alike. Think about Miskenot Ruth Daniel for your congregational trips to Israel.

 

At Mishkenot Ruth Daniel, the leaders of our four seminaries talked about each college:  HUC-JIR, the largest and oldest with four campuses; Leo Baeck College in London, Abraham Geiger in Berlin, and the small seminary in Amsterdam.  Two of the rabbis, Walter Hamolka (Berlin) and Avraham Soetendorp (Amsterdam) thanked WRJ; saying that were it not for our scholarships, they wouldn’t be rabbis and neither would their students. All 500 delegates cheered; acknowledging the mitzvot we perform!

 

Tomorrow, Monday, is the conference’s final day. It is jam-packed with programming, culminating with a special evening at the Israel Museum.  Before the gala, we will have an opportunity to network with women from around the world at a workshop chaired by WRJ Past President Dolores Wilkenfeld.  We look forward to the conversation, learning from one another, and finding ways to make connections.

 

More reflections tomorrow if time allows,

 

Love,

Rosanne

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