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In 1979 JTS Chancellor Gerson Cohen announced the creation of the Masorti ("Traditional") movement as Israel's own indigenous Conservative movement, with its own executive director, board and executive committee.
The Masorti movement created MERCAZ, a Zionist party within the structure of the World Zionist Organization. The Conservative movement is thus officially represented in the centers of decision making within the Zionist movement. The Masorti movement sponsors youth groups, an overnight camp, a system of day camps (Camp Ramah), Kibbutz Hannaton and the Hannaton Education Center, Moshav Shorashim, and special programs teaching new olim (immigrants) basic Judaism. It is involved in many issues promoting the legitimate rights of non-Orthodox Jews.
MERCAZ is the Zionist organization of the Conservative Movement, and represents Conservative/Masorti Jews the world over. Its goals include pressing for religious pluralism, working for an equitable distribution of funding from the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency for Conservative Zionist programs in Israel and America, promoting civil rights in Israel for all people, encouraging electoral reform in Israel, and opposing any change in "Who Is a Jew?" and "Law of Return".
MERCAZ is a member of the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency for Israel, both of which have been designated by the Knesset as channels of communication and influence between Diaspora Jewry and the government of Israel. Through these institutions MERCAZ works with on issues such as aliyah and absorption, education, young leadership, and community affairs.
The Masorti movement in Israel adopts positions on subjects of Jewish Law independent of the Conservative movement in the United States, and the two movements sometimes take different positions. The Masorti movement is sometimes somewhat more traditional than the U.S. Conservative movement and has not accepted a number of the U.S. movement's leniencies. For example, the Masorti movement in Israel rejected a decision by the Conservative movement in the United States permitting Jews living far from synagogues to drive to synagogue on Shabbat.
For eight years up to late 2005 the president of the movement was Rabbi Ehud Bandel.
There is a "Conservative Yeshivah" in Jerusalem, but this belongs to the American Conservative movement and not to the Israeli Masorti movement.
While Jacobs found that statement to be compatible with Orthodox Judaism, the Chief Rabbi condemned his views as denial of the divine origin of the Torah. Jacobs was rejected for the principalship of the Jews' College and subsequently from the United Synagogue rabbinate. Jacobs then founded the New London Synagogue, where he remained as rabbi until his retirement in 1995.
Rabbi Chaim Weiner succeeded Louis Jacobs as head of the New London Synagogue, but when Weiner was appointed head of the new European Masorti Beth Din in 2005, Jacobs returned. After Jacobs' death, Rabbi Dr. Reuven Hammer served as interim Rabbi of New London Synagogue until Rabbi Jeremy Gordon was appointed in January 2008. The largest Masorti community in the UK is the New North London Synagogue (with 2400 members), served by Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg.
As with the North American Conservative movement, individual synagogues can choose to adopt traditional or egalitarian approaches to women's prayer roles. While approximately 90% of American Conservative synagogues have adopted fully egalitarian practices, most British Masorti synagogues have retained a more traditional approach. No female rabbi has served in a British Masorti synagogue. Although women chazaniyot (cantors) are common in North American Conservative synagogues, in 2006, Jaclyn Chernett became the first woman in the UK to be ordained as a chazan (cantor) in the British Masorti movement. She serves as chazan at Kol Nefesh Masorti Synagogue in Edgware, North West London.
Noam, the Zionist Youth Movement of the Assembly of Masorti Synagogues, is amongst the most successful Jewish Youth organisations in the UK. It is the fastest growing Jewish youth movement, and in 2008 celebrates its 20th Birthday.
Originally established as a Reform synagogue in 1938 (then called Temple Emanuel) Emanuel Synagogue is now a very large, explicitly pluralist congregation affiliated to Masorti Olami as well as the Progressive and Renewal movements.
Masorti, Progressive and Renewal services are all provided. Members attend the service of their choice and join together as one community for the purposes of meals, education programs and other joint activities including the governance of the congregation.
The Masorti minyan originally came together in the early 1990s as a small group of laypeople meeting for a regular Monday morning service under the guidance of Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins. After some debate, it was agreed to adopt a Masorti form of service, using the siddur Sim Shalom. Thus the first Masorti service in Australia came into being.
Over time, under Rabbi Kamins' leadership, this small beginning developed into a full range of services including Shabbat, Festivals and Monday and Thursday mornings. High Holy Day services of masorti@emanuel can attract between 600 and 700 participants. Rabbi Kamins chose to change his rabbinical affiliation to the Rabbinical Assembly and in time became the Senior Rabbi of the congregation.
masorti@emanuel has gradually become a more clearly articulated stream within the Emanuel Synagogue and is a growing part of its membership. As part of this growth, there was a change of name from Temple Emanuel to Emanuel Synagogue, from a Progressive to an explicitly pluralist congregation.
In 1999, Kehilat Nitzan, Melbourne's first Conservative (Masorti) Congregation was established, with foundation president Prof John Rosenberg. The congregation appointed its first rabbi, Rabbi Ehud Bandel in 2006. Currently services are held in B'nai B'rith House, East St Kilda.The refurbishment and partial reconstruction of a building in Caulfield to serve as the first Conservative Synagogue building in Australia is advanced, completion being anticipated during 2010 . In 2007 the congregation had approximately 150 families, with 500 attending High Holiday services. Kehilat Nitzan is affiliated with Masorti Olami, the World Council of Conservative Congregations.
Category:Conservative Judaism Category:Jews and Judaism in Israel Category:Hebrew words and phrases
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