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Masorti
Judaism
Annual
Dinner
2015
Sunday 29th November
18th Kislev 5776
Building the future
of Masorti Judaism
Annual Dinner 2015
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Shirley Fenster
Nick Gendler
Co-Chairs
Welcome
Good evening and welcome to the 2015
Masorti Judaism dinner.
Since the last dinner in 2013 Masorti Judaism
has grown considerably. This is thanks to the
hard work of our dedicated team and to the
generosity of our supporters, including all of you
here this evening, who recognise the importance
of our contribution to Anglo-Jewry.
Tonight you will meet people who have been part
of, and benefited from, that growth and hear
first-hand how supporting Masorti Judaism has
enriched the lives of so many in our communities.
This has been done in a number of ways, for
example giving our youth a strong Jewish
identity and continued involvement in the Jewish
community, deepening Jewish knowledge or by
providing more and more people with a spiritual
home.
Our work does not stop. We have growing and
emerging communities that will need rabbis
in the near future. We have a committed new
Noam generation, perhaps future leaders of
the movement, who want to deepen their
understanding of Jewish texts, and there are
many people across the country seeking a
spiritual home who are unaware of what Masorti
Judaism stands for.
Our work does
not stop. We
have growing
and emerging
communities
that will need
rabbis.
We hope this evening gives you more
understanding of these issues and inspires you
to continue to support the work of our staff and
volunteers, just as they are inspired to make
Masorti Judaism the movement we are all so
proud of.
Finally, we would like to thank everyone who has
worked so hard to make this evening a success:
our sponsors and table hosts, whose generosity
has ensured that all donations we receive this
evening will go directly to supporting the future
of Masorti Judaism; the dinner committee led by
our Operations Director Michelle Janes; your host
Daniel Glaser, and all the Masorti Judaism and
Noam staff and volunteers.
Enjoy the evening!
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Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg
Senior Rabbi
In an age of increasingly militant, politicised
religion on the one hand and self-assured atheism
on the other, Masorti Judaism offers a path which
combines openness of mind, heart and soul
with the love of, and commitment to, traditional
Jewish learning, practice and values.
We have a spiritual and moral vision rooted in
faith, integrity, openness, tolerance and the
belief in a just, sustainable, pluralist world in
which humanity can live in harmony with itself
and all nature. We therefore have a contribution
to make not only to the Jewish community, but
to today’s society – in the UK, Israel and across
the world.
The challenges ahead lie in increasing our
engagement with the mitzvot, the ordinary
building blocks of Jewish practice set amidst
life’s everyday joys, sorrows and responsibilities;
in communicating the knowledge and
understanding of Judaism in compelling ways;
in deepening our spiritual journeys through
disciplined commitment; in facing with courage
the intellectual and moral challenges of our day;
and, above all, in putting into practice the values
of justice, loving kindness and service of others in
an often violent and destructive world.
It is wonderful to be joined by Rabbi Oliver
Joseph and Rabbi Roni Tabick. Though their
inspiration comes from their families and many
different sources, Masorti Judaism has been
central in supporting and guiding them on their
journeys to ordination, and in bringing them
back to the UK for a creative and brilliant future.
It is also excellent to have Zahavit Shalev, who
has long been working in various rabbinic roles
and is well on her path towards semichah. The
rabbinic team is one of our great strengths, and
it is marvellous to welcome them into it and to
see them as leaders and mentors for the next
generation.
We look together
towards a challenging
and exciting, creative
and committed future.
This space is
sponsored by an
anonymous donor
Strengthened by them, and by an excellent lay and
professional team, we look together towards a
challenging and exciting, creative and committed
future. With everyone’s support – practical, moral
and financial – we can make it happen.
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Tonight’s guest speakers
Noam provides a
truly great path
for young people
to go down to get
in touch with their
Jewish identity.
I’m proud to be
part of a modern
movement that
aims to be inclusive
and stands for
what is right.
Will Samuels
St Albans Masorti Synagogue
Veronica Kennard
New North London Synagogue
The local church community
was very much part of my life
as a child, but I didn’t feel any
spiritual connection with the
religion. When I met my future
husband who was Jewish,
I started to learn about the
religion and felt a connection,
and knew I wanted to
convert to Judaism. As soon
as I walked into a Masorti
synagogue, I knew I’d found
somewhere I’d feel at home.
Kirsty Bright
Elstree & Borehamwood
Masorti Community
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Annual Dinner 2015
Marom is vital in helping young
adults feel connected to the
Masorti movement and to Judaism.
This is particularly meaningful
when we no longer have the
support network of a youth
movement or university Jewish
society. Through Marom, we have
an empowered community of our
own, where we can explore prayer
and Torah in the context of our
busy working lives.
Sarah-Beth Neville
New North London Synagogue
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I have always been a Masorti Jew. Today I am a Masorti
Jew because I believe in a Judaism that is alive; I
believe the words of Torah should be alive and vibrant.
I believe in a
Judaism that
is alive.
Rabbi Oliver Joseph
When I went to study at the Conservative Yeshiva for
the first time almost eight years ago, it was to explore
my relationship with Judaism and as an experiment in
full-time learning.
I have had the opportunity to study with some of the
greatest minds in Jewish education at the Conservative
Yeshiva, the Hartman Institute, Tel Aviv University and
the Ziegler Rabbinical School in Los Angeles.
This journey was perhaps unlikely but made possible
by Masorti rabbis who showed me it was possible to
critique and agitate whilst beautifying a tradition of old.
“Exile yourself to a place of Torah” Pirkei Avot 4:14.
I’ve seen some
of the most
passionate and
committed Jewish
communities.
After many years of resisting, I finally realised I wanted
to follow in my parents’ footsteps and become a
community rabbi. I wanted to work with Jewish
people, and share my love and passion for Torah and
for the Jewish way of life. But doing so required me
to spend six years out of the country to engage with
some of the best Torah learning in the world.
Rabbi Roni Tabick
This experience of exile shaped me and how I see my
Judaism. I’ve seen some of the most passionate and
committed Jewish communities, that harmonise the
modern world with traditional values and rituals, and
I hope that Anglo-Jewry can live up to our potential
to be a world leader in how to be a modern, ethical,
committed Jew.
If we want to guarantee the
future of Masorti Judaism,
we need the right leaders.
I’m delighted to welcome so many
committed friends of Masorti Judaism
to this year’s annual dinner. Tonight, we’ll hear first-hand about the lifechanging experiences people of all ages have
had thanks to their involvement in the Masorti
community. They’ll confirm what most of us
already know: that we provide a uniquely
welcoming, inclusive space where people can
develop a relationship with traditional Judaism on
their own terms.
Our job as a movement is to grow Masorti
communities across the UK, develop the next
generation of leaders and support Noam and
Marom, our amazing youth movement and young
adults’ organisation. Last year we received close
to £150,000 of donations from our generous
supporters. I’m proud to be able to report on
some of the achievements made possible by this
funding.
Over the past year: • We enabled the establishment of new Masorti
groups in Bristol and Liverpool and supported
Ohel Moed, an emerging minyan for young
adults in London.
• We secured agreement to run a training
programme for Masorti rabbis at Leo Baeck
College. I’m living the most fulfilling life I could possibly
imagine: as a mid-life trainee rabbi.
When I turned
40 I realised
I was on a
rabbinic path.
Zahavit Shalev
Student Rabbi
I became passionately involved in Masorti Judaism
when I had my children. Whilst on maternity leave
I began teaching a woman who was converting to
Judaism. As my own family grew, more students
appeared so I did more studying and teaching.
More people wanted to talk. The conversations
became more numerous and went deeper. I learned
to really listen. Throughout, I had the wisest and most
gracious rabbi, teacher, and mentor: Rabbi Jonathan
Wittenberg.
When I turned 40 I realised I was on a rabbinic path.
I’m now on the rabbinic team at NNLS and a rabbinic
student at Leo Baeck College.
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Message from Matt Plen
Chief Executive
• We relaunched Drachim, Noam’s gap year
programme in Israel, and inaugurated the
Paul Shrank scholarship which supported
two students at the Conservative Yeshiva in
Jerusalem.
• Marom continued to work with 200 Masorti
students across 10 campuses.
• We launched the new Masorti Judaism website
and significantly expanded our social media
reach.
• We brought together 250 people at Yom
Masorti, ran the first ever Masorti women’s
study day and held a high-level training
seminar for community leaders.
All our hard work has taught us one thing: if we
want to guarantee the future of Masorti Judaism,
we need the right leaders. Over the next three
years, we’ll prioritise the training and recruitment
of rabbis, chazanim, educators and community
leaders. Our focus will be on three core initiatives:
1. Providing scholarships for two rabbinical
students every year.
2. Creating high level study programmes for
young people to nurture Jewishly-literate
community leaders and create a pool of
candidates for rabbinical training.
3. Employing two new rabbis, Roni Tabick
and Oliver Joseph, to grow young
Masorti communities.
To do all this, we need to raise an extra £100,000
a year. This is an ambitious target, but one I
believe we can reach. Thank you for being with us tonight, for your
friendship and support, and for giving generously
to help us achieve our goals. I look forward to meeting again next year and
reporting on our success!
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Our work with young people
Jewish young adults and students can often feel
excluded from or disinterested in Jewish communal
life. Marom provides an essential space for these
young adults to engage with the Jewish community
on their own terms.
Message from
Rabbi Chaim Weiner
The European Masorti Bet Din
Marom runs a number of annual programmes. Every
year we travel to a European city and learn about
the Jewish history and culture. Every summer we
send a group to the Conservative Yeshiva for a
month to study on the summer programme. These
are amazing and unrivalled opportunities for young
adults in the Masorti community to spend time, as a
group, learning about their history and exploring their
identities.
Marom's vision is to offer a
vibrant and exciting programme
of events and opportunities for
Masorti Young Adults.
Matthew Anisfeld
Marom, Young Adults Co-ordinator
Marom’s vision is to offer a vibrant and exciting
programme of events and opportunities for Masorti
Young Adults. We use the Jewish calendar to shape
the year and our cycle of events as well as reflecting
people’s interests and beliefs. For example, there
is a lot of interest in social action within the Marom
community. So for Sukkot, we travelled to Calais to
volunteer in the refugee camp.
We are keen to provide many more of these sorts of
events for the Marom community and would like to
thank you for your continued support.
Noam has continued to succeed in providing a space
for young people to develop as individuals.
This year, we’re reaching out
to more communities, and
running more events for our
young people.
Amos Schonfield
Mazkir, Noam
Now in its 16th year, the European
Masorti Bet Din continues to go
from strength to strength. Our role
is to support the work of rabbis
and communities across Europe
by making sure that every Masorti
community has access to advanced
rabbinic services; conversions,
Jewish divorce services and kosher
supervision.
Across all the age groups, we see over 600 people
in a month. They are the 4-9 year olds who come to
our Kaytana (day camp), see us at clubs and in their
communities and schools, and are part of Merkaz
Noam – Noam’s teenage centre that is home to AngloJewry’s leading leadership training scheme. We have
poured all this passion into our biggest events, with a
community of hundreds of young people joining us at
Summer Camp.
This year, we’re reaching out to more communities,
and running more events for our young people. Our
Kaytanot and Veidot (ideological conferences) now run
throughout the year and we’re running a leadership
training programme at Oxford Masorti. We’re also
creating even more opportunities for our members to
spend time in Israel – they can lead a Kaytana in Israel
or join our brand new post-university gap year or social
action Israel trip!
A serious religious
movement must make
sure that its members
have access to a full
range of services, both
within and outside the
synagogue.
There are various areas where the
Bet Din has seen a lot of growth
and that provide avenues for more
expansion. First are the Orthodox
communities whose rabbis have
despaired of the chaos in the
Orthodox conversion system and
who have now adopted our Bet Din
for conversions.
In addition, the number of events
where we have provided kosher
supervision has almost doubled this
year, alongside a growing awareness
that a meaningful Jewish event
should be celebrated with a kosher
meal. Masorti Kosher opens a whole
new range of kosher options for
simcha catering.
On the other hand, there has been a
big increase in the number of people
using our Bet Din to issue a get. For
many people, the option of Jewish
divorce in-house, amongst friends
and under the auspices of a friendly
synagogue, provides important
support at a time when people are
lonely and especially vulnerable.
All of this highlights the important
role of the Bet Din in our movement.
A serious religious movement
must make sure that its members
have access to a full range of
services, both within and outside
the synagogue. With a successful
Bet Din in the background, the
Masorti Communities in the UK and
across Europe have all they need to
continue to thrive.
Our biggest events - Summer Camp Pre-Camp, with
150 of our leaders, and our six-month Drachim gap
year in Israel – take people to the next level of their
Jewish journeys.
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Thank You
Our Annual Dinner Committee 2015
Sam Cohen, Josie Dobrin,
Shirley Fenster, Nick Gendler,
Nathalie Glaser, Jeanie Horowitz,
Aviva Raichelson, Bruce Rigal,
Jessie Schlagman
Master of Ceremonies
Daniel Glaser
Our dedicated table hosts
Philip Baker and Bing-sum Lau
Brian Berelowitz and Zea Katzeff
Judith Bernstein
Morris and Kirsty Bright
Ed and Gill Caplin
Brian and Chazan Jaclyn Chernett
Howard Feldman and Shirley Fenster
Nick Gendler and Carli Lessof
Daniel and Nathalie Glaser
Alan and Tracey Green
Ruthie Jacobs
Joanne Kosmin
Matt Plen and Atira Winchester
Maurice and Aviva Raichelson
Bruce Rigal and Lisa Tedeschini
Sam Roberts
Roberta and Stephen Rosefield
Immi and Danielle Rubin
Simon and Diana Samuels
Clive Sheldon and Jeanie Horowitz
Eli Silber and Pam Sonnenberg
Jonathan and Lucy Silver
Daniel Stander and Annie Moy
Natan and Nicki Tiefenbrun
Our guest speakers
Will Samuels, Sarah-Beth Neville, Kirsty
Bright, Veronica Kennard and Rabbi Roni
Tabick, Student Rabbi Zahavit Shalev,
Rabbi Oliver Joseph
All our generous donors and funders, in
particular our Patrons, Supporters and
Friends. In addition, those who have
shown their support in this brochure
The staff and lay leaders of the
New North London Synagogue
for hosting the dinner this year
The Executive and Trustees
of Masorti Judaism
Senior Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg and
all our Masorti Rabbis and Chazanim
The Masorti Judaism professional staff
and all the volunteers who support us in
so many ways
Brochure photography by Peter Strauss
straussphotography.co.uk
[email protected]
Dinner photography by Jeremy Freedman
www.jeremyfreedman.com
[email protected]
What’s on in 2016…
Yom Masorti
Sunday 21st February
The whole Masorti community
comes together for a day of learning,
fun and networking at our annual
flagship event. Including a full
children’s programme, learning with
the Masorti rabbis and chazanim,
thought-provoking and fun sessions
on Israel, social action and Jewish
culture and, most importantly, good
food and good company.
Women’s Study Day
Sunday 13th March
Following the success of last year’s
pioneering event, join women from
across the Masorti movement to
build relationships, learn and discuss
issues of common concern. 12
Annual Dinner 2015
Jewish Community Organising
Masorti Judaism’s pioneering
leadership training course, aimed
at community volunteers and lay
leaders. Learn how to strengthen
your community, get people
involved, understand the needs
of your members, run more
successful initiatives, and change
your community for the better. The
course will be held in early 2016. For more details about
any of these events, or
to register your interest
in participating:
The Masorti Kollel
Every Wednesday 9.30am – 12.30am
at New North London Synagogue
The Kollel offers high level study
for learners who want to grapple
with Jewish texts in their original
language. Taught by Rabbi Chaim
Weiner. @MasortiJudaism
[email protected]
www.masorti.org.uk
020 8349 6650
Masorti Judaism in the UK