Masorti - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

For the Israeli term for "Tradition Keeper" or "Traditionalist" non-Orthodox observance, see Shomer Masoret
Shomer Masoret
Shomer Masoret or, also commonly referred as: Masorati Shomer Masoret (Hebrew: שומר מסורת, lit. "Tradition Keeper"; Plural: שומרי מסורת, Shomrei Masoret) or, also commonly referred as: Masorati Shomer Masoret (Hebrew: שומר מסורת, lit. "Tradition Keeper"; Plural: שומרי מסורת, Shomrei Masoret) or,...

(also known as Masorati).

The Masorti Movement is the name given to Conservative Judaism

Conservative Judaism

Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...

in Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

and other countries outside Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

and U.S

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Masorti means "traditional" in Hebrew

Hebrew language

Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...

. It should not be confused with the large part of Israeli Jews (25% to 50% depending on definitions) who define themselves as "masorati" (or Shomer Masoret

Shomer Masoret

Shomer Masoret or, also commonly referred as: Masorati Shomer Masoret (Hebrew: שומר מסורת, lit. "Tradition Keeper"; Plural: שומרי מסורת, Shomrei Masoret) or, also commonly referred as: Masorati Shomer Masoret (Hebrew: שומר מסורת, lit. "Tradition Keeper"; Plural: שומרי מסורת, Shomrei Masoret) or,...

) - meaning religiously "traditional" but do not wish to be labelled as Orthodox

Orthodox Judaism

Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...

Israel

Conservative Judaism

had begun to make its presence known in Israel before the 1960s. Today, there are almost 60 congregations with over 15,000 affiliates. In 1962 The Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTS) began creating Neve Schechter, the university's Jerusalem campus. This center houses the Schocken Center for Jewish Research, and the Saul Lieberman Institute for Talmudic Research. In 1975 JTS instituted a year of study in Israel as a requirement for every rabbinical student in JTS and the University of Judaism

University of Judaism

The American Jewish University, formerly the separate institutions University of Judaism and Brandeis-Bardin Institute, is a Jewish, non-denominational educational institution in Los Angeles, California....

's (now the American Jewish University) rabbinical seminary.

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

Zionism

Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...

party within the structure of the World Zionist Organization

World Zionist Organization

The World Zionist Organization , or WZO, was founded as the Zionist Organization , or ZO, in 1897 at the First Zionist Congress, held from August 29 to August 31 in Basel, Switzerland...

. 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

Camp Ramah

Camp Ramah is a network of Jewish summer camps affiliated with the Conservative Movement. The camps operate in the United States, Canada, and Israel. Ramah camps serve kosher food and are Shabbat-observant.-History:...

), Kibbutz Hannaton and the Hannaton Education Center, Moshav Shorashim, and special programs teaching new olim

Aliyah

Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...

(immigrants) basic Judaism

Conservative 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"

Law of Return

The Law of Return is Israeli legislation, passed on 5 July 1950, that gives Jews the right of return and settlement in Israel and gain citizenship...

.

MERCAZ is a member of the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency for Israel, both of which have been designated by the Knesset

Knesset

The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...

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

Halakha

Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...

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

Shabbat

Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...

.

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.

United Kingdom

In Britain today, the Masorti movement has twelve congregations, all of which are affiliated to the Assembly of Masorti Synagogues. The first congregation, the New London Synagogue was established on 29 August 1964. The main difference between the Orthodox Jews of Britain and the newly founded Masorti movement was and still is a theological one: it concerns the authority of the Torah

Torah

Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...

. In 1957, Rabbi Louis Jacobs

Louis Jacobs

Rabbi Dr. Louis Jacobs was a Masorti rabbi, the first leader of Masorti Judaism in the United Kingdom, and a leading writer and thinker on Judaism...

, then lecturer at the Jews' College

Jews' College

-Origins and Remit Today:Jews' College, now known as the London School of Jewish Studies , was opened in Finsbury Square, London as a rabbinical seminary in 1855 with the support of Chief Rabbi Nathan Adler and of Sir Moses Montefiore, who had conceived the idea for such a venture as early as...

, London; published his book "We Have Reason to Believe" (Edited by Laurence Kogan), in which he said:

The Torah did not drop down as a package from heaven, but is an ongoing relationship with the people of Israel. It is a product of many generations of reflection on what is meant by God's word.

While Jacobs found that statement to be compatible with Orthodox Judaism, the Chief Rabbi

Chief Rabbi

Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...

condemned his views as denial of the divine origin of the Torah. Jacobs and Oliver Sloam was rejected for the principalship of the Jews' College and subsequently from the United Synagogue

United Synagogue

United Synagogue is an organisation of London Jews that was founded with the sanction of an Act of Parliament, in 1870. , it remains the largest religious grouping within the British Jewish community and indeed in Europe, covering 62 Orthodox Jewish communities...

rabbinate. Jacobs then founded the New London Synagogue, where he remained as rabbi until his retirement in 1995.

Rabbi Chaim Weiner succeeded Louis Jacobs

Louis Jacobs

Rabbi Dr. Louis Jacobs was a Masorti rabbi, the first leader of Masorti Judaism in the United Kingdom, and a leading writer and thinker on Judaism...

as head of the New London Synagogue, but when Weiner was appointed head of the new European Masorti Beth Din

Beth din

A beth din, bet din, beit din or beis din is a rabbinical court of Judaism. In ancient times, it was the building block of the legal system in the Biblical Land of Israel...

in 2005, Jacobs returned. After Jacobs' death, Rabbi Dr. Reuven Hammer

Reuven Hammer

Reuven Hammer is a Conservative Jewish rabbi, scholar of Jewish liturgy, author and lecturer. He is a founder of the Masorti movement in Israel and a past president of the International Rabbinical Assembly. He served many years as head of the Masorti Beth Din in Israel...

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

Jonathan Wittenberg

Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg is a Masorti rabbi, the Senior Rabbi of The Assembly of Masorti Synagogues UK. He is a leading writer and thinker on Judaism. He is Rabbi of the New North London Synagogue, with approximately 2400 members.-Personal life:He moved to London in 1963...

.

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, but in 2010 the Assembly of Masorti Synagogues appointed Rabbi Daniella Kolodny as its Community Development Coordinator. Although women chazaniyot

Hazzan

A hazzan or chazzan is a Jewish cantor, a musician trained in the vocal arts who helps lead the congregation in songful prayer.There are many rules relating to how a cantor should lead services, but the idea of a cantor as a paid professional does not exist in classical rabbinic sources...

(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

Noam

Noam is a Hebrew name which means "pleasantness" . Noam may refer to:-People:In political activism:* Noam Chomsky, linguist and left-wing political activist...

, 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.

Australia

Emanuel Synagogue is the birthplace of the Masorti movement in Australia.

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.

In 2010 Beit Knesset Shalom became Brisbane's first Conservative (Masorti) Congregation. Beit Knessett Shalom was initially established as a Liberal Congregation in the 1970s, and later affiliated to the Union for Progressive Judaism.

Netherlands

In 2004, Masorti Judaism was introduced in the Netherlands by the founding of a Traditional/non-Egalitarian Masorti community in the city of Almere

Almere

Almere is a planned city and municipality in the province of Flevoland, the Netherlands, bordering Lelystad and Zeewolde. The municipality of Almere comprises the districts Almere Stad, Almere Haven, Almere Buiten, Almere Hout, Almere Poort and Almere Pampus .Almere is the youngest city in the...

. Its synagogue is situated in the city of Weesp. The community was created by a secession from the Orthodox (NIK) community of Almere.
Mr. Bernhard Cohen is currently Honorary President and founder of the community.
Rabbi Chaim Weiner (Masorti UK), the first rabbi to provide long-distance communal supervision, was succeeded in 2009 by rabbi David Soetendorp.
In 2005, the community had some 75 members, and continues to grow in numbers.

Hungary

In 2010 there was only one synagogue formally linked with Masorti Olami - Dor Chadash in Budapest. However there are Neolog congregations in Hungary which are strikingly similar to Masorti synagogues, for instance Bét Salom Zsinagóga with Rabbi Zoltán Radnóti who trained in the Neolog seminary in Budapest. In this synagogue, there is an upstairs tier reserved for women, who also at their option sit downstairs. Women participate in the service and bimah activities but are not called up to read from the Torah. Other Neolog
synagogues such as the well-known Dohány Street Synagogue, in Budapest are of a different character.

Masorti Olami

Masorti Olami builds, renews and strengthens Jewish life throughout the world, with efforts that focus on existing and developing communities in Europe, Latin America, the Former Soviet Union, Africa, Asia and Australia...

(also known as The World Council of Conservative/Masorti Synagogues) builds, renews and strengthens Jewish life throughout the world, with efforts that focus on existing and developing communities in Europe, Latin America, the Former Soviet Union, Africa, Asia and Australia. More than 135 kehillot (communities) are affiliated with Masorti Olami in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Japan, the Netherlands, Peru, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, Uruguay, the United Kingsom and the United States of America. All of its activities are conducted within the context of the overall Conservative/ Masorti movement, in close cooperation with its affiliated organizations in North America and Israel.

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Israel

United Kingdom

Australia

Netherlands

Hungary

Masorti Olami

External links