In just a few hours I will be on my way to Germany, leading Or Hadash’s youth delegation, but I wanted to write and tell you about our exciting August news first!
As usual we have been very busy at Or Hadash with constant ongoing activities as well as planning future events.
1. A New Board Elected at Or Hadash – Mazal Tov!
Or Hadash’s annual assembly elections took place on Friday, July 29th. The chair person of the assembly was Mr. Nechemia Aharon, a veteran congregant, member and good friend. I had the honor to open with a D’var Torah and a blessing, where I expressed my hope that Or Hadash will continue the same positive, fruitful and enriching atmosphere.
We thank Dr. Yuri Kligerman from the bottom of our hearts for his wonderful, loving and dedicated work as Or Hadash’s Chairperson for the past six years.
Professor Yoram Bargal was elected Or Hadash’s new Chairperson.
Professor Bargal has recently retired from Haifa University, after 45 years of dedicated work as a teacher, lecturer, author and Dean of the Geography Department at Haifa University.
We would like to congratulate Professor Bargal on his new appointment and are very much looking forward to working with him for the benefit of the community.
Dr. Yuri Kligerman, our departing Chairman surveyed and summarized Or Hadash’s activities during the past year. Next on the agenda, Or Hadash member Sari Grinberg, our auditor, summarized the year for our audit committee.
Once all the relevant committees reported in front of the assembly, members of the board voted in the new board for the coming year. The voting process was democratic.
Half of the members were newly voted and half of the members are continuing from last year. All together 10 new members were voted in: Professor Yoram Bargal, Dr. Jesse Lachter, Shai Ivtsan, Moshe Guttmann, Pnina Kapon-Suchetzki, Dr. Roxana Reichman, Dr. Marina Fierer, Jacqueline Zohar, Amit Eshed and Zohar Kisler. Roslan Cooperstein and Ami Regev will serve as the new members of our audit committee instead of Sari Grinberg and Ofer Feingenbaum.
In the course of the meeting it was decided to include nine members on the board. However, when the votes were tallied, we found out those members who won seat no. 9 and seat no. 10 received the exact same amount of votes. At that point the assembly decided to include 10 members on the board instead of only nine.
The new board selected a new Chairperson well as a new treasurer, Mr. Moshe Guttman.
Votes were counted by Sari Grinberg, our outgoing auditor and Or Hadash’s attorney, Zohar Nisim.
We would like to congratulate Or Hadash’s new board and thank from the bottom of our hearts the “old” assembly for their wonderful work, their time, effort and the willingness to give to the community, in the spirit of voluntarism.
2. Or Hadash youth delegation granted official status from the State of Israel
As you know Or Hadash has been deeply involved in interfaith activities in recent years.
Tomorrow, a youth delegation of 12 of Or Hadash’s teens will leave for Germany for 10 days as part of a youth exchange program between the two countries. The project is done in cooperation with the Dialog Institute for Inter-Cultural Meetings.
The delegation has received formal status from Israel’s Ministry of Education, as its official representative. Our host community in Germany is the town of Falkense, where our good friends Sabine Waldner and the famous sculptor Ingo Walman will be waiting for us. Both Sabine and Ingo are well known for their love and support of the State of Israel and of Or Hadash congregation for many years.
Organizing the visit is the German Haus am Anger- the center for Arts and Youth in the town of Falkense.
The program will include visits to various historic sites in Berlin, Wittenberg and Potsdam. We will visit the concentration camp Sachsenhausen (in Berlin) where the delegation will hold a memorial ceremony for Holocaust victims.
The seminar administrator for the Dialog Institute, our congregant and good friend, Michael Schwannen said one of the main purposes for the youth exchange is to form mutual acquaintance between various sectors and to endow values of mutual respect and tolerance. All this activity said Michael is done on the background and as a result of the holocaust. One of the most important lessons learned from the Holocaust is that education, tolerance and acquaintance are essential to prevent such horror from ever happening again.
I will be leading the delegation along with our new treasurer, Moshe Guttman. As a result, I will not be available between the dates of August 8th to the 18th.
3. Or Hadash Moadonit (summer camp) vibrant and as joyful as ever!
Our summer camp is nearing its end and the kids are as lively, happy and active as ever. Each week brings more joy and laughter with it for around 45 very active kids. This week the kids immensely enjoyed a juggling workshop, learning about the changing seasons, swimming pool activities, movie & popcorn and many other fun activities. We have two more weeks of summer camp at Or Hadash and a growing list of kids who can`t wait to register for the Moadonit next year.
In the pictures: Or Hadash summer campers enjoying a juggling workshop.
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Wishing you Shavua Tov, a wonderful week!
In Friendship,
Edgar