Dear Friends,

 

Shavuot at Or Hadash was once again an amazing experience this year. For this holiday, we invited Bnei Mitzvah children from the past year to join us in our big celebration. There, Nearly 300 members of the community, studied, sang, and handed out candies to the children and congregation, all in celebration of Moses receiving the Torah. Additionally this year, gave my annual lecture about the Jews of Elephantine, an ancient island from the 5^th century B.C.E. And, as an extra special treat, this year we had a wonderful a performance by Israeli poet, Yoram Tahar-Lev, who is famous for writing the lyrics for some of Israel’s most popular songs.

 

Aside from the wonderful  holiday, Haifans were very excited, as our soccer team won the national championships, while our basketball  team made it all the way to the final game for the first time in Israeli history. (We lost, but that is okay). I hope that this excitement will carry us into this next week, as we all return to our work after a great holiday.

On Wednesday, May 20^th, a remarkable thing happened in Israel. The Israeli Supreme Court, ruled for the State of Israel to officially recognize, and even more astonishingly, fund Reform and Conservative conversion classes. This is a ground breaking case, in that this is the first time in the history of the Israeli system, that funding has been given to a non-Orthodox entity. The issue of having Reform and conservative conversions legitimized in Israel is very important to us at Or Hadash, as we have overseen hundreds of Reform conversions during out time in Haifa. With the hiring of our new Conversion counselor, we look forward to starting up a new program in the coming months with a very special new outcome, following this exciting ruling.

2) Youth Group Update! From Or Hadash’s New Youth Group Advisor-Ariel Johnston Bernstein

For all of you out there that haven’t heard about us in a long time, the TELEM Reform Israeli youth group for 7^th-12^th graders at Or Hadash is alive and well! So far this Spring we have been very busy participating in many holiday celebrations and ceremonies at Or Hadash, and in Haifa. (Holocaust Remembrance Day, Israeli Memorial Day, and Independence Day) For the past 2 months we have also been having regular programming on Friday evenings, immediately preceding Shabbat services. Programs have included, a movie night, a program led by "madrichim" (leaders in the youth group), and lessons with Rabbi Nof wherein the participants learn more about and explore what it means to be a Reform Jew in Israel.

 

Now, as the school year starts to wind down, many of the congregation’s youths are looking forward to actively planning programming for the coming year, and participating in the national Reform movement's summer camp "Chaviya". Chavaiya is a two week camp for grades 3-12. At the camp, the high schoolers will learn leadership and program leading skills that will surely be an asset to our group next fall.

-Ariel Johnston Bernstein
Youth Director

 

On Thursday, May 21^st, there was another meeting of the Ahuzat Yeladim “Wards of State” children, in preparation of their fast approaching Bnei Mitzvah ceremony in June this year. With each meeting the children grow more and more successful, resulting in a very well prepared group of participants this year. The group has also inspired many others in the community at Or Hadash as well. With each meeting, several volunteers join the children and their counselors, to witness first hand the progress that they are making in their learning process. As always the group enjoyed a hearty meal, and learned in a group session, before breaking off for individual lessons.

 

 

Although I am writing from Haifa, I must mention that May 21^st, was Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day). While we at Or Hadash are convinced that Haifa is the most beautiful city in Israel, I also have quite an attachment to Jerusalem. This is not only because of the holiness of the city itself, but because it is the home of Hebrew Union College (HUC), where I studied and worked for many years, as the director of the Israeli Rabbinical Program from 1990-1997. I have also spent a lot great times with many of my American Rabbi Colleagues and friends in the city for various occasions. The holiday itself is to commemorate a united Jerusalem after Israeli forces won back control over the old city, in the 1967 war.

On May 7^th, Sergeant Noam Adin Rechter-Levy (z’l), a Canadian born Israeli soldier of the Duchifat battalion in the Kfir brigade, was killed in action during a routine mission near the city of Ramallah in the West Bank. This has been a great loss for us at Or Hadash, as we already have a close connection to mothers who have lost children in the Duchifat battalion, and who participate in our bereaved mother’s support group. Additionally, Noam (z’l) was a good friend of, and fellow medical soldier of our Overseas Coordinator’s fiancé, who is a commanding medical officer in the battalion. Our hearts go out to all those who have been touched by this loss.

 

May was a busy month of visitors. With the perfect weather, and long days, May is a popular time for tourists and honored guests at Or Hadash. On Sunday May 3^rd-4th, I was honored to host Edward and Susan Hoffman, of Congregation Beth David in Gladwyne, PA. Together we had a lovely time both at Or Hadash with the children, and in Haifa- They are a very caring couple, which is always the case with our Beth David friends.  On Sunday May 17^th, David and Barbara Green of Temple Isaiah in Lexington,. MA came to spend the afternoon with us, and share their wonderful company. Then, on Saturday, May 23^rd, Regina and Roger Gradess, with Regina’s mother, Pearl Rosenzveig , from Hebrew Tabernacle Reform Synagogue in NY,NY came to spend a lovely Saturday morning service with us. Also on May 23^rd, Susan Levene, Ellen Taylor ,Steven Fink and James Chisum visited from Baltimore, Maryland, and On Sunday, May 24^th, I was able to meet up with Bruce Ward , Toby Klang, and their son Ethan, who are also of Temple Isaiah. Here, we spent a very beautiful morning with them, together with the preschools.

 

In June we are also expecting the following guests: Rabbi Dan Levin and Cantor Lori Shapiro of Temple Beth El Boca Raton, with a large group of congregants on Tuesday, June 9; Richard Agler and family, of Temple Bnai Israel, Boca Raton on Wednesday, June 10; Anne Stein Director of Education at Etz Chaim with a group of congregants from Etz Chaim, Chicago, IL on Thursday, June 11 and Friday, June 12; Rabbi Rachel Greengrass of Temple Beth Am of Pine Crest, NY on Tuesday, June 16; The Ecker Family, relatives of Susan Anderer, vice president of Temple Beth David in Gladwyne, PA, on Tuesday, June 23^rd; and Eric Gurvis of Temple Shalom in Newton, MA, with group of Christian ministers, on Monday, June 29^th.

 

 

Wishing you all a shavua tov, and a pleasant month to come!

 

In Friendship,

Edgar