Chaverim Yekarim,
Looking back on the year 2007, I can say it was a wonderful year for Or Hadash. We held 324 life cycle ceremonies (203 of them were bar/bat mitzvah, 21% of these ceremonies were for underprivileged children). Almost 1,000 American Jews from 23 different Reform congregations came to visit us. Our three preschools and after school programs were full of children. We had 15,000 Israelis participate in at least one activity (ceremony, holiday or cultural event). We hope that 2008 will also be a year full of Mitzvot and Good Deeds. I want to take this opportunity to thank our good friends from the US who help us. Thanks to your generous support we are able to fulfill our mission of Tikun Olam, helping so many hundreds of needy Jews in Haifa.
Ten days ago I came back from a powerful and meaningful Jewish experience - the URJ Biennial Convention in San Diego (Dec. 12th-16th). About 5,000 Jews attended this event including hundreds of rabbis, cantors, educators and leaders of our movement. Four individuals represented Or Hadash: Dr. Yishai Lachter (Past President), Ami Perelman (Temple Administrator), Anat Perelman (Sisterhood President) and yours truly. We were very proud of our congregation's active representation.
The URJ's support of Israel during the Biennial was overwhelming. Many speakers addressed the issue of visiting Israel, staying in a six-month program or even making aliyah. ARZA organized many interesting workshops. It was an honor to participate in one of these workshops: "Israel and the Social Action Agenda", as a presenter together with Anat Hoffman and Rabbi Daniel Gropper. About 100 people from different congregations attended this workshop. Many of them asked me about Or Hadash's Tikun Olam programs. I want to thank Rabbi Andrew Davids, Rabbi Stanley Davids, Rabbi David Nelson and Anna Kislanski for their help and friendship and for everything they do for ARZA and the IMPJ.
The URJ President, Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, spoke in his sermon about the significance of Shabbat in Reform Judaism, about coexistence between Jews and Muslims and about the necessity of having a large representation of Reform Jews in Israel. According to him if this doesn't happen in the next generation, Reform Judaism will become a marginal Jewish movement. I identified with the issues he brought up and felt proud to be part of the Reform Movement. We, the Israeli representatives in the convention, were invited to Rabbi Yoffie's suite for a genuine and private conversation about the future of Reform Judaism in Israel.
URJ Vice President, Rabbi Daniel Freelander used our favorite sidur prayer "Let a new light ("Or Hadash") shine on Zion, and may we all be blessed to see its splendor" in his speech, urging the creation of stronger ties between Jews in the US and Jews in Israel. It was perfect for us since Or Hadash not only creates ties of friendship, but also ties to wear, and we handed them out to friends in San Diego, among them to Rabbi Freelander.
We are proud of our old friend, Rabbi Stacy Offner who recently visited Or Hadash with members of her congregation, Shir Tikva Congregation in Minnesota, for also becoming Vice President of the URJ. We wish Rabbi Daniel Freelander and Rabbi Stacy Offner much success in their new roles.
It was wonderful to talk with so many educators and colleagues. It was "amechaye" to spend quality time with my teacher, Rabbi Ronne Friedman of Temple Israel and having breakfast with Temple Israel's President, Carol Michael. We were all moved by Rabbi Elaine Zecher's interview with Michael Fox. I had a few moments to spend with Rabbi Jeremy Morrison to talk about connecting young adults. The first lunch, right next to the ocean in San Diego, was with my long-time friend, Rabbi Howard Jaffe of Temple Isaiah in Lexington, MA. My first communal dinner was with Rabbi Eric Gurvis, Julie Vanek, Fred Cohen and eleven members of Temple Shalom in Newton, MA. I am glad that Eric and I are going to see each other a lot in 2008-9. I also had time to talk with Rabbi Joel Sisenwine and Cantor Jodi Sufrin from Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley, MA and Cantor Roy Einhorn of Temple Israel before they come visit us later this year. I asked them to give a cantorial concert at Or Hadash. I had lunch with Rabbi Jonathan Kraus from Beth El Temple Center in Belmont, MA, and we planned with Rabbi Neal Gold of Temple Shir Tikva in Wayland, MA their next visit to Or Hadash. I also had a chance to catch up with Rabbi David Wolfman, the URJ Regional Director, so I can declare that I felt like I was in the Boston Area.
I also enjoyed having lunch and dinner with members of our congregations in other parts of the US like Rabbi Jim Egolf, Cantor Lilia Kasansky, Jill Cooper, Susan Levey, Dr. Michael Friedman and Margi and Neil Peskin of Beth David Reform Congregation in Gladwyne, PA. During the Shabbat dinner organized by Rabbi Sue Elwel, Regional Director of the URJ Pennsylvania Council I had a chance to talk with many friends: Rabbi Aaron Bisno of Temple Rodef Shalom, Pittsburgh, Rabbi Andy Busch, Dina Stonberg, Rabbi Lawrence Sernovitz and Rabbi Robert Leib from Temple Beth Am in Abington, PA, Cantor David Green from Congregation Beth Or in Maple Glen, PA, Rabbi David Straus from Main Line Reform Temple Beth Elohim in Wynnewood, PA, Larry, Barbara Shuman and Rabbi James Gibson of Temple Sinai, Pittsburgh, PA, Rabbi Jack Paskoff of Congregation Shaarai Shomayim, Lancaster, PA and Rabbi Barry Schwartz from Congregation M'kor Shalom in Cherry Hill, NJ.
The Friday night service was led by Rabbi Donald Goor of Temple Judea in Tarzana who just visited us this year. I also saw Rabbi Karen Bender of Temple Judea (the cousin of one of our members) teaching one of the workshops. On Saturday morning the cantor was Rachel Stock Spilker who is coming with her husband, Rabbi Adam Stock Spilker to Israel to visit us soon. I also spent some time with Rabbi Dan Levin from Temple Beth El of Boca Raton and Rabbi Richard Agler from Congregation B'nai Israel of Boca Raton who will visit Or Hadash with their congregants next June. I also saw my friend, Jan Katzew who is coming to Haifa to visit us next month.
I even had the honor to be part of a Beit Din organized by Rabbi Daniel Fine, URJ's Pacific Northwest Council and Rabbi Alan Rabishaw of Temple Chai in Pheonix, AZ (we even made the Biennial daily news!).
It was good to return to Israel after praying at Shabbat with thousands of beautiful Jews. What an unforgettable experience. When we came back, we had no chance to rest since we had five groups visiting Or Hadash and nine bar/bat mitzvah ceremonies in eight days.
On December 22-23 we had a wonderful Shabbat with 45 members of Temple Micah of Washington DC, led by Rabbi Danny Zemel and all his family:
On Monday, December 24- Rabbi Robert Orkand visited with a group of 35 members from Temple Israel, Westport, CT
On Wednesday, December 26- Rabbi Nancy Kasten, Rabbi David Stern & Debra Robbins led a huge group of 115 visitors from Temple Emanu-El of Dallas, TX
On Saturday, December 29- Rabbi Jonathan Woll and a group from Temple Avoda, Fair Lawn, NJ came to pray with us
Yesterday Sunday, December 30- Rabbi Steven Bob of Etz Chaim in Lombard, IL and Rabbi Mike Weinberg with a group of 45 teenagers came to an educational experience at Or Hadash- our last visitors from abroad this year!
Our new year's resolution is that in 2008, 200 girls from Haifa will celebrate their bat mitzvah at Or Hadash and at least 120 b'nei mitzvah.
On behalf of Or Hadash, I wish you all a year of health, love and peace.
Happy New Year 2008!
Edgar