Masorti Judaism

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Masorti Judaism is an umbrella body for all Masorti (Conservative) congregations in the United Kingdom. Masorti is the newest of the various Synagogue movements in Britain and its total membership, though low, constituting only 3.3% of synagogue membership in the United Kingdom in 2016, had more than doubled over the previous six years.[1] The group are part of Masorti Olami (World Masorti), which brings together up to two million Masorti and Conservative Jews in North and South America, Israel, Europe and across the world. and is an active member of their regional organisation, Masorti Europe. Masorti Judaism is a Zionist movement and as such, receives funding from the World Zionist Organisation (WZO).[2] Mercaz is the Zionist arm of the worldwide Masorti movement.[3]

On 28 July 2006, The Assembly of Masorti Synagogues was incorporated as a registered company (company no: 05890261), a private company limited by guarantee without a share capital (and with an exemption from use of the word 'Limited'). It had previously been a charitable trust. On 20 September 2012, it changed its name to 'Masorti Judaism'.[4]

It is also a registered charity (No: 1117590), registered on 16 January 2007.[5]

History

The Masorti movement in Britain was founded by Rabbi Dr. Louis Jacobs in the mid 1960s. Rabbi Jacobs had been minister of the New West End Synagogue, a United Synagogue congregation. However, as a result of a controversy (that became known as the Jacobs Affair), Rabbi Jacobs was denied the opportunity to continue as minister of the New West End Synagogue. This caused a number of members to defect from the New West End in 1964 and to establish the New London Synagogue in London's St. John's Wood, at which Rabbi Jacobs was installed as rabbi and minister. Rabbi Jacobs was made a CBE in 1990. The New London Synagogue became the "parent" synagogue of the Assembly of Masorti Synagogues, formed in 1985, which changed its name in 2012 to Masorti Judaism.[6]

Israel has always been central to Masorti Jewish life. However, as the modern State of Israel developed, the Israeli government refused to recognise Masorti and other non-Orthodox forms of Judaism. Masorti rabbis in Israel cannot conduct weddings or funerals, Masorti communities receive no public money, and the Israeli government has gone back on its promise to create an egalitarian prayer space at the Western Wall.

The World Zionist Organisation (WZO) provides crucial funding for Jewish education all over the world and, since the Israeli government only funds Orthodox institutions, it’s the only source of support for Masorti synagogues, schools, youth programs and teachers.[2]

People

Professional Team

Matt Plen – Chief Executive | Rachel Slan – Deputy Chief Executive | Anna Kinchuck – Finance Manager | Martha Limburg – Communications Manager | Michael F. Hewitt-McEyeson – Office Manager & Administrator | Nina Fine – Noam Alumni Coordinator | Lucy Cohen – Noam Director | Gabi Rosenberg – Noam Mazkira | Isabel Bard – Movement Worker | Baruch Gilinsky – Movement Worker | Samuel Danker – Movement Worker and Marom Fieldworker[7]

Trustees

Leonie Fleischmann – Co-Chair | Moira Hart – Co-Chair | David Caplan – Treasurer | Miriam Farbey | Joel Fenster | Stephen Greene | Clare Levy | Adam Rose | Emma Rozenberg | Simon Samuels[8]

Members

New London Synagogue | New Essex Masorti Synagogue | Mosaic Masorti Synagogue | Liverpool Masorti Synagogue | Edgeware Masorti Synagogue | Ohel Mo'ed | Elstree & Borehamwood Masorti | Kol Nefesh Masorti Synagogue | St Albans Masorti Synagogue | New North London Synagogue | New Stoke Newington Synagogue | Leeds Masorti | Oxford Masorti Group | Havurah | Masorti Olami

Noam Masorti youth

Noam is Masorti Judaism’s Zionist Youth Movement. Noam's ideology consists of five branches. They are Masorti Judaism, Zionism, Kehillah (community), Hagshama Atzmit and Gemillut Chasadim.

These were devised at the first ever Noam Veida (annual conference) in the early 1990s and have been added to and revised ever since. The most sweeping changes came at Veidot 2003, 2005 and 2016, at which all five branches were completely rewritten to reflect the members’ views, with the Zionism branch being the focus of the 2016 changes.

There were more ideological shifts at 2011’s Veida, in which Democracy and Hadracha were amended and rewritten to become Democratic Community and Hagshama respectively. In 2014 the Tikkun Olam branch was renamed Gemillut Chasadim. In 2017 the Democratic Community and Hagshama branches were renamed Kehillah and Hagshama Atzmit respectively.[9]

People

Georgie Friend - Mazkira (Secretary) | Hannah Arnaud - Movement Worker and Marom Fieldworker | Baruch Gilinsky - Movement Worker | Gabi Rosenberg - Movement Worker | Lucy Cohen - Noam Director | Lucy Pearl - Finance Manager

Programmes

Noam runs numerous programmes. These include summer camps, tours of Israel, annual Veida (ideological conference), winter camps, Kaytana (day camp for children) and organising gap years (drachim) in Israel.[10]

website: https://noam.org.uk

Marom – Students and young adults

Marom is the Masorti organisation for students and young adults. It runs programmes in local communities and on university campuses throughout the UK with the aim of connecting "young adults with meaningful Jewish life on their own terms while developing the leaders of the future."

Marom Students is led by a team of volunteer campus reps who run activities including Shabbat dinners, Egalitarian Services, study sessions, social events and volunteer projects. It organises guest speakers to come to various campuses and work with the Masorti rabbis, along with other organisations to provide Jewish learning opportunities and pastoral support for all students.[11]

Affiliations

  • Noam Masorti - Noam is Masorti Judaism’s Zionist Youth Movement.
  • Marom - Marom, the Masorti organisation for students and young adults.
  • Masorti Olami - Masorti Olami is the international umbrella organization for Masorti Judaism, founded in 1957 with the goal of making Masorti Judaism a force in the Jewish world.
  • Mercaz - Mercaz is the Zionist arm of the worldwide Masorti movement. It's aim is to defend religious pluralism, democratic values and minority rights in Israel. It also works to secure vital funding for Masorti Judaism’s educational work in the UK, Israel and around the world.
  • Jewish Leadership Council - member

Contact

website: masorti.org.uk
Address: Alexander House, 3 Shakespeare Road, London N3 1XE
Tel: +44 (0)20 8349 6650
email: hello@masorti.org.uk

Notes

  1. ↑ Jewish News, Issue No. 1010, 6 July 2017, pp. 1, 4, quoting report by Board of Deputies Policy Reseach, carried out between April and September 2016.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Fighting for the Jewish people’s soul: Masorti Judaism at the 2020 World Zionist Congress, Masorti Judaism. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  3. ↑ Mercaz – Masorti for Israel, Masorti Judaism. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  4. ↑ Masorti Judaism Profile, Companies House. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  5. ↑ Masorti Judaism Profile, Charity Commission. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  6. ↑ Masorti Judaism History, JCR-UK. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  7. ↑ Our Team, Masorti Judaism. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  8. ↑ Trustees, Masorti Judaism. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  9. ↑ Noam's ideology, Noam. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  10. ↑ Noam Programmes, Noam. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  11. ↑ Marom – Students and young adults, Masorti Judaism. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
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