1 2013 ACTIVITY REPORT Beutel Leadership Seminar The Beutel Leadership Seminar was held in February, at the WUPJ’s Anita Saltz Education Institute, with sixteen people from seven countries attending. Enrique Jurkowski, Adjunct Secretary of the Fundación Judaica, in Argentina, was the Latin American representative at the seminar. The group in which he participated travelled through Israel for ten days, reflecting on some of the critical issues faced by Jewish communities throughout the world, by the Jewish people and by the Jewish State. WUPJ Latin America welcomes its new affiliates The following are now a part of the list the WUPJ Latin America affiliates: the Centro Israelita de Pernambuco, in Recife, the Associação Cultural Israelita de Brasília – ACIB, both in Brazil as well as the Comunidad Israelita de Concepción, in Chile. In this manner the WUPJ also renews its mission of building bridges between Reform / Progressive congregations in the region, supporting and organizing programs with inclusive Jewish content. Centro Israelita de Pernambuco Associação Cultural Israelita de Brasília Comunidad Israelita de Concepción Lashir Benefesh Seminar – 7 th Edition Held on March 10, 11 and 12 at the ARI-RJ, the 7 th edition of the Lashir Benefesh Seminar had the special participation of the Argentinean Chazzan Isidoro Abramowicz, musical educator and choir conductor. Presently Abramowicz is a guest chazzan at the Mishkenot Beit Ruth-Daniel and Reform Synagogue Kiriyat Ono synagogues, both in Israel. He actively
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2013 ACTIVITY REPORT
Beutel Leadership Seminar
The Beutel Leadership Seminar was held in February, at the WUPJ’s Anita Saltz Education
Institute, with sixteen people from seven countries attending. Enrique Jurkowski, Adjunct
Secretary of the Fundación Judaica, in Argentina, was the Latin American representative at
the seminar. The group in which he participated travelled through Israel for ten days,
reflecting on some of the critical issues faced by Jewish communities throughout the world,
by the Jewish people and by the Jewish State.
WUPJ Latin America welcomes its new affiliates
The following are now a part of the list the WUPJ Latin America affiliates: the Centro Israelita
de Pernambuco, in Recife, the Associação Cultural Israelita de Brasília – ACIB, both in Brazil
as well as the Comunidad Israelita de Concepción, in Chile. In this manner the WUPJ also
renews its mission of building bridges between Reform / Progressive congregations in the
region, supporting and organizing programs with inclusive Jewish content.
Centro Is raelita de Pernambuco Associação Cultural Israeli ta de Bras íl ia Comunidad Is rael i ta de Concepción
Lashir Benefesh Seminar – 7th Edition
Held on March 10, 11 and 12 at the ARI-RJ, the 7th edition of the Lashir Benefesh Seminar
had the special participation of the Argentinean Chazzan Isidoro Abramowicz, musical
educator and choir conductor. Presently Abramowicz is a guest chazzan at the Mishkenot
Beit Ruth-Daniel and Reform Synagogue Kiriyat Ono synagogues, both in Israel. He actively
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participated in the reconstruction of Reform Judaism in Germany, where he worked at
various institutions between 2005 and 2009. He performs in various recitals for different
musical genre in Israel, the United States and Europe.
Chazzan Isidoro Abramowicz Public at ARI’s concert
Connections 2013
The WUPJ’s 36th International Convention – Connections 2013 – “Being the Difference”, was
held on April 28th to May 5th. The WUPJ-LA had a delegation of 30 participants including
youth and adults.
Latin America group young adults / Tamar
The organizers of Connections 2013 created a broad list of involving and inspiring topics for
the Jewish community throughout the world, including, for example, the challenges of
contemporary society – including the relationship between new technology and religion –
and reflections on how communities can become more welcoming.
The convention also created the opportunity for the implementation of new joint projects,
especially with plans of integrating the local communities with their youth movements, with
the objective of conducting joint training sessions for their leaders.
In addition to lectures, debates and discussion panels, the program of the Connections 2013
convention also provided the participants with the opportunity of getting to know Israel in a
different way, with specific itineraries which provided emotional moments for all, including
tours before and after the conference.
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(L) Raul Gottlieb (WUPJ-LA)
Tributes The convention’s organizers made a tribute to the Fundación Judaica of Argentina and to the
Rabbi Sergio Bergman, who received the WUPJ Micah Award for his commitment to Tikkun
Olam and his leadership in Latin America.
Rabbi Sergio Bergman receives the WUPJ Micah award from Joel Oseran, Miriam Vasserman and Stephen Breslauer (L-D)
The following also received awards from the WUPJ International: the President of the
American Jewish World Service, Ruth W. Messinger; Rabbi Bob Samuels who runs the Leo
Beck Educational Center in Haifa; Professor Dr. Irwin Cotler, Member of the Canadian
Parliament; and the Israeli author David Grossman.
Ruth W. Messinger Rabino Bob Samuels (R)
David Grossman (L) Prof. Irwin Cotler (C)
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Bergman Seminar – the strength of Jewish education
The 2013 edition of “The Bergman Seminar for Progressive Jewish Educators ”, held in Israel
on July 4th to the 14th, brought together Jewish educators from the reform, progressive and
liberal movements with the theme “Creating meaningful connections”. Communities
throughout the world sent their representatives to participate in classes, reading of texts
and visits to various locations where the content of the studies can be experienced hands
on. Eleven participants from nine different countries were present including Panama, Israel,
Czech Republic, United States, South Africa, France, Argentina, Australia and Brazil. The
three participants from Latin America (Panama, Brazil and Argentina) who participated were:
Deby Malamud from Buenos Aires (Arlene Fern Community School), Joana Rychter from Rio
de Janeiro (ARI) and Nurit Meresman from Panama (Kol Sherith Israel Congregation).
Chilean community gets support from the WUPJ Latin America
The president of the WUPJ Latin America, Miriam Vasserman, was as guest of a Kabalat
Shabbat at the Ruaj Ami Community in Santiago. During this visit, she met with various
people from the local community and gave an interview to the local Jewish media
emphasizing the importance of the work conducted by the WUPJ in small Jewish
communities.
1 (L-R) Rabbi Chaim Kori tzinsky, Rabbi Roberto Feldmann and his daughter Malka with Miriam Vasserman
2 - (L-R) Patty Thal , Susy Pi tchon, Rabbi Chaim Kori tzinsky, Erika Wol ff , Miriam Vasserman
3 - Miriam Vasserman with Victor Grimblatt (L) and Martin Hirsch
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Scholars in Residence
Rabbi Gilad Kariv visits South America
The Executive Director of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism - IMPJ, Rabbi Gilad
Kariv, attended various meetings with leaders and young adults during his visit to Latin
America at the beginning of August. The trip was organized by the World Union for
Progressive Judaism with the support of its affiliates Congregação Israelita Paulista (CIP), in
São Paulo; Associação Religiosa Israelita (ARI), in Rio de Janeiro; Sociedade Israelita Brasileira
de Cultura e Beneficência (Sibra), in Porto Alegre; and Fundación Judaica, in Buenos Aires.
Meeting with Young adults from ARI Meeting with Young adults from CIP
(L-R) Roberto Ochman, Ricardo Silveira,
Rabbi Guershon Kwasniewski, Rabbi Gilad Kariv
Board and representatives from Fundación Judaica Representatives from Mishkan
Professor Joshua Holo – The importance of a liberal Jewish education
Professor Joshua Holo, Dean of the Hebrew Union College (HUC) in Los Angeles (USA) was in
São Paulo by invitation of the WUPJ and the Congregação Israelita Paulista to participate in a
series of activities with Jewish education as the main topic.
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Holo participated in a panel with Rabbi Gilad Kariv, with the topic “What is the importance of
Liberal Judaism to Israel, the Diaspora and the world?”
Holo also participated in meetings with leaders from the educational sector, teachers, young
leaders and members of the community to discuss educational projects, his experience in
the United States and specially the importance of a consistent Jewish education in
legitimizing Liberal Judaism, promoting the involvement of future generations with religion.
Round table –CIP Shiur with young adults - CIP
Outreach Project
Helping the small Jewish communities in Latin America.
Judaism on-line in the south of Brazil
The Sociedade Israelita Brasileira de Cultura e Beneficência de Porto Alegre – SIBRA –, in Rio
Grande do Sul, will soon begin Judaism courses through the internet with members of the
Jewish communities in the other states of the South of Brazil: Paraná and Santa Catarina.
The idea came about in April, when the Associação Israelita Catarinense began its activities
at its new headquarters with a special weekend attended by Guershon Kwasniewski, from
the Sibra, who led the religious services of Kabalat Shabbat and Saturday morning.
One of the highlights of the new location of the AIC is a work by the renowned artist Marc
Chagall on the Aron Hakodesh of the synagogue.
Exchange of experiences
Ricardo Jose Rotholtz, member of the Centro de Epiritualidad Judía Mishkan, in Buenos
Aires, Argentina, visited the Centro Israelita de Pernambuco (CIP), in Recife, Brazil . Rotholtz
is also a member of the regional board of directors of the WUPJ LA. He was welcomed by the
President of the CIP Zeev Katz, with whom he discussed topics common to both entities and
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was surprised by the efforts of the community from Pernambuco to maintain their activities
despite numerous adversities.
(l-R) Ricardo Jose Rotholtz and Zeev Katz
Rabbi dedicated to Human Rights and to helping people with AIDS visits
Brazil
Rabbi Joseph Edelheit, Director of Religious Studies at St Cloud State University (USA), visited
the Jewish communities in Recife and Florianopolis. He is known for his fight for Human
Rights and for work conducted with HIV positive individuals, especially in India.
In Recife, Edelheit led the religious services of the High Holy Days together with the Chazan
David Eisenkraft, and in Florianopolis he participated in meetings to discuss Progressive
Judaism and the Jewish thinkers of the 20th century at the Post-Graduate Social History
Program of the Universidade Federal of Rio de Janeiro.
(L-R) Chazzan David Leo Eisencraft and Rabbi Joseph Edelheit
Mifgash: Conference of Young Latin American Jews / November 1 to 3, 2013
With the topic “Latin American Judaism: its traits and characteristics and the relationship
with Israel”, a group of 35 young adults with ages between 20 and 35, representing
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Panama, Ecuador and Guatemala participated in a conference at the
beginning of November at the legendary Avigdor Colony (www.judaica.org.ar) in the
Province of Entre Rios in Argentina
Called Mifgash-Beit Midrash Judaica, the event was organized jointly by the Fundación
Judaica (Argentina) and the TaMaR – the WUPJ’s young adult movement (World Union for
Progressive Judaism (WUPJ). The event was made possible thanks to the Fundación Judaica
(FJ), the TaMaR, WRJ (Women of Reform Judaism), WZO (World Zionist Organization) and