Masorti Olami

24/08/2026

As Israel heads toward critical general elections, decisions affecting Israeli society, democracy, and religious pluralism will also have consequences for Jewish communities across the Diaspora and their relationship with Israel.

We invite Masorti/Conservative communities worldwide to join MERCAZ Olami for a special online briefing with Dr. Yizhar Hess and Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman, President of the Shalom Hartman Institute.

In this live conversation, they will examine the political shifts reshaping Israel, what they could mean for Jewish communities around the world, and the role of Diaspora Jewry in safeguarding a democratic and pluralistic Jewish state.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
8 PM ISRAEL TIME

Los Angeles & Vancouver 10 am • Mexico 11 am • New York, Toronto & Chile 1 pm • Argentina, Brazil & Uruguay 2 pm • London 6 pm • Berlin, Budapest, Paris & Spain 7 pm

❱❱ The event will be held in English, with simultaneous interpretation into French and Spanish.

Register today:
rebrand.ly/il-elections [ENGLISH]
rebrand.ly/fr-elections [FRENCH]
rebrand.ly/es-elections [SPANISH]

For more information: [email protected]

17/08/2026

Presented during the reception honoring Rabbi Mauricio Balter’s retirement at this year’s Masorti Olami Annual General Meeting in Miami, this special video looks back at his remarkable journey through the voices of the six Masorti and MERCAZ Olami presidents that he had the honor of working with, as well as staff and family. Watch the full video at youtube.com/watch?v=m7J_PZwlvs0. (Film by Felipe Wolokita)

Together, their stories reveal the lasting impact of more than five decades dedicated to strengthening communities, developing leaders, building relationships, and helping shape the global Masorti/Conservative movement.

They also remind us why continuing to invest in the people and communities at the heart of our movement matters.

❱❱ Honor his example. Help build what comes next. Support our Dugma Ish*t Campaign campaign today: masortiolami.org/dugma-ish*t-campaign

17/08/2026

We are deeply saddened by the attack on Central Synagogue and stand in solidarity with its congregants and clergy, as well as with Jewish communities facing growing antisemitism around the world. We join the Rabbinical Assembly and United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism in calling for antisemitism to be condemned clearly and unequivocally.

We were saddened and enraged to learn over Shabbat about the attack at New York’s Central Synagogue. We offer support to the congregants and clergy who endured this antisemitism, and join our close friends in the Reform Movement in calling on every leader in New York City to condemn antisemitism consistently and unequivocally.

13/08/2026

Masorti Olami’s 2026 Annual General Meeting brought together board members, regional leaders, and partners from across the global Masorti/Conservative movement in Miami for Shabbat, learning, and strategic work to strengthen our organization’s support for communities worldwide.

Together, we welcomed new members to our leadership and heard how our regions and partner organizations are strengthening Masorti Jewish life around the world. A major focus was the work of the Global Strategy Team, led by consultant Daniel Yoffe, which spent the past year listening to rabbis, lay leaders, professionals, and movement figures from around the masorti world. Building on this process, AGM participants discussed the organization’s priorities for the coming year and how progress should be evaluated, endorsing five strategic dimensions that will guide the development of an actionable plan for Masorti Olami’s next stage.

The AGM also included contributions from NOAM Olami, MAROM, and MERCAZ Olami, alongside the participation and presentations from of our global movement partners, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism and the Rabbinical Assembly.

The weekend concluded with a deeply moving celebration honoring Rabbi Mauricio Balter’s retirement. Surrounded by his wife, Bilha, movement leaders, colleagues, family messages, and friends, Rabbi Mauricio was recognized with warmth, affection, and profound gratitude for his years of leadership and the relationships he built throughout our global movement.

Masorti Olami is especially grateful to the movement partners and board members who traveled to Miami to join us in person, and to the leaders and members of Beth Torah Benny Rok Campus and ATJC for their warm welcome and support throughout the weekend.

We left Miami proud of what our worldwide community has built together and ready to turn our shared priorities into action.

Read more about the AGM and Rabbi Mauricio’s celebration at masortiolami.org/blog/updates/2026-agm-in-miami

04/08/2026

We're proud to partner once again with Repair the Sea for the 9th Annual Reverse Tashlich, inviting Masorti/Conservative communities around the world to begin the High Holiday season through meaningful environmental action.

🌐 Learn more in Español, Français, Português, and Українська at http://masortiolami.org/resource/reverse-tashlich-2026

Inspired by the Rosh HaShanah tradition of Tashlich, Reverse Tashlich transforms symbolic reflection into action. Instead of casting something into the water, we remove plastic, litter, and other debris from beaches, rivers, lakes, and shorelines, putting the Jewish value of Bal Tashchit (the prohibition against needless waste and destruction) into practice.

Last year, hundreds of teams from dozens of countries took part in this global initiative. This year, we hope even more of our communities will join this shared mitzvah.

The global cleanup takes place on Sunday, September 6, but communities are welcome to organize their event at any time during the High Holiday season.

❱❱ Visit masortiolami.org/resource/reverse-tashlich-2026 to register your community, access planning resources, and download everything you need to organize a local Reverse Tashlich event.

Music by Bohdan Kuzmin from

03/08/2026

Mazal Tov to Pamela Schlosberg on her installation as the new International President of the Women's League for Conservative Judaism at this year's WLCJ Convention in early July!

As longtime partners, Masorti Olami and WLCJ share a commitment to strengthening Jewish life and the global Masorti/Conservative movement. We look forward to continuing this important collaboration in the years ahead.

Our heartfelt thanks to outgoing President Julia Loeb for her friendship and leadership over the past three years. Her tenure helped deepen the relationship between our organizations and created new opportunities to learn from one another and collaborate across our global network.

Another reflection of these close ties is the continued service of Masorti Olami Interim CEO Tehila Reuben on the WLCJ’s Board, helping strengthen the connection between our organizations and global communities.

Congratulations as well to WLCJ on assuming full stewardship of the Torah Fund Campaign for the first time. This year's campaign, Shema Koleinu – Hear Our Voice, celebrates women's voices while supporting scholarships, programs, and special projects at Conservative/Masorti institutions of higher Jewish learning around the world, including our movement's rabbinical schools.

❱❱ We invite our communities to learn more about the campaign and the vital work it supports: wlcj.org/torahfund

Here's to a successful new chapter for the Women's League. Our congratulations to the entire newly installed leadership. We look forward to the next chapter of our collaboration and to the meaningful work ahead.

30/07/2026

We are always happy to see ideas, experiences, and leadership shared across our global movement.

In this conversation with Masorti Judaism in the UK, MERCAZ Olami Secretary Tammy Gottlieb discusses the work of Women of the Wall, where she serves as Vice Chair of the Board, and MERCAZ, as well as the ongoing efforts to promote religious pluralism and equal recognition for non-Orthodox Judaism in Israel.

A senior leader in the Masorti/Conservative movement, Tammy also serves as Executive Director of MAROM, the movement's young adult organization.

29/07/2026

Through our deep and growing partnership with the Abayudaya communities, Masorti Olami has launched a new initiative to strengthen weekly Shabbat programming at Hadassah Primary School in Uganda. The project provides the resources needed for around 150 boarding students to bake challah, lead prayers, and celebrate Kiddush and Hamotzi together every Shabbat.

Masorti Olami Interim CEO Tehila Reuben shared: "I remember visiting Hadassah a few years ago and being deeply moved by the dedication, leadership, and resilience of the school and its students despite significant economic challenges. One simple but powerful need stood out: the children were learning about Shabbat rituals but lacked the resources to fully experience them. Today, thanks to the generosity of our global Masorti/Conservative community, that learning is becoming lived practice every Shabbat. For me, this is the heart of our work: listening to our communities, responding to real needs, and ensuring that Jewish life is not only taught, but lived."

Founded by the Abayudaya Jewish community, Hadassah School has become a model of bridge-building in Uganda, where more than 250 Jewish, Christian, and Muslim students study Uganda's national curriculum alongside Jewish values, heritage, and leadership. We're proud of what our Abayudaya communities have built and to stand alongside them through this new initiative, helping provide the resources needed to bring these weekly Shabbat experiences to life.

By responding to the community's evolving needs, this initiative helps transform weekly Shabbat into an opportunity for students to learn, lead, and build community together, creating Jewish experiences that will stay with them for years to come.

Learn more about this initiative and the impact it is already having on students and the wider school community at masortiolami.org/blog/updates/hadassah-primary-school-in-uganda

❱❱ Helping communities thrive often begins by responding to practical local needs, just as this project does at Hadassah Primary School. As the Abayudaya communities continue to build vibrant Jewish life in Uganda and Kenya, support from across the global Masorti/Conservative movement helps make initiatives like this possible. Learn more and help support this ongoing work: masortiolami.org/support-abayudaya-communities

27/07/2026

His example inspired generations. Your support will help build the next.

For more than five decades, Rabbi Mauricio Balter has led by example, investing in people, communities, and the future of the global Masorti/Conservative movement.

As he begins a new chapter, the most meaningful way to honor that legacy is not only to celebrate what he has accomplished, but to help continue the work he dedicated his life to.

Every gift helps strengthen Jewish communities, invest in future leaders, and ensure that generations to come continue to find meaning, belonging, and connection through Masorti Judaism.

❱❱ Honor his example. Help build what comes next. Learn more and donate today at masortiolami.org/dugma-ish*t-campaign

22/07/2026

Beginning tonight, we observe Tisha B'Av, a day of mourning and reflection that commemorates the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem and other defining tragedies in Jewish history.

Sadly, the lessons of Tisha B'Av continue to feel as relevant as ever. The day reminds us that Jewish resilience is sustained not only by remembering our past, but by the way we choose to face the present.

Our sages taught that the Second Temple was destroyed because of sinat chinam (baseless hatred). Their words continue to challenge us to reject division, strengthen our bonds with one another, and uphold the values of justice, compassion, and mutual responsibility.

May this Tisha B'Av remind us that even in times of mourning, Judaism calls us not only to remember what was lost, but to help build what comes next.

❱❱ Discover Tisha B'Av resources from around the world in multiple languages at masortiolami.org/resource/tisha-beav