Shalom Everyone!

The month of Elul, preceding Rosh Hashanah is a time when Jews around the world look back over the last year and ahead towards the next one. We examine our actions asking, “Did I do all I could? Did I speak up where voices needed to be raised?”
Let me tell you briefly about some of our commitments:

First - advancing religious pluralism in Israel;

Second - offering Matching Scholarships to young people attending Conservative sponsored Israel trips (e.g. USY Pilgrimage, NATIV, Conservative Yeshiva, Ramah Seminar, etc.). This scholarship must be matched or surpassed by their Conservative synagogue.

It has become customary for MERCAZ-Canada, MERCAZ USA and Women's League for Conservative Judaism to conduct, in coordination with the biennial Women's League Convention, as essay contest for high school students on the topic of Israel and Zionism. The winners are provided with scholarships to subsidize the cost of Conservative Movement sponsored trips to Israel. In honor of Herzl's 150th birthday, the last theme was Theodore Herzl's vision of a Jewish state. We are proud to say that during the past 2 years we have had finalists and semi finalists in this contest.

Third - encouraging Zionist/Israel programming in Canadian Conservative synagogues. We have done this and continue to do so.

• In honour of Israel's 60th birthday MERCAZ-Canada organized a special MERCAZ Shabbat in all Canadian Conservative congregations. Rabbis and lay leaders spoke about Israel and also highlighted the work of MERCAZ-Canada as well as the importance of the over 60 Masorti kehillot in Israel.
• HERZL Programming & Exhibit- Last year we encouraged and promoted Herzl programs and exhibits in our congregations across the country. A number of Toronto synagogues, as well as one in Vancouver and one in Ottawa, held events, from music to special Shabbatot. A Herzl poster exhibit was also opened to local Day Schools students from across Canada.
• This year we wrote to all of our congregations to enquire as to how MERCAZ-Canada could co-sponsor Israel related programs. Trudy Sassoon (a member of the MERCAZ-Canada Board from Shaar Shalom. Thornhill, ON) co-ordinated this initiative. She sent e-mails to all Conservative synagogue Israel Affairs and Adult Education Chairs across Canada, with valuable educational links and suggestions from several of the Israel Affairs chairs. We received many positive responses and plan for this to be an ongoing project.
• Israel Advocacy Training Seminar- MERCAZ-Canada is teaming up with MERCAZ USA, the Rabbinical Assembly, Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs, Women's League and USCJ to train volunteers to organize and strengthen ongoing Israel advocacy in their synagogues. A 2-day Israel Advocacy Training Seminar is being organized to take place Sunday-Monday December 18-19 2011. MERCAZ-Canada is represented on the committee by Dr. David Goldberg, as well as Mr. Stan Greenspan, who is participating through FJMC. Both Dr. Goldberg and Mr. Greenspan serve on the MERCAZ-Canada board and are members of Beth David B'nai Israel Beth Am, Toronto.

Finally, we are committed to increasing our presence and influence at the World Zionist Organization (WZO) and Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) in order to gain recognition and funding for the Masorti / Conservative Movement in Israel.

The Conservative Movement, through MERCAZ OLAMI, is a full partner in the WZO and Jewish Agency. Our delegates to the Zionist Congress work to advance our agenda: to shape the nature of Israeli society with the values of religious pluralism and environmental awareness and to gain important resources for the development of institutions of Conservative / Masorti Judaism in Israel and throughout the world, including the Schechter Institute, the Masorti Movement and the Conservative Yeshiva.

In 2010 the World Zionist Congress was held. The Conservative / Masorti Leaders in attendance left with the satisfaction of knowing that we had succeeded in bringing significant benefits for the growth of Conservative / Masorti Judaism in Israel and around the world.

Among the successes we could count:

• The election of the first Conservative / Masorti leader to a top leadership role in the World Zionist Organization, with Dr David Breakstone's election as the Deputy Chairman of WZO.
• Securing recognition of NOAM (our Youth Movement in Israel) including USY as it's North American affiliate, as a full fledged Zionist youth movement able to join the Zionist Youth Forum and be eligible for funding.

Each year in June, between WZO Congresses, the business meeting of the WZO - the Va'ad HaPoel - takes place. This is followed by the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) Board of Governors meetings. During these meetings, our movement leaders were elected to the following positions:

• Rabbi Vernon Kurtz ( Immediate Past-President of MERCAZ Olami) as a Board member of the Jewish People Policy Institute and as Vice Chairman of the Committee for Russian Speaking Jewry.
• Alan Silberman (Chairperson of Masorti Olami ) as Vice Chairman of the JAFI Insurance Committee.
• Dr Steve Wolnek (President of MERCAZ Olami) as Chairman of the Israel Engagement sub-committee for Israel Advocacy.
• Dr David Breakstone as Chairman of the Small Communities Committee.
• Marion Mayman (President of MERCAZ-Canada) as a committee member of the JAFI Board of Governors.

In MERCAZ we are proud as Conservative / Masorti Jews to be involved in the political world of the Jewish people because we strongly believe it is a vehicle for change, a vehicle to say we are here and relevant to world wide Judaism and we are represented in the world map of our people.

However, none of this could be achieved without you - our members. The more members MERCAZ-Canada has, the more members MERCAZ Olami has, enabling us to have a positive presence in the WZO and JAFI. To those of you who are already members - Todah rabah. For those of you who are not yet members - we would love to welcome you.

Every voice counts. Have you been counted? 2011 Membership in MERCAZ-Canada is only $9.00/person or $18.00/couple. PLEASE JOIN TODAY, online at www.mercaz.ca or by phoning the MERCAZ-Canada office at 1-866-357-3384.

With your help our Movement will continue to flourish and grow.

Kol Tuv,

Marion Mayman