Alan & Ann Lippel, Rabbah Lastreger and Lou Hammerman. Photo: Nick Levitin
Last night, over dinner, about 35 members of Shomrei met Rabbah Nathalie Lastreger (“Rabbah” is the Hebrew term for a woman Rabbi) the spiritual leader of Minyan Mishpachti Masorti (Masorti Family Minyan) a congregation in the northern Galilee village of Kfar Vradim, Israel. “Masorti” (Hebrew for “traditional”) is the name for the Conservative Movement used outside the United States. Accompanied by congregants and congregational leaders from Minyan Mishpachti Masorti, Rabbah Lastreger recounted her personal journey from an Orthodox Rabbi’s wife to becoming a Masorti Rabbi herself. She described in detail many of the challenges facing women Rabbis as well as non-Orthodox religious institutions in the state of Israel. In Israel, only orthodox synagogues and Rabbis are recognized and receive state funding. Marriages, ordinations, and conversions (among other things) performed by non-Orthodox Rabbis are not recognized.
photo by Nick Levitin
Rabbah Lastreger joyfully expressed a desire for our two communities to become greater than the sum of our parts. Stressing the need for open-dialog she expressed hope that members of Shomrei could “re-connect” with Israel and our shared Jewish heritage while members of Minyan Mishpachti Masorti could draw on our experience of furthering Jewish community in a pluralistic and secular society. “You need us and we need you.” was her overarching theme.
What does one do with a “Sister Synagogue”? Well, that’s up to us to invent! There is contact between the youth group leadership at Minyan Mishpachti Masorti (85 kids strong!) and our Education Director, Heather Brown. Perhaps there could be exchanges in the future? Co-editor, Sarita Eisenberg and I are already in contact with Esthi David, editor of Minyan Mishpachti Masorti’s newsletter “Koleinu”. We’ll be featuring the goings-on in Kfar Vradim on occasion. At the meeting there was talk of collaboration on the challenge of the status of refugees and their humane treatment in both countries. Perhaps, together, we can present a united front?
Rabbi David Greenstein & Rabbah Nathalie Lastreger. photo by Nick Levitin
Rabbah Lastreger concluded her remarks, “You are always welcome to visit your new relatives in our little spot in the far north of Israel, Kfar Vradim!”
The pairing of Shomrei and Minyan Mishpachti Masorti was made by the “Rav Siach” program. Meaning “multi-party discourse” in Hebrew, the program is designed to provide Conservative Masorti congregations worldwide and Masorti communities in Israel with a platform which would enable them to connect and form relationships between Israeli and Diaspora rabbis and their respective communities. Rav Siach aspires to cultivate a dialogue between the communities, which will grapple with key issues confronting Israeli society and Diaspora communities.
The program is largely centered on communication between the participating rabbis and congregations, developing educational content about Israel, Israeli society, Israeli culture, the Israeli-Jewish calendar, Jewish life-cycle, and was initiated by the Masorti Movement in Israel and the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs of Israel.
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Happy that you enjoined our Raba.
Hope that there will be a connection followup between our congregations.
Offer David