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Email this pageWorld Union a Highly Visible Presence at URJ Biennial
The World Union for Progressive Judaism was well represented at the Union of Reform Judaism Biennial Assembly in Toronto, November 4-8. Many of the biennial’s 3,000 participants dropped by the World Union’s booth in the resource area, which was staffed by Ron Wegsman of the New York office and hosted by many professional staff and lay leaders from there and Israel, who gave out information about programs around the world.
It was especially meaningful that over 40 people from World Union-affiliated regions and congregations from outside North America took part in the biennial. Kathryn Michaels represented the European Region and made a great impact on many participants. Steve Denenberg, executive director of the Union for Progressive Judaism of Australia, New Zealand and Asia (UPJ), was also a high-profile presence.
One of the highlights of the conference was the signing of a contract between the World Union and the Central Conference of American Rabbis. It involved the publication of a “World Union edition” of Mishkan T’filah, the new siddur of the North American Reform movement. Denenberg signed on behalf of the UPJ, which edited the siddur for use especially in the Southern Hemisphere.
On Wednesday evening, the World Union’s North American Council held a dinner meeting. Led by chairwoman Helene Waranch, the business agenda included reports on World Union and regional activities around the world by Denenberg; Michaels; Rabbi Gilad Kariv, executive director of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism; Anne Molloy, chairwoman of the World Union’s FSU Committee; Rabbi Joel Oseran, the World Union’s vice president for international development, who provided an update on Latin America and South Africa; and Shai Pinto, the World Union’s chief operating officer, who reviewed recent successes at Mercaz Shimshon-Beit Shmuel, the World Union’s headquarters and education/culture center in Jerusalem.
Rabbi Gary Bretton-Granatoor, the World Union’s vice president for philanthropy, led an installation ceremony for the NAC’s new board. He also was a featured speaker at a workshop on Christian–Jewish relations held later during the biennial.
On Thursday, the World Union hosted its Celebratory Luncheon, attended by over 320 biennial-goers. Rabbi Dow Marmur, a former World Union executive director and rabbi emeritus of Toronto’s Holy Blossom Temple, offered a remarkable and incisive portrait on the importance of the World Union (see below). David Makovsky, who, along with Dennis Ross, a special advisor to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, just published a book on the Middle East peace process, offered participants an insider’s look at peace-making in the troubled region. Entertainment was provided by Mattan Klein and his band, Seeds of Sun. (Klein played at Connections 2009, the World Union’s 34th international convention, held last March in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.)
On Friday morning, Oseran, Waranch and Cherie Half, a member of Congregation Beth Am of Los Altos Hills, California, and a leader of its successful twinning program with Congregation Beth Am in Poltava, Ukraine, led a workshop on opportunities for twinning with congregations in the FSU and elsewhere.
Steven M. Bauman, chairman and the World Union, and Helene Waranch, chairwoman of its North American Council, are seen at the NAC dinner held during the URJ biennial.
Helene Waranch, chair of the NAC, discusses the program with Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the URJ, at the World Union luncheon.
Diane Marcus (left) and Joan Cohen, co-chairs of Connections 2011, use the biennial luncheon to officially announce that the World Union’s next international convention will take place in San Francisco, February 7-13, 2011.
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