ALIYAH COMMITTEE
AMTON Newsletter
June 2001

Karni addressing Women's League in Los Angeles.

ACTIVITIES UPDATE

Synagogue Outreach
• In January, Karni Goldshmid-Lahav and Kenneth Jacobson, Director of the International Affairs Division of the Anti-Defamation League, shared a platform at Temple Beth Sholom in Roslyn, New York addressing synagogue members in "An Evening of Solidarity with Israel".

• Rabbi Alan Silverstein, President of MERCAZ OLAMI and his Congregation Agudath Israel in Caldwell, N.J. hosted Karni for a succession of Shabbat activities on Jan. 19-20. Among the programs, on Erev Shabbat, Karni spoke at a dinner program for the Israeli members of the congregation, while Karni’s husband, Uri, led a special dinner program for their children. On Shabbat morning, she addressed the entire congregation about Israel and the Masorti Movement.

• Karni spent five days in Toronto in February speaking to various synagogue groups about Israel and the Masorti Movement. Among these events was a talk at Beth Tikvah Synagogue on "Practicing Conservative Judaism in Israel" focusing on programs and activities of the Conservative (Masorti) Movement in Israel.

• For several days in March, Karni addressed various sectors of the Los Angeles community including the Pacific Southwest Branch of Women’s League for Conservative Judaism on "Current Issues Confronting Israel: Arab-Israeli Relations and Religious and Cultural Pluralism", and also the members of Kehillat Mishkan.

• Tefilla in Venice about Israel and the Masorti Movement. In the words of the Women’s League Branch Program Chair "we have a group of very well-informed women who greatly benefited from Karni’s focus on the issues and [her] adept way of getting the audience involved made for a very exciting morning full of an exchange of ideas. Hopefully, everyone there will spread the message that Israel should not be abandoned, but that visits there should be scheduled soon." During this trip, Karni also spoke with Los Angeles area rabbis about how to empower and encourage congregants to visit Israel.

Student Programs

• The first event of the year was an Israeli movie night in November with members of New York’s Marom/KOACH. A small group of Marom members saw the Israeli film "Kippur" together followed by a coffee klatch and discussion of the movie and ideas for future Marom/KOACH programs.

• For ten days in January, 80 young people, ages 18-26, singles and married couples, participated in the birthright program in Israel, under the auspices of KOACH. Karni, who was one of the group leaders, stated that "the trip was thrilling because the students came at such a difficult time in Israel’s history, and their presence meant so much to the Israeli people while the students all said that they received back so much from this experience."

• Approximately 50 students and faculty at The Jewish Theological Seminary in N.Y. participated in an Israeli Tu B’Shevat Seder organized by Karni. Environmental issues were discussed interspersed with Israeli singing.

Marom/KOACH leader, Ezra Wanetik, makes a point at Tu B'Shevat Seder

• On February 22, Tnuat AM and Marom/KOACH hosted a Yom Iyun (Day of Study) at University of Pennsylvania’s Hillel featuring "A Cultural Tour of Your Spiritual Homeland — Israel". Organized by Karni, the program started with an Israeli lunch followed by a virtual tour of Israel by Ms. Maya Lapid.

The program also included an outstanding musical stand-up comedy and was concluded by an update of Israeli current events by Mr. Nimrod Barkan of the Israeli Foreign Ministry. Karni reports that it was especially exciting to meet 60 students each of whom had been in Israel at least once.

Nimrod Barkan of the Israeli Foreign Ministry addresses students at University of Pennsylvania

• While in Los Angeles, Karni facilitated an Israeli movie night for the local KOACH chapter. The group saw Yatzati Lechapes Ahava, Techef Ashuv ("Out for Love, Be Back Later") and met with Dan Katzir, the film’s producer and director.

Aliyah Activities

• Karni regularly meets with people who are planning aliyah and is readily available to meet with individuals and families of all ages to discuss short and long term stays in Israel, including families who want to plan Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, those who wish to spend a summer in Israel learning Hebrew, student programs, andmore.

If you would like to arrange a program at your synagogue or campus, call Karni Goldshmid-Lahav at 212-533-7800, ext. 2021 or 212-339-6920, or email to karnig@jazo.org.il.

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