Rabbi Jeffrey Abraham
Congregation Agudas Achim, San Antonio, TX
Cantor Nancy Abramson
Director, H.L. Miller Cantorial School and College of Jewish Music, JTS
Rabbi David Ackerman
Beth Am Israel, Penn Valley, PA
Rabbi Aaron Alexander
Adas Israel Congregation, Washington DC
Rabbi Joel Alter
Congregation Beth Israel Ner Tamid, Glendale, WI
Rabbi Julia Andelman
Director of Community Engagement, JTS
Rabbi Jeffrey M. Arnowitz
Westchester Jewish Center, Mamaroneck, NY
Gideon Aronoff
Executive Director, Masorti Foundation
Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson
Dean, Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies
Rabbi Adam Baldachin
VoteMERCAZ Steering Committee; Shaarei Tikvah, Scarsdale, NY
Rabbi Michael S. Beals
Congregation Beth Shalom, Wilmington, DE
Rabbi Joshua Ben-Gideon
Beth David Synagogue, Greensboro, NC
Cantor Danielle Bensimhon
Temple Beth David, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Rabbi Aaron Benson
North Shore JC, Pt Jefferson Station, NY
Rabbi Jacob Blumenthal
Chief Executive, The Rabbinical Assembly
Rabbi Scott Bolton
Congregation Or Zarua, New York, NY
Julian Brook
MERCAZ USA Board, Birmingham, AL
Rabbi Aaron Brusso
Bet Torah, Mount Kisco, NY
Rabbi Howard Buechler
Dix Hills Jewish Center, Dix Hills, NY
Cantor Luis Cattan
The Conservative Synagogue, Westport, CT
Rabbi Ammos Chorny
Beth Tikvah of Naples, Naples, FL
Rabbi Mitchell Cohen
Director, National Ramah Commission
Rabbi Martin S. Cohen
Shelter Rock Jewish Center, Roslyn, NY
Amy Skopp Cooper
Associate Director, National Ramah Commission
Rabbi Neil Cooper
Temple Beth Hillel-Beth El, Wynnewood, PA
Sarrae Crane
Executive Director, MERCAZ USA; VoteMERCAZ Steering Committee
Rabbi Eric Cytryn
Beth El, Harrisburg, PA
Rabbi Elliot Dorff, Ph.D.
Rector and Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, American Jewish University
Rabbi Daniel I. Dorsch
Vice President, MERCAZ USA; Etz Chaim, Atlanta, GA
Rabbi Paula Mack Drill
Orangetown Jewish Center, Orangetown, NY
Rabbi Gilah Dror
Rodef Sholom Temple, Newport News, VA; Past President, The Rabbinical Assembly
Eddie Edelstein
Executive Director, Jewish Educators Assembly
Professor Arnold Eisen
Chancellor, Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS)
Rabbi Jerome Epstein
CEO Emeritus, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
Dr. Shira Epstein
Dean, William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education, JTS
Rabbi Gideon Estes
Congregation Or Ami, Houston, TX
Linda Fayne
Temple Beth David, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Rabbi Patricia Fenton
Yoetzet Limudei Rabbanut, Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies
Rabbi David Fine
Temple Israel and Jewish Community Center, Ridgewood, NJ
Marc Gary
COO, JTS; VoteMERCAZ Steering Committee
Rabbi Lisa Gelber
Congregation Habonim, New York, NY
Ned Gladstein
President, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism; Caldwell, NJ
Rabbi David Glanzberg-Krainin
Beth Sholom, Elkins Park, PA
Rabbi Batya Glazer
Director, Jewish Community Relations Council, Philadelphia, PA
Margo Gold
Past Presient, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
Ray Goldstein
Past President, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, VOTEMERCAZ Steering Committee
Rabbi Andy Green
Congregation Beth El, Voorhees, NJ
Rabbi Gary Greene
Marathon Jewish Communimty Center, Douglaston, NY
Rabbi Susan Grossman
Beth Shalom Congregation, Columbia, MD
Rabbi Eytan Hammerman
Harrison JCC; Vice President, MercazUSA
Rabbi Eliezer Havivi
Philadelphia, PA
Richard Helfand
Vice President, MERCAZ USA; Overland Park, KS
Rabbi Corey Helfand
Peninsula Sinai Congregation, Foster City, CA
Rabbi Jacob Herber
iEngage Consultant, Shalom Hartman Institute North America
Rabbi Ben Herman
Congregation Bet Shira, Miami, FL
Rabbi Lauren Holtzblatt
Adas Israel Congregation, Washington DC
Rabbi Julie Jacobs
Beth David Congregation, Miami, FL
Rabbi Michael S. Jay
Jewish Community Center of Long Beach Island, NJ
Joyce Juda
USY/Kadima Branch Director
Rabbi Debra Newman Kamin
President, The Rabbinical Assembly; Am Yisrael Conservative Congregation, Northfield, IL
Rabbi Dr. Amy Kalmonofsky
Dean, Albert A List College of Jewish Studies, JTS
Scott Kaplan
MERCAZ USA Board Member; Atlanta, GA
Rabbi Jan Caryl Kaufman
Washington, DC
Temma Kingsley
Forest Hills, NY
Rabbi David-Seth Kirshner
Temple Emanu-El, Closter, NJ
Rabbi Ashira Konigsburg
COO, The Rabbinical Assembly
Rabbi Randall Konigsburg
Beth Shalom B'nai Israel, Manchester, CT
Rabbi Jay M. Kornsgold
Secretary, The Rabbinical Assembly; VoteMERCAZ Steering Committee; Beth El Synagogue, East Windsor, NJ
Rabbi Harold Kravitz
Treasurer, The Rabbinical Assembly; Adath Jeshurun Congregation, Minnetonka, MN
Rabbi Jonah Layman
Shaare Tefila Congregation, Olney, MD
Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz
Adat Shalom, Los Angeles, CA
Eric Leiderman
Masorti on Campus
Dr. Anne Lapidus Lerner
Emeritus faculty, former Vice-Chancellor, JTS
Rabbi David Lerner
Temple Emunah, Lexington, MA
Rabbi Steven Lerner
Founder and Director, Center for Conversion to Judaism; Former Editor, Conservative Judaism Magazine
Alan Levine
Chair, JTS Board Of Trustees, New York, NY
Rabbi Emeritus Shalom Lewis
Congregation Etz Chaim, Atlanta, GA
Leslie Lichter
Interim CEO, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
Rabbi Ethan Linden
Director, Camp Ramah in the Berkshires
Cantor David Lipp
President Cantors Assembly; Congregation Adath Jeshurun, Louisville, KY
David Lissy
VoteMERCAZ Steering Committee
Rabbi Alan Lucas
Temple Beth Sholom, Roslyn, NY
Rabbi Ari Lucas
Congregation Agudath Israel, Caldwell NJ
Rabbi Randall Mark
Shomrei Torah - The Wayne Conservative Congregation, Wayne, NJ
JB Mazer
MERCAZ USA Board; Birmingham, AL
Rabbi Aaron Melman
Congregation Beth Shalom, Northbrook, IL
Rabbi Andrea Merow
Congregation Beth Sholom, Elkins Park, PA
Margie Miller
President, Women's League for Conservative Judaism; Baldwin, NY
Richard Moline
Past International President USY; Chicago, IL
Rabbi Loren Monosov
Temple Emanuel of Pascack Valley, Woodcliff Lake, NJ
Rabbi Joel Myers
Executive Vice President Emeritus, The Rabbinical Assembly
Rabbi Daniel Nevins
Dean, The Rabbinical School, JTS
Rabbi Micah Peltz
Beth Sholom, Cherry Hill, NJ
Rabbi Cheryl Peretz
Associate Dean, Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies
Margie Pomerantz
Vice President, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism; Los Gatos, CA
Hazan Aliza Pomerantz-Boro
Past President, Cantors Assembly; Congregation Beth El, Vorhees, NJ
Rabbi Michael Ragozin
Congregation Shirat Hayam, Swampscott, MA
Rabbi Steven Rein
Agudas Achim Congregation, Alexandria, VA
Rabbi Carnie Rose
Congregation B'nai Amoona, St. Louis, MO
Rabbi Scott Rosenberg
Congregation B'nai Zion, El Paso, TX
Howard Rosenblatt
MERCAZ USA Board; Merion Station, PA
Rabbi Shira Rosenblum
Jacksonville Jewish Center, Jacksonville, FL
Gary Rosenthal
MERCAZ USA Executive Committee; Somerset, NJ
Rabbi Eric Rosin
Congrregation Neve Shalom, Metuchen, NJ
Fred Rothstein, FSA
President, North American Association of Synagogue Executives; Beverton, OR
Rabbi Stephanie Ruskay
Executive Director, Handel Center for Ethics and Justice, JTS
Rachel Russo
MERCAZ USA Secretary; Highland Park, IL
Rabbi Marc Sack
Temple Judea, Fort Myers, FL
Rabbi Michael Safra
B’nai Israel Congregation, Rockville, MD
Jackie Saltz
MERCAZ USA Board; Oxnard, CA
Mary Sanders
Masorti Olami; Miami, FL
Saul Sanders
Chair, The Schechter Institutes Board of Directors; Co-Chair VoteMERCAZ Steering Committee; Miami, FL
Rabbi Neil Sandler
Ahavath Achim Synagogue, Atlanta, GA
Rabbi Charlie Savenor
Director of Congregtional Education, Park Avenue Synagogue, NYC; Past International President, USY
Rabbi Craig Scheff
Orangetown Jewish Center, Orangeburg, NY
Rabbi Robert Slosberg
Past Chair, Masorti Foundation; Congregation Adath Jeshurun, Louisville, KY
Heidi Schneider
Chair, Masorti Foundation; Golden Valley, MN
Dr. Shuly Rubin Schwartz
Provost, JTS; Dean, of the Gershon Kekst Graduate School, JTS
Rabbi Benjamin Sendrow
Congregation Shaarey Tefilla, Carmel, IN
Rabbi Andy Shugerman
Executive Director, Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs
Rabbi Michael Siegel
Anshe Emet, Chicago, IL
Alan Silberman
Past President, Masorti Olami; Vice President, American Zionist Movement; Highland Park, IL
Rabbi Dr. Alan Silverstein
President, MERCAZ Olami; VoteMERCAZ Steering Committee; Past President The Rabbinical Assembly; Congregation Agudath Israel, Caldwell, NJ
Rabbi Emeritus Matthew Simon
Past President, MERCAZ USA; Congregation B'nai Israel, Rockville, MD
Rabbi Gerald Skolnik
Past President, The Rabbinical Assembly; Forest Hills Jewish Center
Cantor Alan Sokoloff
Tample Emanuel of Pascack Valley, Woodcliff Lake, NJ
Rabbi Elie Spitz
Congregation B'nai Israel, Tustin, CA
Sandy Starkman
MERCAZ USA Executive Committee; Highland Park, IL
Rabbi Howard Stecker
Temple Israel, Great Neck, NY
Stephen Steckler
MERCAZ USA Treasurer; Olney, MD
Rabbi David Steinhardt
B'nai Torah, Boca Raton, FL
Rabbi Gil Steinlauf
Kol Shalom, Rockville, MD
Rabbi Brian Strauss
Congregation Beth Yeshurun, Houston, TX
Rabbi Jay Strear
JEWISH Colorado, Denver, CO
Tom Sudow
President, Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs; Clevland, OH
Rabbi Ari Sunshine
Shearith Israel, Dallas, TX
Rabbi Howard Tilman
Congregation Beth Israel, Scoth Plains, NJ
Melody Torrens
President, Temple Beth David, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Rabbi Gordon Tucker
Rabbi Emeritus, Temple Israel Center, White Plains, NY
Rabbi Annie Tucker
Temple Israel Center, White Plains, NY
Rabbi Michael Uram
University of Pennsylvania Hillel
Rabbi Jan Urbach
Director, Bloch/Kolker Center for the Spiritual Acts, JTS
Rabbi Arthur Vernon
Congregation Shaaray Shalom, West Hempstead, NY
Rabbi Stewart Vogel
Vice President, The Rabbinical Assembly; Temple Aliyah, Woodland Hills, CA
Rabbi Andy Warmflash
Jewish Learning Venture, Jenkintown, PA
Rabbi Lewis Warshauer
Seminars in Judaism
Rabbi Jonathan Waxman
Temple Beth Sholom, Smithtown, NY
Eric Weis
Execuitve Committee, MERCAZ USA; Wayne, NJ
Martin Werber
Vice President, MERCAZ USA: Great Neck, NY
Marilyn Wind
Co-Chair, VoteMERCAZ Steering Committee; President, MERCAZ USA; Bethesda, MD
Rabbi David Wise
Hollis Hills Bayside Jewish Center, Hollis Hills, NY
Rabbi Emeritus Jeff Wohlberg
Past Presdient, Rabbinical Assembly; Adas Israel, Washington, DC
Rabbi Ellen Wolintz-Fields
Executive Director, Women's League for Conservative Judaism
Rabbi Michael Wolk
Keneseth Israel Congregation, Louisville, KY
Rabbi David Wolpe
Sinai Temple, Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi Eric Yanoff
Adath Israel, Merion Station, PA
Judy Yudof
Past President United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism; Jupiter, FL
A Dear Friend Letter from Conservative Movement Leaders
Dear Friends:
Every five years, the World Zionist Congress election gives us another chance to put down a marker for Conservative/Masorti Judaism in Israel. On January 21, 2020, when the next election begins, delegates will again be up for grabs. But let’s be clear - what is really on the ballot is the strength of the American Conservative/Masorti Movement and our vision of Israel as a place that celebrates religious pluralism, democratic values, and a Jewish homeland that still welcomes all Jews.
We write today because we know that you share our commitment to this vision and that you will also share in the important work of ensuring a resounding victory in this election.
A strong showing in the upcoming election will translate into greater influence for the Masorti/Conservative Movement in Israel and within the critical National Institutions - the World Zionist Organization (WZO), Keren Kayemit L’Yisrael (KKL), and the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI). Policy decisions, the appointment of positions of influence and the fate of millions of dollars for our programs will all be decided. But to achieve these outcomes, we must be at the table with the full strength of the American Conservative Movement.
Elections have consequences. We have a chance to make great strides for Conservative/Masorti Judaism in Israel and throughout the world, but not if we don’t fully mobilize our community and engage in this fight. As a leader of the Conservative Movement, you have the power of the pulpit and/or a platform that can make a difference. The ability to educate and turn-out voters for our slate is no easy task. Your efforts will make the difference between success and the status quo.
We have real competition- from the other movements and from other Zionist entities. There may be as many as 17 different rival slates.
Today, we ask you to join us in this, the only Conservative Movement effort. Run the strongest possible campaign in your congregation, within your organization, and among your colleagues, followers and friends. The attached Pledge Card outlines exactly how you can help. Please commit today.
“Chazak Chazak V’nitchazek: Be strong, be strong, and let us be strengthened.” The stronger our effort, the stronger we will be as a community. We are counting on you.
L’shalom,
The VOTE MERCAZ Community