Ran Huri
"Peace and unity are the eternal foundations of the House of Israel's national existence, which will stand forever. They are those pillars that form the basis of Bnei Israel, the channels for benediction, the sources of plenty and the vehicles of the strength and courage of the People of Israel." (Quoted from the spiritual testament of Rabbi Ben-Zion Meir Chai Uziel)
"I recall, as a child, asking my father: Why aren't there Sephardi rabbis?" recounts a graduate of the Memizrach Shemesh Beit Midrash for Rabbinic Social Leadership – MERHAV. "We never thought that the Sephardi sages had much to offer, certainly not in contemporary Israel. But what we were to discover here was a new world: the Sephardi sages are all contemporary figures, who deal with their community's members with a full grasp of Israel's society and public sphere. And when you reach a new world, one day a week is hardly sufficient..."
For over ten years, the MERHAV program for Rabbinic Social Leadership has involved officiating rabbis from all over Israel. The rabbis would meet one day a week for in-depth study of social issues as reflected in the Sephardi tradition. The program's alumni continue to spread the renewed awareness of the Sephardi tradition throughout Israeli society: Thousands of students, community members and auditors have since been introduced to the world of the Sephardi sages.
During the last few years, the program has been operating in collaboration with the Sephardic Educational Center headed by Rabbi Daniel Bouskila. The MERHAV program has prospered through this partnership, and a new program that will be held in the Center, located in Jerusalem's Old City, has recently been developed: The Shaarei Uziel Beit Midrash – a senior study program for rabbinic social leadership.
The Beit Midrash proposes to fulfill the vision of the Rishon Le'Zion, Israel's first Sephardi Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Ben Zion Meir Chai Uziel. A select group of ordained rabbis spend their entire week in the Beit Midrash program that includes four days of study and a day of social and community action. During the course of their studies they are trained to serve for social leadership in their communities. The program deals with social issues and with the Sephardi sages' philosophy, and offers a thorough understanding of community leadership issues.
This year, our fourth Annual Rabbinic Conference was dedicated to the program's launching. What is the rabbi's image in Israel? In what ways can Rabbi Uziel's philosophy provide a response to the challenges rabbis face today? What can we learn from his rulings on social issues?
Conference participants, among whom were a large group of the program's proud alumni, immersed themselves in studying Rabbi Uziel's work. The rabbis participating in a group study session led by Dr. Yehuda Maimaran were fascinated by the discussion on the values of peace and truth as taught by Rabbi Uziel; they knew they had come to the right place...
We are very glad to have launched the program, and hope that it will generate a new and meaningful voice, relevant to Israeli society.
