Change of Leadership at Masorti Israel - התנועה המסורתית

Rakefet Ginsberg, Outgoing Executive Director and CEO

As I conclude five years as CEO of the Masorti Movement in Israel, I want to pause to look back with gratitude and to look ahead with confidence.

These years have been deeply meaningful for me, both personally and professionally. They were shaped by an unpredictable reality: a global pandemic, war, and profound social challenges in Israel and beyond. Throughout all of this, one truth remained clear. We were never acting alone. Your trust, generosity, and support as friends of Masorti made it possible for us to lead with care, responsibility, and courage, even in the hardest moments. I have always seen you partners who share a commitment to this work and whose support gives us the strength to move forward, even when decisions are difficult.

When I began this role, I imagined that much of our work would focus on long-term planning and strategy. Reality taught us something deeper. Vision is not only about where we want to go. It is also about how we navigate uncertainty along the way. We did not always know what lay ahead, but again and again we chose to listen carefully, respond thoughtfully to real needs on the ground, and continue building Jewish life rooted in meaning and community. Even in times of disruption, the Masorti Movement continued to grow.

Together with you, we strengthened our understanding of Masorti as a kehillah of kehillot: a living network of congregations, leaders, and individuals, each with their own voice, united by shared values. We expanded egalitarian and halakhic religious services, deepened our public presence, and significantly increased the number of Israelis encountering Masorti Judaism. This growth took place in local communities across the country, at the Egalitarian Kotel, and in public spaces, making Jewish life more welcoming, visible, and relevant. Much of this growth was made possible through our partnership with North American Jewry, which remains central to the movement’s future.

One powerful example of this shared vision is the recent launch of Project Tziporah, Israel’s first halakhic training course for mohalot (female ritual circumcisers). This groundbreaking initiative reflects the heart of Masorti Judaism: deep fidelity to tradition and halakhah alongside a clear commitment to equality, dignity, and social responsibility. For me, it represents the confidence and maturity of the movement and its role in Israeli society.

We also invested in leadership development and grassroots organizing, built a young adult and NOAM alumni framework, and cultivated the next generation of leaders rooted in Jewish values and Israeli identity. At the same time, we stepped forward in moments of national pain. From Yom Kippur services in city squares to our daily presence in Hostage Square, Masorti showed up. For more than two years, we facilitated over 740 prayer circles there, offering solidarity, and spiritual support.These were not simply programs. They were acts of presence, solidarity, and spiritual care during a time of deep uncertainty.

Alongside this work, we strengthened Masorti’s organizational and financial foundations. In close partnership with the Masorti Foundation in the United States, and with the guidance of a dedicated board, we consolidated our development efforts and brought greater strategic alignment between Israel and our partners abroad. This shift allowed us to communicate more clearly and authentically with our supporters, while ensuring responsible stewardship and long-term stability during particularly complex years.

I conclude my role with a sense of fulfillment and quiet confidence. Masorti is on strong footing and prepared for its next chapter. I am pleased to pass the leadership to Rabbi Doron Rubin, who grew up and was ordained within the Masorti Movement and brings deep community experience, strong familiarity with the field, and a profound commitment to our shared values. This transition reflects continuity alongside renewal, grounded in the same spirit that has guided us until now.

I am concluding a role, but not a path. I have relocated to Nahariya in northern Israel and am engaging in civic and communal work to strengthen communities and support regional recovery. I already find myself acting from the same values that guided me at Masorti: responsibility, partnership, and faith in the power of community. I remain deeply connected to the movement and to our partners around the world.

Thank you for walking this path with me, and for your trust, generosity, and shared commitment to a vibrant, pluralistic Jewish future in Israel.

With deep gratitude,
Rakefet Ginsberg
Executive Director and CEO

Rabbi Doron Rubin, Incoming CEO

I am honored to introduce myself as I begin my role as the new CEO of the Masorti Movement in Israel.

Israel today holds complexity in every breath, pain and uncertainty alongside resilience and determination. In moments like these, pluralistic Jewish life is not a luxury; it is a necessity. The work of the Masorti Movement, rooted in tradition, guided by halakhah, and committed to equality and openness, matters now more than ever.

For me, Masorti Judaism is not simply a professional role or institutional affiliation. It is the framework through which I live my Jewish values and fulfill my responsibility to Jewish life in Israel. My Masorti journey began at my bar mitzvah at Kehillat Moriah in Haifa and continued through years of leadership in NOAM, our youth movement, where I learned firsthand the power of community, responsibility, and shared Jewish purpose.

Over the years, I have had the privilege of working at the intersection of Israeli and global Jewish life, serving Masorti communities in the UK, leading Jewish life on Israeli and North American campuses, and, most recently, receiving rabbinical ordination at the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary and serving as a congregational rabbi at Kehillat Adat Shalom-Emanuel in Rehovot. These experiences have deepened my conviction that Israel’s Jewish future depends on strong, inclusive communities connected to the broader Jewish world.

We are living through an extraordinary chapter in Israel’s story. As a society, we are still healing physically, emotionally, and spiritually, while navigating profound social and political change. In this reality, Masorti kehillot serve as anchors: places of prayer, learning, solidarity, and shared responsibility. Together with partners in Israel and around the world, including the Masorti Foundation, we are working to ensure that these kehillot not only endure, but grow stronger and more accessible across the country.

My focus is first and foremost on people. The future of Masorti Judaism depends on investing in rabbis and educators, cultivating volunteer leadership, and supporting the next generation of teens and young adults who are already stepping forward with courage and creativity. Growth, to me, means becoming a home for those who believe that halakhic, egalitarian Judaism can speak powerfully to our time.

As I step into this role, I do so with deep gratitude to those who built the Masorti Movement into what it is today. I want to thank Arnold Podgorsky for his steady leadership as Chair of the Masorti Foundation, and I look forward to working closely with incoming Chair Dr. Alan Avery-Peck. I am especially grateful to my colleague and friend, Rakefet Ginsberg, whose five years of visionary leadership strengthened Masorti as a true kehillah of kehillot, even through pandemic, war, and instability.

I know that many of you care deeply about Israel’s Jewish character and about the kind of society it is becoming. You understand that pluralism in Israel does not happen on its own, rather it is built intentionally, day by day, through partnership and sustained commitment. Supporters around the world play an essential role in making this work possible, standing with Masorti kehillot in Israel as true partners in shaping our shared Jewish future.

I would welcome the opportunity to connect personally, to hear your perspective, share more about the work unfolding on the ground, and explore how we might walk this path together. Whether through conversation, engagement, or philanthropic partnership, your involvement truly matters.

Thank you for your commitment to a vibrant, inclusive Jewish future in Israel.

With gratitude and hope,
Rabbi Doron Rubin
CEO