CYIR Israel
The Council of Young Israel Rabbis (CYIR) was established in 1990. Members of the Council are former North American Rabbis and community leaders who have dealt widely with Zionist activities, youth programs, and community interventions. CYIR answers needs in the general Jewish society where our expertise in affecting change for the better stems from Jewish tradition while aiming to better society in general.
The Council of Young Israel Rabbis in Israel works to support and endorse activities and programs that confront the modern day challenges that Israeli communities and their rabbis face. The Council assumes responsibility for projects that are much needed and unique in their contribution to Jewish identity and Israeli society. The goal of the Council is to educate and alleviate suffering and alienation among select target groups while integrating national, familial, communal and spiritual values.
Over the course of the last two decades, the Council has acted in several spheres concurrently to achieve its goals and objectives. They are:
Guidance and Training of Community Rabbis to intercede in crisis situations in family and community;
Formulating joint ongoing direct person to person, community to community relationships with synagogues in the diaspora.
Counseling in Divorce, Marriage, Conversion, Personal Status and other issues pertaining to the Rabbinic Court system;
Concrete assistance and moral support to Women in Distress;
Initiatives directed towards divorce refusal prevention and resolution;
Educational and emotional support for youth at risk;
Increasing Jewish Peoplehood identity and mutual concern;
Transmission of Jewish values and heritage to the Deaf Community in Israel;
Creating and maintaining an orthodox forum of deliberations and seminal thought on non-political issues facing the Jewish community.
Crisis support and guidance to one year students in Israel.
Today’s focus of the Council of Young Israel Rabbis is as follows:
1. Moreshet Chana- Bayit Cham- mentoring, counselling and supporting young women in emotional duress,
2. Jewish Heritage Program for the Deaf-teaching Jewish values an traditions to the Deaf community,
3. Get Refusal and Resolution Project- preventing and resolving Get refusal,
4. Orthodox Leadership Project- training young people to take leadership roles in the Synagogue, implementing an Orthodox Forum, providing support to congregations, twinning with communities outside of Israel,
5. Ohr Simcha Program for Children at Risk- Enhancing Jewish programming for children at risk enrolled in a unique residential institution.
For a list and descriptions of all the programs click here.