Rita Fruman and Hernán Rustein: The Remarkable Dynamism of Global Reform Judaism

Mutually inspiring sources of Reform Judaism—from places you may not expect. Rita Fruman was raised in the Reform Movement in Belarus, beginning in 1999. In 2001, she became a madricha and then the Director of the Minsk Netzer club, where she oversaw the training of the next generation of leaders in Jewish summer camps. In 2003, she made Aliyah, and can say that her love for Israel was given to her at the Netzer camp. In Israel, her relationship with Reform Judaism has become even stronger both emotionally and professionally. She has been working for World Union for Progressive Judaism since 2005 and today serves as the Director of WUPJ Operations & Programs in the Former Soviet Union. Cantor Rustein currently resides in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with his wife, Angélica Tobón. He serves as CEO, Student Rabbi and Chazzan at Templo Libertad, Argentina's most historical Jewish congregation. He is currently an advanced rabbinical student in the Iberoamerican Institute for Reform Rabbinical Education. Previously, he trained in Jerusalem (Conservative Yeshiva) and Seminario (Chazzanut). Cantor Rustein was selected by the URJ for the Klal Yisrael Fellowship (as the first South American). Additionally, he has sung in the Vatican to Pope Francis and travelled through Jewish Germany as a guest of the German Government.