For nearly 50 years, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism ("the RAC") has been the hub of Jewish social justice and legislative activity in Washington, D.C. As the DC office of the Union for Reform Judaism, the RAC educates and mobilizes the Reform Jewish community on legislative and social concerns, advocating on nearly 60 issues, including economic justice, civil rights, religious liberty, Israel and more.
The RAC’s work is mandated by the Union for Reform Judaism, whose 900+ congregations across North America include 1.5 million Reform Jews, and the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), whose membership includes more than 1,800 Reform rabbis. Representatives of these two organizations, as well as the Union’s affiliates, comprise the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism, which governs the RAC’s policy positions.
As the social justice arm of the Union and the CCAR, the RAC receives approximately 1/3 of its annual operating budget from the Union, 1/3 from program fees, and 1/3 from contributions from individuals and foundations.
The Religious Action Center is under the auspices of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism, a joint instrumentality of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and the Union for Reform Judaism with its affiliates: American Conference of Cantors, Association of Reform Zionists of America, National Association of Temple Administrators, National Association of Temple Educators, National Federation of Temple Brotherhoods, National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods, North American Federation of Temple Youth.
