About The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
What is the Religious Action Center?
The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (“the RAC”) is the Washington, DC, office of the Union for Reform Judaism (Union). The RAC has been the hub of Jewish social justice and legislative activity in the nation’s capital for more than 40 years. The RAC educates and mobilizes the American Jewish community on legislative and social concerns, advocating on issues from economic justice to civil rights to religious liberty to Israel.
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 (CSA) and govern 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.
Who operates the Center?
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.
