With 2023 in full swing, leaders and officials at every level are setting their agendas and priorities for the coming year. We continue to be proud of the power we built and mobilized in 2022 as a Reform Movement as we gather to set the agenda for our work in 2023.

On January 13-14, 2023 (the Shabbat before MLK Day), synagogues across the United States will celebrate MLK Shabbat. This year, let MLK Shabbat symbolize our commitment to expanding voting rights and advancing racial justice in 2023 and beyond.

With so much at stake, including the integrity of our democratic institutions, Reform Jewish activists showed up in record numbers to make sure every voice was heard, and every vote was counted.

RAC-NY undertook a comprehensive and robust effort to educate our congregations and the broader community about Proposition 1 - the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Bond Act - and encourage a "Yes" vote on November 8. We were thrilled to join the "Vote Yes for Clean Water and Jobs Coalition," a wonderfully effective and very broad coalition of advocate agencies led by The Nature Conservancy.

I remember my visit to Pittsburgh, to the Tree of Life and Dor Hadash Synagogue just hours after the tragic massacre, the worst incident of violence against Jews in American history. It was also weeks before the 2018 midterm elections.

September began National Voter Registration Month and this week is Disability Voting Rights Week! This week is a national, nonpartisan initiative dedicated to building the power and presence of the disability vote by getting people with disabilities registered and ready to vote, and spearheading voter education and community engagement opportunities, and more!

Thursday night's passage of a bi-partisan gun bill filled me with hope, even as the Supreme Court ruled against New York, which forces some states to actually loosen their gun regulations.

As we reflect on the United States' Independence Day, I am mindful that democracy also takes commitment and practice. Democracy takes practice because it still is not accessible to all.

On Sunday, June 12, 2022, congregants and clergy from over twenty Reform synagogues gathered at Temple Shalom of Newton for the launch of RAC-Massachusetts, the Religious Action Center’s ninth and newest statewide project. The room had an energy I haven’t felt since before the pandemic, reminding everyone there what can happen when we are in community.