Host a Gun Violence Prevention Shabbat
Gun violence in America has become consistent, reliable news. Breaking news alerts draw our attention to shootings at schools, movie theaters, night clubs, and in the middle of our streets. We follow social media, watching and waiting for the number of dead and injured to stop climbing.
Host a Gun Violence Prevention Shabbat
How do we work to prevent what has become an epidemic of gun violence? How do we honor those who have become the victims of this deadly trend? And how do we engage in this issue, specifically as Jews?
Our Job is to Prevent Gun Violence
The utter horror of the murderous shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut remains in all of our minds and has rightly propelled us into a critical dialogue that we hope will produce real action after so many years. And the problem has been with us for many years. Much of the time, families and communities – especially in our inner cities – have fought on the front lines against gun violence without much attention from the rest of society. Now, with the alarming and increasing regularity of mass shootings – every couple of years it seems – like those in Newtown and Aurora, it should be clear to all of us that gun violence is our collective problem as a nation, and must be addressed in all of its forms.
Hate Crimes Prevention Laws Must Maintain Their Strength
Recently, there has been a wave of legislation introduced that would add police officers as a protected category under hate crime statutes. Bills were introduced in 15 states and in the 114th Congress.
Happy New Year! Check Out the URJ's Top 18 Stories of 2016
What a year it’s been. With 2017 fast-approaching, we’ve rounded up the top 18 Reform Movement stories of 2016, listed in no particular order. Happy new year!
2016 in Review: URJ Engaged More Young People In Meaningful Jewish Life Than Ever Before
More than 20,000 youth, teens, and young adults participated in a URJ Youth program here at home, in Israel, and around the world, setting a record for the 9th year in a row. These programs instill a sense of joy, compassion, and pride in being Jewish while nurturing a young person’s innate desire to make a difference in the world. The essential skills of empathy, creativity, and collaboration cultivated by our programs are more important than ever before. Here are just a few of the ways that the URJ’s youth programs engaged more youth, teens and young adults.
From Generation to Generation
NFTY Missouri Valley Social Action Vice President Jackie Heymann reflects on her experiences at the Religious Action Center's Consultation on Conscience.
A Call to Action: Fighting Sexual Assault on College Campuses
We have all heard the horrifying truth: 1 in 5 women will experience sexual assault duri
What Are You Looking at But Not Seeing?
It’s June – the month famous for weddings and for gay pride parades all over the world. June was chosen for “pride” events to commemorate the June 1969 riot at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village – a significant milestone in the gay liberation movement.
Commemorating World AIDS Day
In commemoration of World AIDS Day, I'm again struck by the final lines from American playwright Tony Kushner’s Angels in America.