Wear Orange on June 2: National Gun Violence Awareness Day
On June 2, National Gun Violence Awareness Day, people around the country will Wear Orange to bring attention to the epidemic of gun violence that kills 90 Americans each day. One of those lives lost was Hadiya Pendleton.
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.
How Saying “Yes” Transformed my Youth Program
I thought Thursday, September 8th was going to be a typical Thursday evening on a call with teens - an hour-long call in which we'd likely encounter some tech problems, side conversations, and background distractions before everyone rushed off to their next commitment.
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.
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.
How the Trump Administration Budget Would Affect Crucial Government Programs
Yesterday, the Trump administration released its budget proposal for FY 2018.
Rethinking Immigration: Sh'lach L'cha, A Holistic Approach
The story line is as follows: Chieftains from each tribe are sent to the land of Canaan for forty days to find out what kind of country it is and if the inhabitants are strong or weak. Canaan is full of different people, including the Anakites—giants.
Resilience of the Soul Breaks Ground in Adolescent Mental Health
SAN DIEGO, CA—To help families and congregations offer teens a safe place to mature into adulthood, the Union’s Department of Jewish Family Concerns has published Resilience of the Soul – Developing Emotional and Spiritual Resilience in Adolescents and Their Families, A Resourc
Prayer for All
The past year has seen an increase in tension - and even violence - at the Kotel or Western Wall, one of Judaism's holiest sites. Last Friday, progressive Jews worldwide were disturbed to learn of protests and near-rioting as the Women of the Wall came to pray for Rosh Chodesh at the Kotel.
Reform Movement Decries Vandalism Aimed At Women of the Wall
Rabbi Saperstein and Rabbi Feldman: "The overt threats implied by the vandalism inside the hallway of the apartment building of a leader of Women of the Wall serve to remind us of the utmost importance of the Women of the Wall's efforts to advance religious plural