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Gun Violence Prevention Shabbat (I Should Have Gotten Involved Sooner)
Gun Violence Prevention Shabbat is December 9-10 this year, and in the Torah portion, Parshat Vayishlach, Jacob wrestles with an angel to receive protection from a battle he foresees coming with his brother.
Dinah’s Legacy
Twenty years ago, as a fourth-year rabbinic student, I gave my senior sermon on Parashat Vayishlach. The sermon focused on the rape of Dinah and the prevalence of violence against women in modern times. As I had the opportunity to reflect on this parsha again, I started to consider what has changed since 2001 and what has stayed the same.
Battered Immigrant Women Robbed of Protections in House VAWA
Although the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act has historically been one of the least polarizing political issues since its introduction in 1994, the House and the Senate have found substantial disagreement over some of the law’s pr
Women, the Driving Force
The author of this post, Barbara Lerman-Golomb, is a member of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism.
First Time Voters Speak Out About Why They Will Show Up to Vote This Year
For those who turn 18 years old by this November 8, this will be their first year as voters. Whether they cast their first vote during a primary this year, fill out an absentee ballot while at college, or plan to visit their polling place on Election Day, these are all Shehecheyanu moments.
Houla Massacre Puts Syria "Outside the Community of Nations"
This weekend, more than 100 civilians were massacred under the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Reform Leader Condemns Attacks on African Refugees in Israel
Saperstein: Such violence has no place in any civilized society, much less Israel, the nation state of the Jewish people who have throughout history known similar horrors rooted in ethnic and religious differences.
UPDATE: House Passes a VAWA that Does Not Protect All Victims
Yesterday, the House of Representatives voted to pass a version of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization that prioritizes some victims over others and politicizes the safety and well-being of victims of abuse.
I could not have predicted that a bill called the Violence Against Women Act wou
Reform Movement Statement on Conversion Issue / Law of Return Grandchild Clause
Jews around the world are experiencing a rise in antisemitism on a scale not seen in nearly 80 years. As such, it is deeply disturbing to see members of Israel’s likely new governing coalition advancing an effort to shun those worldwide who identify as Jews, including those who are fleeing horrific violence, persecution, and discrimination based on their Jewishness, either through revoking recognition of Reform, Conservative, and modern Orthodox conversions or abolishing the Law of Return’s grandchild clause.