Justice Work Doesn't Pause for a Pandemic
This work is our calling, and it doesn’t pause for a pandemic. Instead, we find creative ways to engage and mobilize our communities at a distance.
Justice Work Doesn’t Pause for a Pandemic
Kathryn and I began our social justice journeys with the URJ. We grew up in NFTY and attended URJ summer camps, we served on the NFTY North American Board, and we currently sit on the Commission on Social Action.
I Lost My Father in Mitzrayim
Passover is usually one of my favorite holidays. I love the ritual of preparing the house, the smell of the food, and the joyous atmosphere at the seder table. But this year is different. Passover began only three days after the one-year anniversary of my father’s suicide.
US and Canadian Synagogues Partner to Help Refugees
Imagine you are running for your life. Your survival depends on the mercy of strangers. Your home is in ruins and your neighbors have fled. There is no turning back. When you reach the crowded camp, you join thousands who ache for a life they will never know again.
Intersectionality Is at the Core of Justice for All
As protests continue throughout each of our communities, don’t wish them to end but instead commit to supporting them until we truly achieve justice for all. Show your support. Cheer on the protestors. Join the protestors. And when you vote, vote for real change.
Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner: Recent Writings, Remarks, and Media Appearances
New Jersey Reform Jews Know How to Show Up
“I need you to show up in Trenton.” Those eight simple words are how it all started. In 2006, State Senator Loretta Weinberg shared these words with a group of New Jersey Reform Jews at the URJ Biennial.
Racism is a Public Health Crisis
The truth is that COVID-19 and police violence are both public health emergencies, linked by more than 400 years of systemic racism. Racism itself is a health crisis, and these events are just two important symptoms of it.
Racism is a Public Health Crisis, and It's Time for Us to Act
The urgency of this moment is clear. Launching the We Are Done Dying Campaign in early May, the NAACP declared, “The health and safety of our people are at an unparalleled risk.”
A Promised Land for Those Seeking Refuge
When I learned that I would be spending my spring break in McAllen, Texas, with Temple Sinai, volunteering with migrants fleeing from violence in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, I didn’t know what to think.