How Recognition from the RAC Amplified Our Congregational Voice
As a community of faith, it is incumbent upon us not only to express this outrage but to present and advocate for life-saving solutions to the problem of gun violence. Aiding the passage of Initiative 594, we did exactly that.
World Malaria Day: Join the Fight for Malaria Prevention
The Sage Hillel famously challenges us with the questions, “If I am not for myself, who is for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?” (Pirkei Avot 1:14).
Suicide Prevention and Awareness Is Our Communal Responsibility
Elul is upon us. The sound of the shofar reminds us that this silent epidemic must be addressed. Its cries echo those left in the depths of sorrow, feeling alone, believing that those who love them most would be better off without them. Our fear of mental illness must be replaced with a resolve to educate ourselves and others.
Addressing Sexual Violence Through Policy
This piece is a part of the RAC Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) blog series.
Meet the 2016-2017 Eisendrath Legislative Assistants
The beginning of the program year is always an exciting time at the RAC, as we begin a new cycle of tikkun olam work.
3 Lessons from the Torah about Sexual Violence
Three major takeaways from the Biblical story of Shechem and Dinah raise many questions about healthy sexual relationships, consent, and common themes across instances of sexual assault.
Lessons from the Torah on Sexual Violence
This piece is a part of the RAC Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) blog series. The following contains depictions of sexual assault.
Sexual Assault is a Jewish Issue
This piece is a part of the RAC Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) blog series.
6 Ways to Join WRJ in Honoring All Mothers This Mother's Day
Women of Reform Judaism is partnering with Jewish Women International (JWI) for the annual Flower Project, and we need your help to make as big an impact as possible.
The External War and the Internal War
This week's Torah portion is called Ki Teitzei — meaning literally, "When you go out." It is a reference to violence and war. "When you take the field [literally, "When you go out"] against your enemies, and the Eternal your God delivers them into your power and you take some of them captive ... " (Deuteronomy 21:10).
This sentence is but a tiny portion of more than a thousand verses in the Tanach that deal with war. Our Holy Scriptures came into history in a world in which fighting was a normal and often necessary activity. The ancient communities of the Middle East were governed according to tribal custom and law, and each ethnic community was in a combative relationship with its neighbor. There was no United Nations in those days, no European Union designed to administer diverse people according to collective rules and laws. Some tribal federations such as the twelve tribes of Israel pooled their resources, but that was for protection rather than for advancing peaceful relations with the rest of the world. The harsh social-economic and political reality of the ancient world often triggered violent and deadly conflicts between communities and peoples, and it is rare that we read a comment such as is found in Judges 3:11: " ... and the land had peace for forty years."