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?
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.
Confronting Gender-Based Violence this Sexual Assault Awareness Month
This blog originally appeared on the WRJ blog.This piece is a part of the RAC Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) blog series.
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.
In the Face of Violence and Hatred, Our Work Goes On
In recent weeks, our community has been shaken repeatedly by bomb threats at Jewish community centers across the country, as well as by hate-fueled acts of vandalism and violence.
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
Everything You Need to Know for Youth Group Elections (and Other Ways to Empower Teen Leaders)
This spring, as the flowers start to bloom and we put away our warm winter clothes, another transition is happening in many of our congregations: teens on youth group boards will pass the baton of leadership to their peers in youth group elections. For some of you, the youth group model may be changing, while for others, this time-honored tradition is a major pillar of leadership in your community. However your congregation has set up your teen leadership model, one thing is universal: elections can be challenging. After all, by lifting up some teens we run the risk of disenfranchising or leaving behind others.