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Why We Wear Orange on June 4th
Everyday more than 100 Americans are killed by guns and over 300 more people are injured. Friday, June 4 is Wear Orange Day, a national day of awareness about the scourge of gun violence in the United States.
Remembering Our Roots, Fighting for Our Future
Rabbi Stephanie M. Alexander received her undergraduate degree from Tulane University, and ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.
Two Years Later: Remembering Parkland, Continuing to Heal
Not enough time has passed for us to fully heal from what we, as the communal collective, experienced. We may be able to understand and process the grief more fully, and recognize the signs of post-traumatic stress, but it doesn’t lessen the effects of either.
Mental Health Resources
If you or someone you know is experiencing mental illness, please know that you are not alone. You can always reach out to a family member, friend, clergy member, or other trusted adult. Please see below some lists of major national hotlines and crisis resources in the United States and Canada as well as selected Jewish communal resources. Some of these resources offer 24/7 crisis support, while others provide information and referrals in non-crisis situations.
Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie
President Emeritus
Body
Installed as president in June 1996, Rabbi Yoffie led the Reform Movement in exciting new directions, moving congregational life toward greater attention to Torah study and adult literacy. He spearheaded a major expansion of the URJ's summer camping program.
We Hold All of these Truths
The current wave of violence in Israel and Gaza is a heartbreaking human tragedy. The loss of innocent life (including that of children) rends the heart, destruction of homes and endemic fear defy the peace and security in which every human being deserves to live.
Reform Jewish Leader Addresses Situation in Israel
“We are deeply concerned and pained by the spiraling violence happening over the last several days in Jerusalem and beyond. At this challenging moment we want to emphasize that attacks perpetuating the cycle of violence delay peace and increase bloodshed."
Don’t Sacrifice My Trans Child on the Altar of Political Opportunism
Editor's note: this piece was originally published 05/10/2021 and was updated 06/13/2022.
Advocacy 101: Lessons from the Daughters of Zelophehad
We know from years of policy advocacy, though, that those phone calls - those seemingly small asks - do matter. The staff members who answer the phones in Congressional offices keep a tally of who calls and on what topic, and they report back to their colleagues and, ultimately, to the senator or representative who want to know what their constituents care about.
A Prayer for Peace
As Reform Jews, we stand strongly together with our brothers and sisters in Israel. Over the past 48 hours, Hamas has launched a massive barrage of rocket fire on southern and central Israel. At last report, six Israeli civilians have been killed and hundreds of thousands more - from Tel Aviv to Beersheba –are confined to bomb shelters. Innocent civilians in Gaza have fallen victim to this latest round of violence as well. Furthermore, the rapid escalation of violence within Israel's own borders between Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel is a new, and deeply troubling, development. We pray that calm will be restored soon.