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?
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.
Remembering victims of gun violence – join the National Gun Violence Prevention Shabbat
December 14, 2017, will mark the 5th anniversary of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School. In the years since, 500,000 Americans have been killed or injured by gun violence.
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.
Why We Must Speak Out Against Sexual Violence
The onslaught of stories exposing powerful men committing acts of sexual violence against women is a sad reminder that we often are not safe in our own bodies.
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!
Building Deep and Lasting Ties to Heal the World
This summer, as we gathered on the eve of Pride Weekend for one of our congregation’s many justice-focused Kabbalat Shabbat services, we put our arms around each other and sang: “We are a gentle, angry people and we are singing for our lives.”
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.