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13 Jewish Stories about Moms for Mother’s Day
This Mother’s Day, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite stories about moms to share with you. We hope you’ll read them, enjoy them, relate to them, comment on them, and maybe share stories of your own mothers. Happy Mother’s Day!
Ghetto: A Poem
the path that we now follow / is the Exodus our ancestors never chose / flooding with pain they died not to swallow / the past spills into the river and flows
Union for Reform Judaism and ADL Launch Critical Partnership to Combat Antisemitism and Hate
Amid an alarming rise in antisemitic rhetoric and violence, the Union for Reform Judaism, which represents the largest and most diverse Jewish movement in North America, and ADL (Anti-Defamation League), the world’s leading anti-hate organization, will join together in a multifaceted partnership to provide Reform congregations with the tools needed to address antisemitism in their communities.
Important Message on Ethics Accountability
In recent weeks, there have been several public reports of leaders in our Reform Jewish Movement who have engaged in abuse, misconduct, and sexual assault. The pain endured by the victims is heartbreaking. We hope the reports of these brave victims will empower others who have suffered in silence to come forward so that there can be both accountability and healing. We commit without hesitation that the Union for Reform Judaism (the URJ) will address all reports of misconduct appropriately and transparently, centering the survivors as we move forward.
An Appeal to Aid Jewish Communities in Ukraine
The following was sent on Friday afternoon as an email on behalf of the World Union for Progressive Judaism. The bottom of this post includes a link to donate to help Jewish communities in Ukraine during this time of crisis.
Dear World Union Family, We all share family in Kiev and throughout Ukraine, and that makes the crisis there personal. The headlines do not tell the full story of the fears our congregants are facing, nor the underlying threat to our community. Help is needed. As we write, Rabbi Alexander Duhkovny, rabbi of our Progressive communities in Kiev and Ukraine, expresses hope that the situation on the ground will improve as the Ukrainian Parliament has approved a restoration of the Constitution of 2004 which limits Presidential power. Yet, we know that in recent days the situation was tragic. Unconfirmed reports indicate that nearly 100 people were killed on Thursday, many of whom were victims of police snipers shooting from rooftops. Fires were spreading, electricity is still unreliable, food is scarce, and the banks and public transportation were closed.
How Synagogues Can Combat the Toxic Polarization Threatening American Democracy
Our fears of toxicity and the preventative tactics they induce testify to how much surrounding American cultural norms have seeped into our institutions.
Are Reform Jews Jewish?
Last week, Member of Knesset David Rotem described the Reform movement as "not Jewish" and "another religion." Rotem is a member of Likud-Beitenu, the lead party in the majority coalition.
Reform Jewish Leader Celebrates the American Families Plan
"After months of extreme hardship caused by the pandemic and years of underinvestment, we welcome the significant investments proposed in the American Families Plan to improve access to education, health care, and economic security for workers and families across the United States."
Why We Must Organize Our Communities to Protect Every American’s Freedom to Vote
The passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 teaches us that if we want Congress to enact legislation to protect the freedom to vote, we must organize our communities to be part of a sustained movement for justice.
For George Floyd’s Family
After a moment of joy and relief at the guilty verdicts in the murder of George Floyd, my overwhelming emotion is sorrow in my heart for a daughter without her father and a brother without his brother. This is a prayer for justice and healing. My anger and indignation were already expressed in “Strangled by Police: Psalm of Protest 17” which is added here to create a two-prayer liturgy. Both pieces refer to Amos 5:24, envisioning a time when justice will flow as water.