Vaccinate Us: A Prayer for Healing from Hate
As our world suffers,
sickened by this virus - we pray:
Our Neighbor’s Blood Calls to Us From the Ground
This statement was written by Rabbi Jocee Hudson from Temple Israel of Hollywood. More than sixty Reform Jewish clergy have signed on to the statement.
Love Wins: A Pride Prayer (In Memoriam, Orlando)
This prayer is shared memoriam of the victims of racist terror and massacre of LGBT people in Orlando, FL, last Sunday. In the end, love wins.
After Orlando, LGBTQ Jews Seek More Than Just Solidarity
As a queer Jew, the solidarity I seek from other Jews is not simply ignoring the passages of Torah that are used to discriminate against LGBTQ people. I seek recognition that homophobia and transphobia actively exist in our modern Jewish community and are perversions within our interpretive tradition. I seek the acknowledgment that religion is too often used to justify discrimination against LGBTQ people.
An Attack on My Israeli Neighborhood, 6,000 Miles Away
Two weeks ago, I lived a two-minute walk from the scene of Wednesday’s attack. Sarona, a chic pedestrian mall filled with shops, restaurants and play areas, was where my wife and I took weekend walks with our newborn son in his stroller. It was where I met colleagues for a mid-afternoon coffee. Occasionally, it was where we splurged on a nice dinner, as many Israelis were doing when the shooting began Wednesday.
BDS Faces Setbacks in Faith and Academic Organizations
For a number of years, activists seeking to damage Israel’s legitimacy and standing in the world have mounted a campaign to boycott, divest from and sanction the Jewish state.
After the Stanford Rape Case, a Look at Sexual Assault and Jewish Values
The guiding principle of sexuality in the Jewish tradition is k'doshim tih'yu, “You shall be holy.” (Leviticus 19:2). Sexual assault is a blatant violation of the victim, and it cuts into the very holiness of our society.
New Round of ICE Raids, Same Concerns
In early January 2016, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) initiated a series of operations to round-up and deport undocumented mothers and children from Central America.
The Black Jews Are Tired
As fulfilling as it was to engage in Shavuot programs, a lot weighs on me. With COVID-19 continuing to ravage Black communities and racist violence all over the news, I almost feel like it’s Yom Kippur instead – the time when Jews are supposed to be most aware of their own mortality.
Ways Reform Jews Can Act Now for Racial Justice
Here are eight ways that white Reform Jews, especially, can act now in pursuit of social justice, both directly on a systemic level. These includes advocacy for policy change and for confronting racism within our own communities, and are guided by contributions and feedback from Jews of Color.