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Modern-Day Plagues of Injustice and Inequality
On Passover, we recount the Ten Plagues that were put upon the Egyptian people. While acknowledging the ancient plagues, we invite you to also incorporate into your Seder an accounting of some of the "plagues" and injustices that afflict our present-day society.
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.
A Redistricting Win for RAC-PA
As the buds of Spring emerge and Jews across the world began preparing for Passover, here in Pennsylvania we see glimmers of hope that we too will be taking steps to celebrate freedom and democracy. With a March 16 th State Supreme Court Decision, the Commonwealth got more equitable and racially just maps, and RAC-PA won our first campaign!
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
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.
Go Forth to Freedom
On the first night of Passover, Jews around the world gather for a Seder during which the story of our ancestors' liberation from Egypt is retold. Tradition dictates that as part of the seder, the youngest person present and able asks four questions, including "Why is this night different from all others?" But each of us, no matter our age, can ask challenging questions that lead to new insights about injustice and liberation that can be applied to the modern day.
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.
The Four Children of Climate Change: A Passover Seder Insert
We often talk at the Passover seder about the Four Children: the wise child, the wicked child, the simple child, and the child who does not know how to ask.