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A Prayer for Jerusalem
Today we celebrate Yom Yerushalayim, the anniversary of that fateful day in 1967 when the Israeli paratroopers reached the Western Wall and announced: "הר הבית בידנו" -- “The Temple Mount is in our Hands.” That moment ushered in the the promise for Jews everywhere, after years of dreaming and longing, to come and pray before this sacred space.
Ethics Accountability for Sexual Misconduct is Crucial to the Safety of Our Communities
Much communal focus has been appropriately directed at making the places we Jews gather safe from violent attacks by those who wish to cause us harm, from the spread of the deadly coronavirus during the pandemic, and other grave external threats. The time is long overdue, however, to confront an internal threat: abuse, misconduct, especially sexual misconduct in spaces for which the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) is responsible.
Reform Jewish Movement Statement in Support of Filibuster Reform
In response to the Senate filibuster of the motion to proceed to the consideration of the Freedom to Vote Act, Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, director of the Religious Action Center, issued the following statement on behalf of the Union for Reform Judaism and the Central Conference of American Rabbis in support of filibuster reform that achieves a proper balance between majority and minority rights in the Senate.
"Take care not to spoil or destroy My world:" Why We Need Bold Action to Address Climate Change
Today, we stand at a critical crossroads in the climate crisis. The reconciliation bill is a historic, watershed approach, uniting the success of American families, the American economy, and environmental protection and climate crisis amelioration. We must take care not to destroy or spoil God's creation. We still have time to prevent the worst aspects of the climate crisis.
Reform Jewish Movement Condemns West Bank Settlers’ Attack on Palestinians
The Reform Jewish Movement is appalled by the brutal assault on innocent Palestinians in and around their homes in Khirbet al-Mufkara, in the South Hebron Hills on September 29, 2021.
As a New US Citizen, I Know Won’t Take Voting Rights for Granted
The use of executive power to protect our right to vote has never been more important: over 400 anti-voter bills have been introduced around the country in 2021 alone. Examples include the elimination of polling locations, reducing early voting, and enacting stricter voter ID laws. Some laws sink to new lows, including the banning of providing food and drink to those standing in line to vote, many of whom wait for hours.
This Mother’s Day, Let’s Fight for Black Moms
When my husband and I learned that we were going to be parents, we wondered how the actual birth would go. We had heard some devastating statistics about the maternal mortality rate in the United States. Black women in the United States die from pregnancy-related causes at three to four times the rate of white women, regardless of education, income, or other socioeconomic factors.
Reform Jewish Leader Applauds the Passage of Hate Crimes Legislation
"We celebrate yesterday’s House bipartisan passage of the combined COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act and Khalid Jabara and Heather Heyer NO HATE Act."
To Life: An Israeli Wedding Story
Shira and Ron, two young industrial engineers, approached me this past March, when Israel took its first steps out of the pandemic.
An Important Update for Our URJ Community
A message from Rabbi Rick Jacobs and Jennifer Brodkey Kaufman.