Transforming Shabbat Almost 150 years ago the founder of the Reform Movement transformed American Jewry by moving the major Shabbat worship service to Friday night, thus accommodating Jews who had to work on Saturday. At the Biennial in San Diego, the president of the Union for Reform Judaism began another major transformation, calling for a renewal of communal Shabbat morning worship and encouraging Jews to observe a full 24 hour day of rest.
Rabbi Yoffie Also Calls for Universal Health Care, Muslim Dialogue In addition to calling for a greater personal and communal Shabbat observance, Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union charged the more than 5,000 Biennial attendees to return home to create state coallitions for universal health care and to open dialogue with their Muslims neighbors.
Symposium on Gender and Jewish Education 250 Reform educators and educational leaders from across the Reform Movement spent two days considering how to best maximize learning and participation of all the males and females in the community, and examining the impact of gender on Jewish involvement and learning in formal and informal settings. The Symposium on Gender and Jewish Education was a great success. A highlight from the opening session was the keynote address from Dr. Gail Reimer, of the Jewish Women's Archive titled Male and Female – God Created Them: Bridging the Gender Divide.
Want to get a presentation from a workshop that you attended, or one that you missed? Now you can download presentations and materials from the Biennial workshops.
Rabbi Yoffie Also Calls for Universal 
Symposium on Gender and Jewish Education 
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