In his State of the Union address on Jan. 27, 2010, President Obama offered few details on some of the subjects of greatest concern to Jewish groups. (White House / Pete Souza)
While Jewish groups mostly applauded the domestic priorities President Obama outlined in his first State of the Union address, they were disappointed by the lack of detail on countering the Iranian threat and instituting health care reform. Middle East peacemaking did not get a mention. Read more »
There
are those who would say that Tu B’Shevat loses some of its meaning in
the winter months, but Peter Weidhorn, Chair of the Board of the Union
for Reform Judaism, writes that the holiday is vitally important during
this season of long nights and short days. Read more »
L'Taken Social Justice Seminar culminates in a visit to Capitol Hill following an intensive four-day program that allows teens to learn about social justice and public policy issues through a Jewish lens. Read more »
Rabbi Naamah Kelman, the first woman to be appointed dean of HUC, says some of her challenges are to be relevant to Israelis in Jerusalem and in the rest of Israel and opening our doors to Israelis who for many reasons felt they didn't have access to Jewish texts, Jewish rituals, to the wealth of Jewish wisdom. Read more »
Modern France would do well to follow its own admirable example and truly treat Muslim citizens as equal participants in society. Foregoing the burqa ban would be a sensible first step. Read more »
Union News
Union raises more than $800,000 for Haiti earthquake relief!
The response to our Haiti appeal has been extraordinary. It was made even more so by the ripple effect of our members sending the link to our website around the world. We're at more than 8,000 donors and counting. Visit urj.org/relief.
The parsha for this week addresses discipline, a key component of being a parent. But the parsha also urges us to dig deeper to discover something about faith, but if we dig a little deeper it also may be saying something about faith and the responsibility of the parent to develop that sense in the child. Read more »
Every week the Union offers Reform Jews and community leaders tools and lessons on virtually every element of Synagogue life! This week features webinars on fiscal matters and guidance for Temple boards. Read more »
We've got some free and very inexpensive goodies for your family and congregational needs. From inspirational music to educational material to congregational outreach. Limited time only - get them while they're available. Read more »
This Tu b’Shevat , which falls on Jan. 30, brings an awesome responsibility: Jews must act to save the very creation that we celebrate - the planet that is ours in trust, write Rabbis David Saperstein and Steve Gutow. Read more »
The U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing corporate spending for political candidates could transform how Jewish groups operate in the public sphere. Read more »
The change in venue for the federations' General Assembly and the unveiling of five new priority areas are part of the ongoing struggle by the decade-old umbrella organization for federations to prove its value to its constituents - and to help the federations cope with the economic crisis. Read more »
While German-Israeli ties appear better than ever, the gap between Chancellor Angela Merkel's word and deed on Iran and growing anti-Zionism are nagging concerns for Israeli officials. Read more »
A number of recent initiatives are creating a community for religious gays while gradually opening up a space in the Orthodox community to address what remains a highly polarizing issue. Read more »
Over the past year, Greece has seen a surge in anti-Semitic attacks. What worries the community most, however, is the lack of public condemnation of the anti-Jewish ferment. Read more »
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