Inside Leadership, the blog at URJ.org, is a source for Reform Jewish leaders to get the latest news and though-provoking articles about Jewish communal life. Filled with regular posts from Movement leaders and stories from congregations across North America and the world, this site is the platform where leaders come together to chat, opine, kibbitz, and learn in an online community. Subscribe to receive the Inside Leadership newsletter.
The URJ is not responsible for the accuracy of the content of anything posted here other than posts signed by members of the URJ staff in their official, professional capacities. Blog posts represent the opinions and views of their authors, not of the Union for Reform Judaism.
Submission Guidelines
We accept unsolicited submissions for consideration. Pieces that follow the formatting and style listed below are most likely to be published on the site, so please take time to read through these guidelines. Send submissions, along with biographical information (including any affiliation with a Reform congregation or institution) to rjblog@urj.org.
Audience
Readers of Inside Leadership are a diverse mix of people, though they are largely Reform, Conservative, and secular Jews living in North America and Israel. The primary audience is synagogue leadership, both professional and volunteer. They come from many different backgrounds and have taken varying paths to Judaism.
When writing for this site, please bear in mind that the readers of Inside Leadership are as diverse as the members of the Reform Movement. We welcome a variety of viewpoints on Jewish life and living, but we encourage you to be cognizant and respectful of the fact that many of our readers will have differing viewpoints based on their own experiences and worldviews.
(If you’re interested in writing more broadly about Jewish life, check out our submission guidelines for writing for our other blog, ReformJudaism.org.)
Length
Please note that at this time, we can not accept any submission that is more than 800 words long. Submissions exceeding this word count will not be considered for publication.
Posts are optimally 500-800 words in length. Telling a story in fewer words that pack a compelling and powerful punch is always more successful in the online space than lengthy, wordy efforts.
Post Styles
Several types of posts are generally acceptable for the blog:
- First-person perspectives or personal essays on matters of Reform Jewish interest
- How-to pieces (e.g. how to create a successful congregational budget)
- Blessings, prayers, or poems
- Divrei Torah or other commentary on Jewish texts
- Sermons or speeches
- Commentary on articles, videos, or podcasts of Reform Jewish interest
- Remembrances, whether personal memoirs or memorial tributes to those who have recently passed, or of long-gone figures of interest
A good blog post often includes a call to action, e.g. the end of a post lists ideas, poses a question, or asks users to post their own thoughts.
Style
- Do not use underlines or all caps for any reason.
- Please use links and in-text referencing, rather than footnoting.
- Avoid use of the words “click here” or “here” when linking to a referenced item. Instead, link to a relevant part of the sentence.
- Wherever possible, link to cited sources and any material that is referred to, especially material that exists on any Reform Movement website.
- Italicize transliterated Hebrew or other languages and include a translation of such words and phrases upon first mention.
- Indent paragraphs of quoted material.
Editing
All posts that appear in Inside Leadership and its affiliate blogs are edited for grammar, punctuation, style, and editorial flow. We occasionally will return a submission to its author to suggest changes, omissions, and/or additions that our editing team deems necessary to strengthen the post such that it may become appropriate for publishing on our blog(s).
Title and Bio
All submissions must include a suggested title, subject to modification by blog editors. A compelling title that is descriptive of the content of the post will garner more readers.
Additionally, all posts should be signed using the author’s real name. A one- or two-line bio should be supplied with the author’s title, position, or affiliation, if pertinent.
Images
Reproducing copyrighted material is not permitted. Photos may only be used if you have rights to use them or have received written permission from the copyright owner. Photos on Flickr that use the Creative Commons licensing agreement may be used with a credit, as per the Creative Commons rules. Our editors may add appropriate photos or other graphics at their discretion.
Video
Videos that have been posted on YouTube or Vimeo may be embedded in a blog post without permission from the original poster.
Terms and Conditions
Posts must comply with the URJ’s Terms and Conditions, which generally state that any material that is defamatory or violates the rights or privacy of others in any way is not permitted, and that our editors have the right to remove material that is deemed as such.
Advertising
Posts should not read as advertisements, brochures, or marketing pieces for any event, program or offering, as such posts will discredit the integrity of the blog as a place for discussion of Reform Jewish issues. Instead, if you are seeking to promote an event, program or other offering, choose a topic that is related to it, expound upon it, and mention/link to the product you are promoting at the end of the piece.
Inside Leadership is a place for describing new initiatives, especially the trends and events that may have led to their development. First-person perspectives and essays that highlight the work of your organization work particularly well here.
Promotion
Our editors will choose posts to display and feature on the blog and will decide which posts receive “top billing” on the homepage’s rotator feature. Additionally, the Reform Movement will promote selected posts via its social media channels, including but not limited to:
- Social media (Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Google+)
- E-newsletters and listservs
- Posting on affiliates websites or blogs
- Encouraging staff, board members, affiliates, and others to read, comment and share posts
Blog authors are encouraged to promote their posts using their personal social networks and to share their posts with their congregations for further promotion.