Rabbi Rick Jacobs

Rabbi Rick Jacobs

Rabbi Rick Jacobs (he/him) is the president of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), the largest Jewish movement in North America, with almost 850 congregations and nearly 1.5 million members. An innovative thought leader, dynamic visionary, and representative of progressive Judaism, he spent 20 years as the spiritual leader of Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale, NY. Deeply dedicated to global social justice issues, he has led disaster response efforts in Haiti and Darfur.

Learn more about Rabbi Rick Jacobs.
 

Photo of a group of people dancing with the Torah in the streets of Boston for Simchat Torah

This Year, Will We Turn our Mourning into Dancing?

Rabbi Rick Jacobs
While Psalm 30 promises that God can turn our "mourning into dancing," as we prepare for Simchat Torah this week, this year the tradition of dancing with the Torah scrolls feels like too big of a leap.
Sue Klau

Words of Remembrance for Sue Klau

Rabbi Rick Jacobs
What a joy it was to know and work closely with Sue Klau z"l who passed from this world Thursday morning. For every one of her 89 years, Sue was a bundle of creativity, commitment, and love. Along with her late, beloved husband, Jimmy, they were generous with their time, care, and resources toward every single part of our global Reform Movement.
Rabbi Rick Jacobs at Columbia University

A Message of Support

Rabbi Rick Jacobs
While we recognize that the deep conflict between Israelis and Palestinians will not be resolved over the summer, we believe that come the fall, college campuses must once again be safe for all students - and this includes Jewish students living their Jewish commitments openly and proudly.
A compass with the needle pointing to the word ETHICS to illustrate ethical accountability for sexual abuse in our institutions

URJ Ethics Accountability: Sharing Our Progress - March 2024

Rabbi Rick Jacobs
Jennifer Brodkey Kaufman
The URJ is deeply committed to living our values – values that were renewed and affirmed in 2022 as part of our strategic direction work. These values guide us as we seek to create a world in which Judaism enables all people to experience peace and wholeness (shalom), justice and equity (tzedek), and belonging and joy (shayachut and simcha).