Ways Your Congregation Can Act Now for Racial Justice
Here are a few things your congregation can do now to support Black and Brown people both within the Jewish community and beyond, both directly and on a systemic level.
Related Blog Posts on Civil Liberties, Racial Justice, Civil Rights & Voting Rights, Protecting Civil Rights, Shabbat, Racial Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion, Jewish History, and Secular Holidays
Celebrating 275 Years of Community with Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim
Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim (KKBE) is celebrating its 275th anniversary in 2024. Established in Charleston, South Carolina in 1749, KKBE's synagogue is the second oldest synagogue building in the United States and the oldest in continuous use.
L’dor Vador (From Generation to Generation): The Open Door of Reform Judaism
A year into our friendship, we sat down to talk about what drew us together. Although we come from different generations - our age difference is 45 years and there will be 32 years between our ordinations as rabbis - we share certain similarities.
Standing for Inclusion and Love
"What if people protest the program and disrupt Shabbat?" I admit, I heard a loud voice in my head repeating this question as our Pride Shabbat festivities approached last June.
Interfaith Inclusion in Our Communities
Reform Judaism stands for a Judaism that is inclusive and encourages the participation of all members of interfaith families in our communities. Here are some steps we can take as community leaders to affirm members of interfaith families, ensure they know they are valued and understood as critical members of our Reform communities, and do our best to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to experience a sense of belonging.
Justice for All People Everywhere: An Interview with Rabbi Jonah Pesner
We sat down with Rabbi Jonah Pesner to discuss his work in the Reform Movement, as a SCoRE member, and his experience as the first Jewish person appointed to SCoRE.
Not Just a Checkbox: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Actions at URJ Camp George
In 2021, many of the URJ's 15 camps engaged in the creation of a URJ-structured Racial Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (REDI) Working Group & Camp Assessment process. One of those camps was Camp George in Ontario, Canada.
Organizational Partners in Action: How the Jewish Grandparents Network, URJ, and Keshet Partnered to Support Grandparents of Transgender, Non-binary, and Gender-expansive Youth
Along with the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), the Jewish Grandparents Network (JGN) and Keshet share a commitment to an inclusive Jewish community that reflects and affirms marginalized identities. We realized we could have the greatest impact towards a more inclusive community if we worked together.
A Letter to the Jewish Community
I read a quote today by Sy Smith that said, "Black people in the U.S. are expected to keep on keeping on, no matter what..."
Every Voice, Every Vote and Reproductive Rights Update
On Tuesday evening, we launched the Reform Movement's Every Voice, Every Vote campaign, our nonpartisan initiative to strengthen democracy by encouraging and protecting voter participation. As if this effort was not urgent enough already, the leaked draft Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization made clear that every issue of importance to our Movement is on the ballot this year, including abortion rights.