The effects of the events of October 7 have resonated differently with different people. More people are seeking comfort, connection, and community. Our Reform Jewish community is uniquely positioned to provide this. We should be leaning into opportunities to help bring people into our communities.

Registration is open for the second cohort of the Clal Belonging Project. At the heart of the project is a congregant survey that measures belonging through congregant's self-reported experiences of feeling "Noticed, Named, Known, and Needed."

New webmasters Lisa Goldstein, RJE, Co-President Karen Freedman, and Treasurer Michelle Foels share what their motivations for choosing RJ Web Builder 3.0 were, what their experiences were like, and what features they most enjoy.

This is the time of year that many congregations form new boards. Here are a few ways your board can strengthen your leadership using resources from the URJ.

The URJ Pulse Survey and the newly expanded URJ Pulse+ Survey showed that participating congregations were experiencing similar trends. Having the ability to compare your data with that of other URJ congregations will paint a picture that will help you assess where you are and share a more detailed story with your congregants and donors.

We are excited to launch New Ideas Around Engagement: a URJ Series! In this series, you'll explore ways to create a community of belonging alongside others who want to go beyond hospitality and think differently about their communities' engagement goals.

One of the most consistent messages we hear from congregational presidents is that they often feel alone with the heavy weight of responsibility for their congregation. While we encourage and work with them to build sacred partnerships with professionals, clergy, and fellow lay leaders at their congregations, we also hear that they want to be connected to people who are in the same role at other congregations.

During the COVID pandemic in southern California, we saw our Jewish communities weaken. From our camp spaces disappearing to our teen youth groups (TYG) struggling, many of us stopped programming and decreased in membership, while a few of us thrived the best way we knew how - by joining forces. For us, as youth directors, advisors, and educators, we knew this was the way to keep teens inspired and engaged with one another.