How is Communities of Belonging Different from Previous URJ Initiatives?

When Rabbi Alexander Schindler created the "Reform Jewish Outreach" initiative in the 1970s, the then-Union of American Hebrew Congregations heeded his call and began to listen to the needs of those in our communities who were not being heard - individuals who were considering becoming Jewish, and couples who were in love and did not see conversion as an option, but who were considering raising Jewish families. We asked them to tell us about the barriers they experienced, to tell us what made them feel welcome and what made them feel distant, and what we could do to bring them closer.

Through this collaborative process we learned a great deal, much of which provides the foundation for the work we do today.

While the Reform Movement has historically and proudly stood for justice and continues to address various forms of oppression in the world at large, we also see the need and often overlooked imperative to address oppression within our communities. In 2015, Serving as the URJ's first Vice President of Audacious Hospitality, along with CEO Rabbi Rick Jacobs, April Baskin spearheaded the Reform Movements efforts to affirm Jews of Color, and other groups who were traditionally marginalized in Jewish life. This included decentralizing dominant white culture and reflecting a wider range of identities within our Jewish spaces. Only when we can recognize and reflect the actual diversity of our Movement will we succeed in engaging more groups of people who are often unrepresented and under-served in Jewish communal and institutional spaces, transforming our communities into spaces of belonging for all who wish to call them home.

Jewish populations such as Jews by choice and those exploring Judaism, Jews of Color, LGBTQ+ Jews, Jews who live with physical, mental, or intellectual disabilities, larger bodied/fat Jews, multiracial families, millennials, the aging Jewish population, Jews who are unaffiliated and uninspired by Jewish communal offerings, and the evolving needs of interfaith and intermarried couples and families, requires our focused attention.

With this history and our current belonging practices, we now have a fuller understanding of the need to transform our communities. It is our goal to build on our historical success and continue to strengthen the Reform movement and North American Jewry.