President
Rabbi Rick Jacobs was installed on June 9th, 2012 as the president of the URJ.
Leadership & Governance
As a leader, so the generation; as the generation, so the leader. - Talmud Yerushalmi, Arachim 17a
April 5, 2020 | 11 Nisan, 5780
URJ Leadership & Gov header
URj.org Leadership Rabbi Rick Jacobs
URj.org Leadership Jennifer Brodkey Kaufman
Jennifer Brodkey Kaufman
Jennifer Brodkey Kaufman
Chair, North American Board of Trustees
She has served on the URJ Board since 2003 in a variety of roles across all of the organization’s efforts, including as Chair of the Commission on Social Action and Chair of the Resolutions Committee.
URj.org Leadership Julie Lerner block
Julie Lerner
Julie Lerner
Executive Vice President
Julie is a strategic, dynamic, and galvanizing leader who has a proven track record guiding complex organizations to grow while keeping focused on the things that matter most.
URj.org Leadership Rabbi Eric Yoffie
Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie
Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie
President Emeritus
Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie served as president of the URJ from June 1996, when he succeeded Rabbi Alexander M. Schindler, z''l.
URj.org Leadership Ruben Arquilevich Block
Ruben Arquilevich
Ruben Arquilevich
Vice President of URJ Camps, NFTY, and Immersive Experiences
Ruben Arquilevich leads a team of stellar Camp and Youth professionals through North America and Israel who together mobilize over 20,000 youth, teens, parents, young adults and faculty to create a more just, compassionate, inclusive and sustainable world.
URj.org Leadership Mark J Pelavin block
Mark J. Pelavin
Mark J. Pelavin
Chief Program Officer & Biennial Director
As a member of the URJ's Executive Team, Mark J. Pelavin plays a key role in developing and refining the URJ's priorities and structures as Reform Judaism moves into a new era.
URj.org Leadership Amy Asin block
Amy Asin
Amy Asin
Vice President for Strengthening Congregations
As Vice President for Strengthening Congregations, Amy Asin leads the Union for Reform Judaism's Strengthening Congregations work.
URj.org Leadership Rabbi Jonah Pesner block
Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner
Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner
Senior Vice President, URJ
& Director, Religious Action Center
Named one of the most influential rabbis in America by Newsweek, Rabbi Jonah Pesner's experience as a community organizer guides his pursuit of social justice. He encourages Jewish communities to reach across lines of faith, race and class to campaign for social justice.
URJ.org Leadership Seth Cohen
Seth Cohen
Seth Cohen
Vice President for Organizational Effectiveness
Riva Silverman - URJ Leadership Page Block
Riva Silverman
Riva Silverman
Vice President for Philanthropy
Riva Silverman recently joined the URJ as the Vice President for Philanthropy. She has worked in the non-profit and philanthropy sectors for nearly 30 years and has held senior leadership positions at the New Israel Fund, American Jewish World Service and, most recently, HIAS.
URJorg Leadership Yonatan Meir block
Yonatan Meir
Yonatan Meir
Chief Information Officer
Yonatan Meir is accountable for defining and delivering the IT strategy and capability across the URJ and leveraging technology solutions that position the URJ for growth.
URJorg Leadership Josh Weinberg
Rabbi Josh Weinberg
Rabbi Josh Weinberg
Vice President of the URJ for Israel & Reform Zionism
& Executive Director of ARZA
Rabbi Josh Weinberg has taught and lectured widely throughout Israel, the U.S., and Europe. He is passionate about Israel and works to strengthen the connection between the Reform Movement and the Jewish State.
URJ Leadership & Gov Commissions block
Commissions, Committees, and Task Forces
Lay and professional leaders of the Reform Movement lend their talent and expertise to joint commissions, on which the Union is joined by the CCAR, HUC-JIR, and other Reform organizations. Through their deliberations, the commissions help determine the Movement's position on critical issues affecting every Reform Jew, such as social justice and political concerns and the role of the non-Jew in synagogue life. There are also several standing committees of the board (i.e. Budget, Investment, Operations). In addition, task forces are formed as needed to work during a given period of time around a specific charge. Their work results in recommendations to the board.
The board is comprised of lay leaders who belong to URJ congregations across the U.S. and Canada as well as representatives of the HUC-JIR, CCAR, and several affiliate organizations.
The members of the Oversight Committee are elected by the Board of Trustees.
The constitution adopted at the 39th Council of the Union, March 3-6, 1946, and all subsequent amendments.
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