Treyf: My Life as an Unorthodox Outlaw
In her memoir, Treyf: My Life as an Unorthodox Outlaw (New American Library), food writer Elissa Altman, who also wrote Poor Man’s Feast, deftly uses kashrut – Judaism’s dietary laws – to portray, both literally and symbolically, the toxic relationships in her dysfunctional Jewish family.
The House by the Lake: One House, Five Families, and a Hundred Years of German History
On the outskirts of Berlin lies the charming lakefront community of Groß Glienicke, where locals and summer visitors enjoy swimming, boating and fishing. Nestled among the medieval village’s structures is the lake house where author Thomas Harding’s grandmother once lived.
Zionism: The Birth and Transformation of an Ideal
Author Milton Viorst wants to know how Theodor Herzl’s vision of a Jewish refuge for a beleaguered people became “a military power where peace and security was thought about exclusively within a military framework.”
URJ Receives $5 Million Gift From Heller Family To Enhance Transformational NFTY-EIE High School in Israel Program
New York, NY, October 19, 2016 – The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) announced today that the Heller family of Scotch Plains, NJ, has made an endowment gift of $5 million to fund the NFTY-EIE High School in Israel Program, which is being renamed URJ Heller High: Isaac and Helaine Heller EIE High School in Israel. This is the largest gift in EIE history, and the URJ’s largest non-capital gift.
The Union for Reform Judaism's Camp Newman Dedicates $4 Million Koret Conference Center Serving Northern California Jewish Community
On November 5, the Union for Reform Judaism’s Camp Newman will dedicate the Koret Conference Center at URJ Camp Newman, a sacred new space for the Northern California Jewish community to enjoy immersive year-round Jewish experiences. The Koret Conference Center’s completion is a critical phase in the major development project completing the Jewish retreat center at URJ Camp Newman.n November 5, the Union for Reform Judaism’s Camp Newman will dedicate the Koret Conference Center at URJ Camp Newman, a sacred new space for the Northern California Jewish community to enjoy immersive year-round Jewish experiences. The Koret Conference Center’s completion is a critical phase in the major development project completing the Jewish retreat center at URJ Camp Newman.
URJ Grants Support Innovative Outreach Programs
Court Decision Overturns DOMA, Welcome Step Toward Equality
Pelavin: "Today's decision is a vital, overdue, and very welcome step toward marriage equality and a more just society."
Contact: Sean Thibault or Noah Baron
202.387.2800 | news@rac.org
Jewish Leader Testifies in Support of Carbon Standards
Barbara Weinstein: "If we fail to preserve and protect this world _ our only world - by failing to address rising levels of carbon pollution, we betray our responsibility to one another and to future generations."
Reform Leader Condemns Attacks on African Refugees in Israel
Saperstein: Such violence has no place in any civilized society, much less Israel, the nation state of the Jewish people who have throughout history known similar horrors rooted in ethnic and religious differences.
Rabbi Saperstein Welcomes Public School Guidelines on Harassment, Bullying, and Free Expression
Saperstein: "This document, along with existing state laws and policies and the 2010 guidance issued by the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, will help administrators and teachers respond appropriately when challenges arise concerning speech and harassm