The Secret Chord
It's a good bet that many Americans are doing some deep thinking about the qualities we seek in a leader. Do we value charisma over moral purity? Do we forgive personal flaws in deference to rank and power?
We Were the Future: A Memoir of the Kibbutz
The word “kibbutz” may suggest a healthy, outdoorsy lifestyle on a self-sustaining farm, a cooperative of hardy, dedicated men and women, living and working together, sharing their lives. Yael Neeman’s memoir, We Were the Future details a surprisingly different scenario.
L’Chaim: Pictures to Evoke Memories of a Jewish Life
The book is large and fits comfortably on a lap. The color photographs nearly fill each page. Each image depicts real people doing everyday Jewish things — a young girl eating matzah ball soup; a bubbe and her grandchildren lying in the grass; a man wearing tefillin, praying. The sentences are in large print; they are simple ("Mother says the blessing over the candles") and easy to read.
Yitzhak Rabin: Soldier, Leader, Statesman
There is a photograph in my study of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin shaking hands with me in a crowded Jerusalem hotel ballroom.
URJ to Expand Campaign for Youth Engagement with New Programming and Grants
October 3, 2012, New York, NY - With a continued goal of increasing the level of Jewish teen engagement within its Movement, the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) today announced expansion of its national Campaign for Youth Engagement.
Thousands of Jewish Leaders Convene in San Diego to Reimagine Jewish Life
December 9, 2013, San Diego, CA -- Nearly 5,000 Jewish leaders will gather this week for the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) North American Biennial and
URJ President Rabbi Rick Jacobs: Illegal Settlement Legislation A "Lose-Lose" Policy
We are disheartened, concerned, but, alas, not surprised that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government today voted to “legalize” illegal Israeli settlements that are built on privately owned Palestinian land. This action makes more difficult the achievement of a two-state solution and significantly undermines Israeli democracy. It is a lose-lose policy.
First-Ever Online "Introduction to Judaism" Class from Reform Movement
The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), the largest, most diverse Jewish movement in North America, launches a new online Introduction to Judaism class, filling a significant need in the North American community for individuals who want to explore liberal Judaism but have no in-person opportunities to study.
Reform Jewish Leader Deeply Disappointed by Vote to Confirm Senator Sessions as Attorney General
In response to the Senate’s vote to confirm Senator Jeff Sessions as the next U.S. Attorney General, Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, issued the following statement on behalf of the Union for Reform Judaism, the Central Conference of American Rabbis and the wider Reform Movement:
We are deeply disappointed by the Senate’s vote today to confirm Senator Jeff Sessions as the next U.S. Attorney General. As a Movement that has worked for civil rights for over 50 years, we opposed Senator Sessions’ nomination because his record in public life displays an insufficient commitment to advancing voting rights, criminal justice reform, immigration reform, LGBTQ equality, women’s rights and religious liberty, all issues for which we would expect any Attorney General to be a champion.