Displaying 1 - 10 of 123
Who We Are
The Union for Reform Judaism leads the largest Jewish movement in North America.
What We Believe
The Union for Reform Judaism strengthens communities that transform the way people connect to Jewish life, building a more whole, just, and compassionate world.
What We Do
The Union for Reform Judaism strives to create a more whole, just, and compassionate world. We motivate and mobilize people from diverse backgrounds to participate and deepen their engagement in Jewish life in ways that ultimately transform themselves, their communities, and the world at large.
URJ Values, Vision, & Mission
The Union for Reform Judaism strives to create a more whole, just, and compassionate world.
How Jews Transformed The Comic Book Industry, Part III: The Bronze Age (1979 - )
Ever since the late 1970s, comics have turned more introspective and artistically ambitious. As in the Golden and Silver Ages, Jewish comics creators have been at the cutting edge, producing works that probe Jewish history, showcase Jewish characters, and comment on spiritual and social issues. These artists have ushered in what may be termed "the Bronze Age" of comics--not because it's less esteemed than the Golden or Silver Ages, but because it is free of rose-colored gloss and glitter, and reflects the realities of the world in which we live.
How Jews Transformed The Comic Book Industry, Part II: The Silver Age (1956-1978)
By the mid-'50s, the comic book industry was in a sorry state. Allegations that the genre was promoting juvenile delinquency and illiteracy had "done in" the popular and groundbreaking horror and crime comics, and superheroes were now bland incarnations of their former selves. Batman, once a shadowy figure of the night, was recast as a high-camp boy scout battling rainbow-colored monsters.
How the Jews Created the Comic Book Industry Part I: The Golden Age (1933-1955)
1933. FDR was inaugurated, Hitler became chancellor of Germany, television was patented, and an unemployed Jewish novelty salesman named Max Gaines (née Max Ginzberg) was pondering how on earth he would be able to feed his wife Jessie and their two young children, who were living with him at his mother's house in the Bronx. To lift his spirits, he began reading some Sunday funnies stored in his mother's attic. Suddenly the idea hit him: if he enjoyed reading old comic strips like "Joe Palooka," "Mutt and Jeff," and "Hairbreadth Harry," maybe the rest of America would, too!
From the Shadows into the Light
We sat down with Qian Julie Wang, a New York Times bestselling author and a civil rights litigator, to talk about her acclaimed new memoir Beautiful Country and her Jewish journey.