Little Failure
The Yiddish phrase lachen mit yashtsherkes literally means "laughing with lizards" but is usually meant as "laughing through the tears." It's an idea that is prevalent throughout Gary Shteyngart's latest book, Little Failure, a memoir of his childhood as a Russian immigrant in A
The Dollmaker of Krakow
Young adult Holocaust narratives aren’t too hard to find. Prisoner B-3087, Refugee, and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas are among the many novels striving to broach a challenging subject for a teen or tween audience. Because children and teens were profoundly impacted by the events leading up to and during World War II, sharing a story from their point of view is a natural entry point for a reader of the same age.
URJ President to Spend Night at Synagogue Homeless Shelter He Founded 30 Years Ago
Brooklyn, NY, January 14, 2014 – In 1983, when Rabbi Rick Jacobs was the rabbi at Brooklyn Heights Synagogue (BHS), he had a vision to start a shelter to address the growing problem of homelessness in New York City.
Reform Movement Reacts to Palestinian "Unity Government"
June 5, 2014, New York, NY – In response to the formation of a Palestinian "unity government," Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) President Rabbi Rick Jacobs, issued the following statement:
Divestment Vote Undermines Presbyterian-Jewish Relations
Detroit, June 20, 2014 - In response to the Presbyterian Church's vote to divest from Israel at their General Assembly meeting, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, issued the following statement:
Reform Jewish Movement Mourns the Deaths of Three Murdered Israeli Teens
JERUSALEM, Israel, June 30, 2014: In response to the news that the bodies of three missing Israeli teens, Naftali Fraenkel, Gilad Shaar, and Eyal Yifrach, have been found, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the Union for Reform Judaism, issued the following statement:
The URJ Biennial, North America's Largest Jewish Gathering, Begins: A Record 6,000 Participants Convene in Boston to Reimagine Jewish Life
The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) has gathered a record 6,000 Reform Jewish leaders and congregation members at the 74th URJ North American Biennial General Assembly, taking place December 6-10, 2017 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Reimagining Jewish Life is the theme of Biennial 2017.
Reform Jewish Movement: Concerned About White House Jerusalem Announcement
The statement below is issued by Union for Reform Judaism President Rabbi Rick Jacobs on behalf of the organizations of the Reform Jewish Movement, the largest movement in Jewish life:
President Trump’s ill-timed, but expected, announcement affirms what the Reform Jewish Movement has long held: that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the Jewish people and the State of Israel.
Rabbi Rick Jacobs Responds To Today's White House Statement On Jerusalem
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, URJ President, responds to President Trump's statement about Jerusalem and the U.S. Embassy today.