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Sound the Shofar: Announcing Summer 2021 Plans for URJ Camp & Israel Programs
This summer was unlike any in our lifetime. While we’re incredibly thankful that Jewish youth were able to experience camp from home, we're thrilled to announce plans for in-person programming in summer 2021.
In Celebration of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur at Home
Like many, I'm mourning the chance to "go" to High Holiday services at my synagogue. But I've also had the joy of observing Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur at home, so I know this year will be wonderfully meaningful.
The Mom of a Trans Child Wrote a Beautiful New Rosh HaShanah Book
As the mother of a transgender child, Rabbi Ari Moffic knows that personal transformation is a key and beautiful part of who each of us is.
3 Previously Frowned-Upon Behaviors to Embrace During the High Holidays at Home
The new normal of distanced coronavirus kehilla t'filah (communal prayer) offers new ways to enhance your Home High Holidays. Consider these three previously banned behaviors to warm up your worship.
What Ancient Tents of the Israelites Teach us About Modern Privacy Issues
Components of the USA Patriot Act are set to expire next month, giving us an important opportunity to consider contemporary issues of privacy and national security going forward. The Patriot Act, signed into law in 2001 by President Bush and extended in 2011 by President Obama, is a highly controversial piece of legislation that significantly expanded government surveillance of American citizens. The bill was drafted in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks that took place on September 11, 2001and was intended to be an anti-terrorism measure. Many, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Constitution Project, opposed the bill on the grounds that it restricted civil liberties and privacy rights. Today, issues surrounding the extent of the National Security Agency’s surveillance remain at the forefront of privacy and security conversations. Companies including Apple, Google, Microsoft, Twitter and Facebook are vocally opposing the extension of the Patriot Act.
Meet the Netflix Star Who Plays an African-British-Jewish Astronaut
Ato Essandoh isn’t Jewish, or British, or an astronaut — but he plays an African-British-Jewish astronaut on TV.
Another Tragic Shooting Highlights Urgent Need for Action
We mourn the tragic death of Walter Scott this past weekend in North Charleston, South Carolina and send our thoughts and prayers to his family and community. Over the past year, our nation’s consciousness has been raised as we have watched Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, and so many more tragically and unnecessarily lose their lives. We hope that the charges brought against the police officer indicate the seriousness with which this situation will be handled.
A Light that Will Never Go Out: Am Yisrael Chai
This week, we mark Yom HaShoah (April 15-16) -- Holocaust Remembrance Day -- a day when Jewish communities gather together to commemorate the day through worship, music and stories from survivors and lighting yellow candles as symbol of the living memories of the victims. Yom HaShoah is a time to remember and reflect. It is also a time to also recommitment ourselves to fighting bigotry and anti-Semitism. And, for me, Yom HaShoah is a time to think about the notion of Jewish peoplehood.
At Consultation: Spotlight on Disability Inclusion and Advocacy
On April 26, 2015, hundreds of Reform Jews will gather for the Consultation on Conscience, the Reform Movement’s flagship social justice conference. That Sunday, participants will have the opportunity to hear from Ari Ne’eman, president and co-founder of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, an advocacy organization run by and for Autistic adults seeking to increase the representation of Autistic people across society; Liz Leibowitz, Legislative Associate at the Jewish Federations of North America; and Edie Mencher, Coordinator of the URJ-Ruderman Family Foundation Partnership for Inclusion of People with Disabilities. In the workshop “Ramping Buildings and Ramping Attitudes: Disability Inclusion and Advocacy,” the speakers will discuss best practices for including people with disabilities in Jewish communities and how to complement your inclusion efforts with disability rights advocacy.
Early Childhood Education Centers on the Brink: Coming Together to Address Crisis
Although the pandemic has not altered the overall mission of our sacred work – to engage the next generation of families with young children on their Jewish journey – it has further amplified our sense of urgency and is helping to redefine and clarify our goals and priorities.