RJ Blog

For many, summer is a season of travel and that’s certainly true for me right now. Last week I was in Chicago, where I had the pleasure of meeting with a number of my rabbinic colleagues, synagogue professionals, and lay leaders in congregations throughout the city. This past week I was in Baltimore, where similar meetings were held. I spent Shabbat evening together with the Oheb Shalom family in this city rich in Reform Jewish history as the congregation celebrates its 160th anniversary. What a milestone! No matter the city or the congregation, though, it’s always important to get a [...]

Mr. Mayor, I have no illusions that my eloquent letter of invitation is what brought you here this morning. First, it helps to know someone at City Hall. My wife and I are blessed to know and love your First Deputy Mayor Patti Harris, who graces us here today and has contributed so much to your administration, this city, and our family.

But I suspect that a significant reason the mayor is here this morning is because of his long and close collaboration with my wife, Susan Freedman, to bring exhilarating public art to NYC, like the “NYC Waterfalls” and this year’s “Discovering Columbus.” Mayor Bloomberg has been an extraordinary supporter of the arts, especially the public kind that all New Yorkers and visitors can experience.

At the RAC’s recent Consultation on Conscience, I met an incredible faith leader, Sister Simone Campbell, executive director of NETWORK, a national Catholic social justice lobby. Last week, I joined Sister Simone and others for the kick-off of Nuns on the Bus, a coast-to-coast immigration reform campaign that will land them in San Francisco after nearly 6,500 miles of travel and immigration reform advocacy. The kick-off was truly stirring, and I hope many of you will be inspired to get involved with this important cause when the bus comes to a city near you. I recently visited with professional and [...]

For too much of Jewish history Jewish women did not count. Consider the opening of the Book of Exodus: “Eleh sh’mot b’nai Yisrael – These are the names of the children of Israel.” (Exodus 1:1) The text then goes on to name only the male children of Israel: Reuben, Simeon and Judah… but there is no mention of the female children of Israel. There definitely were many female children of Israel who were there but the opening of Exodus doesn’t see fit to mention them. The Biblical text seems to be telling us that: “girls don’t matter. Pharaoh also believes that [...]

I felt pride as an American and as a Jew in listening to President Obama’s remarkable speech to the Israeli people today. It was an historic speech, perhaps the most important in recent memory by an American president.  The powerful recognition of Israel’s right to exist was important, as well his eloquent and heartfelt recognition of the challenges and the opportunities that Israel faces as it seeks a peaceful and hopeful future. “I agree with our president that, ‘Peace is necessary…the only path to true security.’  As the leader of the largest Movement of Jews in North America, I want [...]

URJ President Rabbi Rick Jacobs delivered a message to open Shabbat at NFTY Convention 2013 to a crowd of over 1,000 people.

Two thousand years ago, a rabbi recalled the breadth and depth of what his teacher had given him. Yohanan ben Zakkai remembered his teacher Hillel saying: If all the heavens were parchments and all the trees quills and all the seas were ink, it would still be impossible to write down even a part of what I learned from my teacher. (Sofrim 16:6) I am no Yochanan ben Zakkai, but these words express how I feel about Rabbi David Hartman. I would not be a rabbi if I had not studied with Rabbi David Hartman, the founder and spiritual leader [...]

There is no escaping the challenging fact that there are more Jews outside the walls of our synagogues than inside. Social scientists such as Robert Putnam and Mark Chaves explain this as being part of a larger phenomenon in North America, where the most rapidly growing religious group is unaffiliated—the “nones.” While middle-aged and older individuals continue to embrace organized religion, exponentially increasing numbers of young people reject it. Too often I hear Jewish leaders describing those who have no religious affiliation as people “who don’t know and don’t care.” I disagree. The 2012 Pew Forum on Religion survey, “‘Nones’ [...]

Although it has been several days since the horrific events in Newtown, CT, our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the families and community members whose losses seem to be more than we can contemplate. Even before the healing begins, we know that it will be a long time until the raw, open wounds close and that for many, the scars of trauma and loss will remain forever. The URJ has resources available that can help you and your entire synagogue community address the many facets of this tragedy.  We encourage you to use this information and to return [...]

A little over a month ago, Hurricane Sandy caused unprecedented damage in the Northeast and Midwest of the United States and stretching into Canada. Your support and prayers have strengthened our Movement. This is an update to let you know how much we raised, how we are allocating it, and our next steps. In addition to collecting funds and referring volunteers, the URJ’s Congregational Network Staff has been reaching out to all congregations affected by the storm and advising congregational leaders on how to best help individual congregants and continue providing services to congregants despite damaged synagogue facilities.

Va-Yetzeh Ya’akov m’Beersheva – And Jacob left Beersheva. These were, eerily, the first words of the parashah for last Shabbat, which I spent in Israel as part of a mission with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the central coordinating body for 52 North American Jewish agencies. While in Israel, I met with top military and political leaders to learn firsthand about the situation on the ground. But my schedule also included visits with young Reform Jews. I wanted to be with them, both personally and on behalf of our Movement, and to see how they were [...]

In just a few hours, I will be leaving for Israel. As rockets continue to fall on Southern Israel, and as Hamas is targeting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, I believe it is critical that, on behalf of our entire Movement, I demonstrate our solidarity with, and commitment to, the people of Israel. I realize, of course, that Thanksgiving week is a time of travel and family gatherings for those in the United States. But, as the rockets continue to fall, I know that this week will not be “as usual” for many of us. This evening, I will be traveling [...]

Editor’s note: This is the as-prepared text of Rabbi Jacobs’ closing plenary address this afternoon at Jewish Federation of North America’s General Assembly. You can also watch his address below, courtesy of JLTV.com; he starts about two thirds of the way through the video. It’s too simple to think of the world as beginning with our families and ending with those who think, pray, and vote as we do. That isn’t how Jewish tradition views the world, and that isn’t what it means to be part of something larger, more inspiring and more challenging called the Jewish people. For 15 [...]

I was on the phone a few months ago with Marshall Einhorn, executive director of Brown-RISD Hillel, discussing a talk I was asked to give at Brown, where my younger son is currently a junior and of which my older son is an alumnus. As an aside, I asked Marshall who would be leading the campus Reform services for the High Holy Days. When he said he had asked a number of people but without success, I offered to help. “That would be great!” Marshall said. “Let me know if your networks surface someone interested.” “No,” I told him. “Maybe [...]