RJ Blog

Allison recently wrote this heartfelt letter to her daughter, Logan, after dropping her off at her first Spring Kallah. She speaks of the gratitude she feels and retells her own NFTY experience over 25 years ago in the same region.

Two weeks ago, I was at the Knesset, Israel’s legislative parliament, wearing Noar Telem’s uniform, and I couldn’t feel any prouder that we are making our voice abundantly clear in front of our elected representatives.

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

This d’var Torah is the winner of the Wendy Blickstein Memorial D’var Torah Competition, which was established in memory of Wendy Blickstein, a former member of NFTY’s Mid-Atlantic Region whose years were cut far too short because of cancer. The Blickstein family established this competition for aspiring teen writers to share their words of Torah with our NFTY Convention community and beyond.

This essay is the winner of Women of Reform Judaism’s Centennial Essay Competition. Women of Reform Judaism established this essay contest in honor of their Centennial celebration. Teens were asked to write about the influence of women’s leadership in Reform congregations.

Everything started with Twitter. Actor Joshua Malina (Scandal, The West Wing, Big Bang Theory) turned to Twitter to celebrate his Birthday, asking people to donate on his behalf to MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger. He offered to follow anybody on Twitter if they donated at least $10 in honor of his birthday.

Each of us has a Jewish journey full of experiences, people, and moments that have affected and changed our perception and connection to Judaism. While some of these may have been more enjoyable or memorable than others, the collection of Jewish experiences and moments in each of our lives have changed us and Reform Judaism as a whole.

by Shirah Kraus As the conclusion draws closer, the 15-year-old aspiring cantor leading havdallah asks the circle of friends what we would bring back home with us. Everyone. The few vs. the many. Community. Connection. Love. Chocolate Moses. Friends. Social Action. Social justice. Babies and starfish. Questions. What happened here will not stay here. Even though this havdallah marks the end of Shabbat, the separation of the holy and the profane, the holiness of Shabbat is not confined to Shabbat. The holiness of Shabbat, the holiness of community, the holiness of learning will transcend this one weekend at Hebrew Union [...]

This week was Mental Illness Awareness Week, an event that is held annually by NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Since this year our action theme is Refuat Hanefesh: NFTY addresses mental health, it only made sense for us to spread awareness in the spirit of NAMI.

Why do I care so much about the NFTY action theme R’Fuat Hanefesh – Caring for the Soul: NFTY Addresses Mental Health? Sure I’m a social worker and that’s what my training is in, but why do I really care?

As a child, one of my favorite holiday songs was sung during Sukkot. “Apples are delicious, they are so nutritious, you don’t have to wash any dishes, sing a Sukkah song!” This complex arrangement was sung (and not very well) for the entirety of the holiday.

Throughout Jewish life there are many benchmarks. Some are optional, and some come with tradition. The path I have taken has definitely been one of structure.

By Jacob Georginow, NFTY Religious & Cultural Vice-President I’ve wonder why the majority of people that I’ve talked to said that they “hated their first NFTY event.” I know I did. My first NFTY event was at a temple in Boca Raton, FL, which, coincidentally, was actually where my final NFTY event in the Southern Tropical Region was. It’s funny how things come full circle.  Anyway, I’m at my first NFTY event and I get there and the registration line is huge, full of people hugging and pushing to get their nametags. If you think outside of a NFTY setting, [...]

As I stand here looking at this unrolled Torah, the history of our people, it makes me realize something: we have the opportunity to have great relationships with the Jewish people who came before us.