RJ Blog

by Rabbi Daniel Freelander Since we last gathered for a Biennial convention two years ago in Toronto, the Union for Reform Judaism has been hard at work strengthening Reform Judaism in North America. We have had two interesting years of growth, of challenges and excitement with an eye to the future.

In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, it’s been common practice for the First Lady to champion a cause: Lady Bird Johnson was a staunch environmentalist. Barbara Bush was a strong advocate for family literacy. Current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took on health care while her husband was in Office. Today, Michelle Obama unveiled her own project. Amid reports that suggest one third of all children born in 2000 or later will suffer from diabetes at some point in their lives and health care costs of obesity-related diseases may average $147 billion per year, the First Lady is taking on [...]

by dcc Chow, a magazine of Food, Drink and Fun, published a list of major food trends that were taking place in 1999 and those that are taking place today. Granted I was not such an independent foodie at the time: I never really dug Asian fusion, but I did have my fair share of sushi and drank plenty of Starbucks. While I still enjoy my sushi, I find myself engulfed in many of the hottest trends that are all the rage as we end the year – from the butchering bandwagon to the pie. But like all trends, they come [...]

by Rachel CohenLegislative Assistant, RAC(Originally published on The Jew and the Carrot) As Jews, we have always cared about the food that we eat. Some of us choose to embrace traditional notions of kashrut – and many of us do not – but we can all agree that our food, and how we get it, plays an important part in our lives. That’s why Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, opened one section of his 2009 Biennial Shabbat sermon with these words: “Jewish history begins with a Jew – a new Jew, the first Jew – [...]

by Larry Kaufman As always at Biennial, Shabbat worship was exuberant and inspiring. The most startling event of the services came when Rabbi David Stern, who led our worship on Shabbat morning, asked the congregation to be seated after the Barchu, and then discussed the long-standing Reform practice of standing for the Shma – a practice not typically followed by the other streams. He followed with the suggestion that this time we sit. (Some will no doubt quarrel with my characterizing his words as a suggestion, and I couldn’t quarrel with anyone who preferred to call it an instruction.) When [...]

Our contest yielded some fantastic entries: photos that truly captured the spirit and excitement of the Biennial and the beautiful city of Toronto.  After sorting through over 400 entries, our web team and staff from URJ Books & Music voted… and here are the winners! A big THANK YOU to everyone who participated and shared their images. Grand prize: Steve Medwin wins a Flip digital camcorder for “Torah Service“ Second prize: W Zimmerman wins a signed copy of Tina Wasserman’s new cookbook Entree to Judaism for his entry, “Kippah Collage“ Runners-up: Joy Weinberg. Ros Schwartz, Emily Goodstein, Kate Bigam, and Emilia Diamant will [...]

by Isaac NuellConference Planner, RAC Wow – it’s hard to believe Biennial is already over! After all the planning, conference calls, and traveling, we spent an incredible weekend singing, praying, learning and growing with more than 3,000 other leaders of the Reform Movement. There were so many things we will remember from Biennial – the incredible plenary speakers, the Friday night song session, the challenges and innovative ideas about using technology to build community, ethical eating, and more. And, of course, all the work that went into making 2009 our the greenest, most sustainable Biennial yet! Here are just a [...]

by Sam LehmanLegislative Assistant, RAC Last week, a truly incredible and significant segment of the American Reform Jewish people – more than 3,500 rabbis, lay leaders, administrators, staff, and volunteers – converged on Toronto for the 2009 Union for Reform Judaism Biennial. Speaking as a Reform Jew who grew up in near-ignorance that my community transcended Congregation Bet Ha’am in South Portland, Maine, I was overwhelmed by the nearly tangible energy omnipresent throughout the five day Biennial. I think I know why. In 1912, Émile Durkheim, a sociologist living in Sydney, Australia, completed his greatest work on the origin and [...]

Barbara Lerman-Golomb is the Director of Education and Outreach for Hazon and an author, environmental activist and experiential educator. This post originally appeared at The Jew and the Carrot. In his Shabbat morning sermon to 3,500+ members of Reform congregations at the  URJ’s 70th Biennial Convention in Toronto, Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), launched the Green Table, Just Table – Shulhan Yarok, Schulhan Tzedek initiative calling for a commitment to ethical, ecological eating, including consuming 20% less red meat, encouraging more communal eating and a discourse on a Reform kashrut – a Reform approach to [...]

This post is reprinted with permission from Heebonics, a division of The Canadian Jewish News (CJN). It was the first time in 30 years the Union of Reform Judaism (URJ) Biennial was held here in Toronto, and Heebonics, as well as The CJN, was there. On Thursday, November 5th, one of the keynote speakers of the evening was founder and executive director of the Interfaith Youth Core, Dr. Eboo Patel. The focus of his address was on what he considered to be the challenge of the 21st century. Race wars and the colour line the racial segregation that existed predominantly [...]

by JanetheWriter(Also published on JanetheWriter Writes) Rather than bore you with details about food and beverage fiascos at the Union’s recent Biennial convention in Toronto, let me tell you about the other side — the hugs, the smiles, the reconnects and the new friends who previously existed only on Facebook and in cyberspace. A few in particular come to mind: Early on, I met Rachel Turry Roth, managing director of the American Conference of Cantors in Chicago. We’d had numerous email and Facebook exchanges in recent months, but hadn’t ever met face-to-face. That happened on Sunday (or was it Monday?) [...]

If you or your children have ever attended one of the Union for Reform Judaism’s 12 camps (13 this summer, with the opening of 6 Points Sports Academy!), you probably owe a debt of gratitude to philanthropist and real estate entrepreneur Harold Grinspoon, whose support for Jewish education has had a profound impact on countless Jews. Last week, the URJ awarded Harold the 2009 Alexander M. Schindler Award for Service to World Jewry for his dedication to Jewish camping. The annual award, named for the second President of the URJ, honors an individual who has shown passion, leadership and commitment in [...]

by Kate BigamPress Secretary, RAC At her Shabbat study luncheon at last week URJ Biennial in Toronto, noted sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer closed by telling attendees, “Now I want all of you in relationships – don’t pick up someone in the hallway, I’m very old-fashioned – to go to your hotel rooms tonight and try a new position. And call me up afterwards.” In New Voices magazine’s analysis of the Biennial, addressing, specifically, why our most unusual suspects (Tony Blair and Dr. Ruth) were our most effective speakers, blogger Carly Silver writes: Dr. Ruth Westheimer is a Jewish celebrity [...]

by Rabbi Paul Kipnes(Originally posted on Or Am I?) Rabbi Eric Yoffie, President of the Union for Reform Judaism, gave his Shabbat morning sermon at the URJ’s 70th Biennial Convention in Toronto. Read the full text. Just after he delivered it in Toronto, I read the text of his sermon in West Hills, CA (isn’t technology wonderful?). Thoughtful, eloquent as always, Rabbi Yoffie launched two Biennial initiatives: Just Table, Green Table: Rabbi Yoffie calls for a commitment to ethical eating, asking synagogue leaders to “carefully, thoughtfully, Jewishly” formulate new eating guidelines for their communities. Embracing Technology: Reform Judaism’s opportunity to [...]