RJ Blog

By Rabbi Peter Knobel I just had the privilege of representing the Reform movement on a panel “Conversion: Who Is the Gate Keeper of the Jewish Nation” at the Israeli President’s Conference in Jerusalem, Facing Tomorrow.  These are my opening remarks: The time has come to finally recognize the religious streams as the gatekeepers of the Jewish people.  The current situation is alienating Jews in the tefusot (Diaspora). Conversion is significant for Jewish continuity in Diaspora. There is no possibility for a unified solution to gerut (conversion). I want to emphasize that, if we had any doubts in the past, [...]

by Michael DoyleOriginally published on Chicago Carless Four months ago my rabbi said to me, “Unless you’re the greatestfaker ever-and I don’t think you are-how will you know when you’reready?” It was a segue into asking me whether I felt the time was rightto take the next step in my Jewish journey and write my conversionessay-an essay to answer the question, “What does Judaism mean to me andwhy do I want it in my life?” It was three months after beginning that journey, and while in myheart I had an inexplicable sense of knowing the Jewishness at the coreof who [...]

by Rabbi Jordan D. CohenTemple Anshe Sholom, Hamilton,Ontario, Canada The mitzvah of Hachnasat Orchim – welcoming the stranger – for a congregational rabbi, can be one of the most satisfying mitzvot of all. When a phone call or e-mail comes in, or a new face walks in the synagogue door, asking about conversion, I know I am going to get to share in a remarkable story. This inquiry may be the first step towards the fulfillment of a life-long spiritual yearning. It may be the reclamation of a lost family heritage. It may bring unification to the mixed identity of [...]

by John WoffordTemple Emanuel, Grand Rapids, MI The first Pesach Seder during my conversion process took place at the local Reform synagogue, my home-temple. As a matter of immersing myself in Jewish life before ‘making the change,’ I went to several home-hosted Seders, but the largest service was at Temple Emanuel in Grand Rapids, Michigan. These holiday events bring many fresh faces; I wasn’t surprised when I sat next to a stranger–a young guy about my age.We greeted each other, but as I saw a few familiar Temple ‘regulars,’ he and I didn’t begin to speak until much of the [...]

by Andi Rosenthal No one was more surprised than I when I was approached by our congregation president on the train platform in Larchmont that spring morning in 2003. All I knew was that she was a powerful, warm presence on our bimah every Friday night. But I had no idea why she wanted to speak with me. As it turned out, she had big news: she had recommended to our rabbi that I attend a training session at the Hebrew Union College campus in Cincinnati, and wondered if I would be interested ingoing. “It’s perfect for you,” she said. [...]

by Dave OneyMember of Beth Orr, Coral Springs, FLVice President, Men of Reform Judaism My family joined our synagogue in 1989. Even though I was not Jewish at the time, the men in our Brotherhood were among the first to welcome me and make me feel part of their community. Shortly thereafter, our Brotherhood began a serious decline for a variety of reasons. While I was able to maintain the friendships I had made in Brotherhood, I missed the camaraderie of the organization. In 1996 I converted to Judaism and the next day, as I felt Brotherhood was such an [...]

by Loree B. Resnik The first member of the National Association for Temple Administration to write her thesis on Outreach to become a Fellow in Temple Administration was Serane Blatt, FTA of North Shore Congregation Israel in Highland Park, IL. The second was me. While a member of the Outreach Commission, it became obvious to me that there was a huge disparity between what the rabbis on the Commission were saying vs. what was happening in the congregations when people called regarding officiation at interfaith marriages, questions about Judaism or concerns about the role of the non-Jew in the synagogue. [...]

By Daphne Lazar-Price(Originally published in Ten Minutes of Torah) On the Shabbat before Purim, many congregations will read Parshat Zachor (Deuteronomy 25:17 – 20). In the three short verses of this parshah, we are commanded not once but twice to recall a dangerous attack on our people: we are told to remember (Zachor) what the Amalekites did to the Israelites after they left Egypt and not to forget (Lo Tishkach). Further, we are commanded to blot out the memory of Amalek. What was the sin of the Amalekites? They attacked the Israelites as they fled Egypt, specifically targeting the weak [...]

I always knew I would visit Israel.  I wasn’t sure when, but I knew I would get there. Growing up, Israel was a presence. The survival of the Jewish state, in ’67 and ’73, was something my parents spoke about with concern. My close friend Judy spent summers visiting family in Israel and sharing her stories with me when she returned. By the time I was 18, I knew that Israel was the homeland of the Jewish people and a magical place to be. Many years passed until I was able to visit Israel; my first trip occurred only six [...]

by Arlene ChernowURJ Outreach Specialist A few years ago, a congregational rabbi shared his view that “Outreach won”. I wondered what that meant. It reminded me of the tension in the Jewish world in 1978 when Rabbi Alexander Schindler z”l  told a URJ Biennial that it was time to stop sitting shiva for our intermarried children; rather it was time to welcome them into our communities. He also noted it was time to reach out to the “un-churched”.  (Read Schindler’s 1978 speech to the Board). In 1978 this was revolutionary. It may be hard to remember that before Rabbi Schindler [...]

by Larry KaufmanMember, RJ Blog Editorial Board As regular readers of this blog know, the blog, and the Reform Movement, are currently focusing special attention on accessibility issues, and numerous posts have indicated that accessibility means more than ramps and grab bars and large-type siddurim – it also means hospitality and compassion and inclusiveness.  February is a good month to have as wide-ranging a theme as we do, because it is one month in which we don’t have to devote any space to holiday observance.  We have Tu B’shvat behind us and Purim and then Passover ahead of us, but [...]

by Arlene Chernow and Vicky FarhiURJ Congregational Outreach Specialists Recently, we read an article by Edgar Bronfman encouraging the Jewish world to welcome interfaith couples and families. Yasher koach for your intentions, Mr, Bronfman, we are in agreement and have been since 1987. That was the year that  Rabbi Alexander Schindler z”l, President of the then UAHC, changed the view of  interfaith marriage by urging our UAHC congregations to “Take the issues of intermarriage out of the house of mourning and bring it into the house of study. ” This was the beginning of the URJ’s groundbreaking, signature Outreach program.  [...]

by Rabbi Daniel AllenExecutive Director, ARZA With rumors that the conversion issues are again on the table, as the hold on the Rotem Bill ends, we at ARZA know that each of you will want to take action. (Learn about the Reform Movement’s past efforts to defeat the Rotem Bill on the URJ website). The time is not ripe for press releases and a massive letter writing campaign, though ARZA will tell you when it is! It is time to speak from our love of Israel.  We hope you will help us to engage people’s hearts and souls, as we [...]

by Nicole Lyn DeBlosi, PhDRabbinical Student, HUC-JIR On “Black Friday,” I went to the mall, and for the first time since my conversion many years ago, I felt an empty pit in my stomach. It wasn’t the Christmas carols or the lights. I still get those things: I attend Christmas Eve Mass with my parents, listening to my mother sing in the choir, sitting on the hard pew while everyone else kneels. I string colored lights in my own home, hung with dreidels and gelt, during the eight days of Hanukkah. I exchange gifts with my family, either during the [...]