RJ Blog

by Rabbi Shelley Kovar Becker On Sunday, June 2, I attended the wonderful WRJ Centennial Symposium in NYC.  I was delighted to be with WRJ on this occasion because of my long and rewarding connection to Sisterhood. Among the superb presenters on WRJ history was my rabbinic school classmate, Rabbi Dr. Carole Balin, Professor of Jewish History at the New York campus of HUC-JIR, who gave me a “shout out” in recognition of that fact that I was the first local Sisterhood President to go to rabbinic school, to make the transition from lay to professional leadership within the Jewish [...]

by Nechama Namal When my husband and I made aliyah, we set a goal of finding ways to be a bridge between the American Reform movement and the community in Israel. This has led to some of our most meaningful experiences in Israel. Last June, we went to Shabbat dinner at the home of a friend who is a tour guide. He, his wife, and their daughters opened their home to a tour group from Temple B’nai Or of New Jersey, and they invited us to meet and greet these visitors. As soon as we walked onto the patio, a [...]

I just returned from two weeks in Israel focusing on the intersection of Israel and youth engagement… and eating lots of delicious hummus! A dynamic connection to Israel is a critical strategy in all our youth engagement work. One of the key Israel intersections occurs at the URJ camps. URJ camps host more than 200 Israelis (Shlichim) over the summer creating a unique engagement opportunity for our North American campers to interact with, learn from, and learn about Israel. I was able to spend several days with the URJ Camp Directors and Educators during the training of the Shlichim. The [...]

by Hope Chernak I’ve spent the last four days at my eighth NFTY Convention/Youth Professional Conference (now known as the Youth Engagement Conference), and I can’t help but reflect on events past. In 1999, there were 13 of us full-time “youth workers.” We came from all over the United States, and this was the first time we had a chance to meet in person. A few sessions were offered to us for professional development, and we attended song sessions and worship with our temple teens who were attending NFTY Convention. I remember vividly a special meeting hosted by J.C. Cohen, [...]

 by Rabbi Jerome K. Davidson Affiliation with the traditional institutions of Judaism, the denominational synagogue in particular, is under siege.  According to studies by HUC-JIR Professor Steven M. Cohen, the under-40 generation characterizes the synagogues of their parents in a highly critical “ABCD Fashion”:  Alien to their 20’s and 30’s world;  Bland and Boring, filled with a predictable demographic of the middle-aged and upper-middle class;  Coercive regarding the views they do not  readily accept, the importance of in-marrying, and unquestioned support of Israel and it’s policies; and Divisive, separating Jews from non-Jews and, denominationally Jews from Jews. Furthermore, the demographic [...]

By Eric L. Abbott Not too long ago, I was asked by the rabbi of my home congregation, Rabbi Peter Stein, to write about my experiences in Israel and at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion so far. I agreed, figuring it would be a fairly easy thing to do. In reality, this has turned out to be tougher than I had originally thought, mostly because there is so much to write about! Nonetheless, here is a (very) short description of what the life of a rabbinic student in Israel is like.

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 [...]

by Rabbi David Ellenson, Ph.D I write these words from Jerusalem, Israel. I am here with my wife Jackie, in a city very close to our hearts and in a country we regard as dearly as our own. It has been a week filled with events promising a great future for Israel set against events that mark war and conflict. The complicated nature of life in Medinat Yisrael has never been more evident to me than it is today.  Last night, in the midst of the bombings taking place in the South, Jackie and I saw a small group of [...]

by Liz Piper-Goldberg This week, I had the honor of attending the General Assembly meeting of the Jewish Federations of North America as a Wexner Graduate Fellow. My fellowship cohort is composed of 20 Jewish leaders from different denominations and career paths. We are rabbinical students attending Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and non-denominational schools; we are Jewish professionals and Ph.D students. We reflect the great diversity and complexity of the Jewish community today. The Federation “GA,” as it’s commonly called, provided a unique backdrop to highlight the pluralistic reality of both my Wexner cohort and the North American Jewish community. As [...]

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 [...]

by P.J. Schwartz One of my favorite book series as a child was The Magic School Bus. The series features the antics of Ms. Frizzle, an elementary school teacher, and her class, who board a magical school bus that takes them on field trips to impossible locations such as the solar system and the American Flag. Many people, including me, remember the series because of Ms. Frizzle’s famous catchphrase: “Take chances, make mistakes, and get messy.” Making mistakes is ingrained within us. We are bound to, as Ms. Frizzle says, “get messy” at some point in our lives. This reality [...]

The B’nai Mitzvah Revolution is here! This major new initiative is one of several strategies the Reform Movement is launching to address critical concerns about why so many teens leave congregational life after their b’nai mitzvah, and, too often, take their parents out the door with them. We’re thrilled to announce the 14 Reform congregations across North America that were selected to participate in an innovative pilot program to more fully engage families, institute new methods of teaching and keep teens and their families engaged in their communities. With seed funding from the B’nai Mitzvah Revolution, a joint initiative of the [...]

By Rabbi David Z. Vaisberg Pirkei Avot 2:2 Rabban Gamliel, son of R. Yehudah HaNassi said: Torah study goes well with derech eretz (work), since the toil of both of them makes misdeed scarce. Any Torah study that is not accompanied by work will in the end cease and lead to misdeed. And all who serve the community should do so for the sake of heaven. For the merit of their forefathers assists them and their righteousness endures forever. [And God says:] “I will bestow great reward upon you as if you had accomplished it [alone].” (Translation from Pirkei Avot: [...]

In a recent profile in The Algemeiner, Rabbi David Ellenson, president of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR), discusses new developments in Jewish education and institutional life, the future of the Reform Movement, and the status of progressive Judaism in Israel.