RJ Blog

 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 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 [...]

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.

I ended my last post by saying, “There is much more to tell of my time in Israel – and some of those stories will make an appearance in my next blog post.” I’m delighted to share the next installment of stories from my first trip to Israel as the URJ’s president. Spending time with our Movement’s leaders, teachers, and activists always reminds me of how far we have come as an authentic Israeli movement. Recently, especially, we have achieved some important victories – but there is so much more to do to make sure that Israelis who want to [...]

Editor’s note: The following is excerpted from Rabbi Jacobs’ HUC-JIR Cincinnati Ordination address on June 2, 2012. Read his entire remarks here. Our teacher, Rabbi Jerry Davidson, wrote, “A rabbi’s world is a vision that others often cannot see. Rabbis find themselves bringing to their people frequently not what they want, but what the rabbi feels they need. Not seeking to make them comfortable and content, but rather challenged and disturbed. And often the rabbi is alone.” Colleagues, the balance between leading and listening, agitating and comforting is art – not science. Dig deep into the well of our tradition [...]

Next month may mark the 40th anniversary of women in the American rabbinate, but another historic event is taking place this weekend: On Sunday, six graduates of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion will make history when they become the first class of cantorial students to be ordained rather than invested. JTA covers it in a story this week titled “What’s in a word? For ‘ordained’ rather than ‘invested’ cantors, a lot.”

On behalf of all the branches of our American Reform Movement, Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom. Tonight we, as a movement, celebrate Israel’s 64th Birthday. We might wonder, to paraphrase the McCartney song we sang decades ago, “Does Israel still need me when she’s 64?” The truth is we, the American Jewish community, our Movement, and Israel need each other.