RJ Blog

by Sari Biddelman As a nursery school student at the Rodeph Sholom School, I was asked to define community. I drew a self-portrait in the center of a circle surrounded by my family and closest friends. It was not until middle school when I was asked to consider this term again, that I reflected on what my community means to me and what I can do for it. I have always felt a connection with my synagogue, Congregation Rodeph Sholom in New York City, and made close friends there as I became a bat mitzvah, participated in mitzvah projects, and [...]

by Bracha Yael In 2011, URJ awarded an Incubator Grant to our temple, Beth Chayim Chadashim (BCC) to develop and implement its BCC Live, a live stream and social media program to widen community connections. Founded in Los Angeles in 1972, BCC is the first known lesbian and gay synagogue in the world, and the first gay and lesbian religious institution—Jewish, Christian, or other—recognized by a mainstream religious movement. Initially, our use of technology grew out of Bikkur Cholim (to visit or extend aid to the sick). Starting in the early 2000s, we offered members who were unable to attend [...]

by Andrew B. Simmons The URJ’s Incubator Grant enabled Temple Sholom to enter Chicago’s Gay Pride parade for the first time in June 2011. We are the first mainstream synagogue in Chicago to have ever done so, and we will do so again this year. But the grant was just the “incubator” that enabled an incredibly supportive temple to take its social Justice practice to the next level. Let me explain. For 20 years, my partner Mitchell and I have belonged to Temple Sholom as a family. As far as this temple is concerned, there has never been a distinction [...]

The URJ recently announced our 2012 Incubator Grant recipients, which help our congregations implement new programs to further engage current members and attract new members. We’re also thrilled to follow up on the good work of one of our 2011 Incubator Grant recipients, Congregation Bet Ha’am in South Portland, ME, which has documented its program Sowing Seeds, Braiding Community in a short documentary available on the synagogue’s website.