RJ Blog

Is your congregation interested in offering classes on “Judaism 101″? The Union for Reform Judaism is offering grants to help congregations offer Taste of Judaism™, a free, three-session class for beginners – Jewish or not – that explores the topics of Jewish spirituality, ethics and community values. Taste of Judaism™ is a high-visibility, low-threshold program of liberal Jewish content designed to pique the interest of all who are searching for an access point to Jewish life.  The class is designed for those who would like to explore or re-explore the foundations of Jewish tradition and are looking for an entry [...]

by Barb Shimansky, MSW I knew going into the Youth Engagement Conference that our Sunday morning trip to the First African Methodist Episcopal (FAME) Church would be a highlight of the weekend. Learning how another faith organization engages their youth would surely provide some insight into how we as Jewish professionals can do the same. As we walked into the service, we were struck by church members who warmly greeted us outside on the sidewalk. This seemed like a no-brainer for creating a welcoming atmosphere until I put it into context for my own congregation in Wisconsin; standing outside the [...]

by Shelly Christensen In parashat Bo, “Moses held out his arm toward the sky and thick darkness descended upon all the land of Egypt for three days. People could not see one another. For three days no one could move about; but all the Israelites enjoyed light in their dwellings.” God hardened Pharoah’s heart again leading up to the final plague. While the light glowed for the Israelites, the Egyptians were bound by darkness. It must have been terrifying to live in the thick, enveloping darkness. Imagine living in another kind of darkness; darkness where the light of God never [...]

by Rabbi Heath Watenmaker If you’re reading this article there is a good chance you belong to a Reform synagogue. Have you ever thought about what that means? Why do you belong to a Reform synagogue? Why are you a Reform Jew? What makes you a Reform Jew? Now, think about your children or grandchildren. Have you explained why you belong to the Reform movement? Have you talked about the Jewish choices that you have made in your life? Have you talked to them about what it means to be a Reform Jew? As the Reform Outreach Initiative Rabbi at [...]

by Rabbi Robin Nafshi Serving as the rabbi in the small community of Concord, NH, I receive so many emails and calls from people exploring Judaism, those who are nominally Jewish or estranged from Judaism, and more. For each email and call there is a story – usually compelling in some way – and an excited or anxious person who owns the story. A few weeks ago, such an email came my way, with the subject line, “Reestablishing.” The writer began, “I am very interested in rediscovering my Jewish faith. My dad was Jewish and my mom was Protestant. I was [...]

by Rabbi Stephen J. Einstein I grew up in the 1960s. In those days, Jewish parents very strongly urged their kids to date only Jews. When any of my friends chose otherwise, there was tension at home (this is an understatement!) As far as marriage went, there was no question. Jews married Jews. Period. Bob Dylan (formerly Robert Zimmerman) was the icon of our era. His song said it all: “The times…they are a-changin’” And so the old norms altered – and I mean for real. Jews began to date people from other backgrounds to a greater degree than had [...]

by Alan S. Halpern I confess to a prejudice. When a synagogue or church website proclaims, “We are a warm and welcoming congregation,” I am immediately skeptical. Why tell me you are warm and welcoming? Just be warm and welcoming. When I visit a friend’s home, my friends don’t claim to be warm and welcoming. They open the door, they smile, they say “hello,” and they invite me inside. Synagogues must do the same. At our congregations, someone has to answer the phone, open the door, and greet our visitors. Someone has to write the newsletter, maintain the website, post [...]

I was on the phone a few months ago with Marshall Einhorn, executive director of Brown-RISD Hillel, discussing a talk I was asked to give at Brown, where my younger son is currently a junior and of which my older son is an alumnus. As an aside, I asked Marshall who would be leading the campus Reform services for the High Holy Days. When he said he had asked a number of people but without success, I offered to help. “That would be great!” Marshall said. “Let me know if your networks surface someone interested.” “No,” I told him. “Maybe [...]

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 [...]

Last week, I entered into the foundational part of our week at Camp Harlam – the chance to turn-off, tune-down, and take a little time during Shabbat – feeling a great sense of joy and accomplishment for what had happened in the last seven days. We saw successful trips out of camp to hike and play, awesome camp-outs, truly creative experiential Jewish learning activities, special services led by our Cornerstone Fellows, and so much more. But for me – and for other members of our professional staff – the real challenge doesn’t come in overseeing and helping to support the rest [...]

by Lacey Schwartz I just got off the phone with a friend of mine who was planning on enrolling her daughter in a local Hebrew school, a decision she is now reconsidering. Why? After meeting with the school’s principal and expressing her concerns about the unique challenges of race in this setting, the principal smiled and earnestly told her not to worry, “We have had African-American kids before. We are truly a colorblind school.” A nice gesture, but most thoughtful people know color blindness to be negative – and not just for traffic lights and fashion choices. Though well intentioned, [...]

Want to create a culture that embraces, supports and encourages Jewish choice for interfaith families in your synagogue? Here are 18+ ways, from easy to advanced, that your congregation can begin and continue. Order and display the Union for Reform Judaism brochures “Intermarried? Reform Judaism Welcomes You” and “An Introduction to Sanctuary Etiquette.” Include the words “We welcome interfaith families” in advertising, website and program materials. Take advantage of proven, successful programming for interfaith families that appear in the “Outreach and Membership Idea Book Series.” Send one or more of your lay leaders to the Schindler Fellows Program for Interfaith [...]

by Noah Leavitt Congregation Beth Israel, in Walla Walla, WA – about 10 miles from Oregon and 100 from Idaho – is the outpost of Reform Judaism in rural, politically conservative, southeast Washington. Our congregation, which has been in existence for more than 70 years, has about 30 member units, owns our own synagogue (a converted neighborhood grocery store), and keeps our Torah scrolls in a fireproof John Deere gun safe which we purchased a number of years ago from a local farm supply store. It is frontier Judaism at its best. CBI is also unquestionably the most welcoming congregation [...]

by Allison Rosenfeld I finished my glass of wine and, with a final brush stroke, stood back to look at my masterpiece. I tried to decide if the two people I’d painted were falling from the sky or rising from the ground. Either way, I was happy with my final product at Bottle and Botega, a wine and painting studio in Chicago. This might not be the scene that comes to mind when asked to describe a 20-something studying Torah, and yet here I was, recreating creation instead of my typical Monday night of “The Bachelorette” and a Lean Cuisine. [...]