RJ Blog

This afternoon, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the URJ, lead a conference call/webinar with more than 100 participants from across the Reform Movement, briefing listeners on his recent visit to Israel with the Conference of Presidents of American Jewish Organizations. A recording of that call is available on YouTube and below for those who were unable to join the live event. Please visit urj.org/israel for ongoing updates on Rabbi Jacobs’ trip and the situation in Israel.

Rabbi Rick Jacobs has just returned from Israel, which he visited during the Thanksgiving holiday with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. In this video, Rabbi Jacobs meets with teenage participants in the Israeli Reform Movement’s Mechina Project, a post-high school, pre-military year of service and community. One of the participants speaks of the group’s experience in a bomb shelter in Beersheva, the largest city in Southern Israel. See photos from Rabbi Jacobs’ trip and stay tuned for additional updates. We also invite you to join us today at 3:00pm ET for a conference call/webinar with Rabbi [...]

Is it the stars in the sky? Or is it these dancing Jews? Well, who cares, baby, I think we’re livin’ in a booth Sukkot began on Sunday evening, so by now, you’ve likely erected a sukkah and eaten a meal or two inside it. But what about dancing inside it, too? This parody by the Ein Prat Fountainheads, set to the tune of Bruno Mars’ “Marry You,” is a fun, peppy Sukkot pick-me-up. And while you’ve got Sukkot on the brain, don’t forget to post a picture of your sukkah to our Facebook page to share with Reform Jews [...]

Sukkot, a Hebrew word meaning “booths” or “huts,” refers to the Jewish festival of giving thanks for the fall harvest, as well as the commemoration of the forty years of Jewish wandering in the desert after Sinai. Sukkot is celebrated five days after Yom Kippur on the 15th of Tishrei and is marked by several distinct traditions. One tradition, which takes the commandment to “dwell in booths” literally, is to build a sukkah, a booth or hut. A sukkah is often erected by Jews during this festival, and it is common practice for some to eat and even live in [...]

What do pop icon Justin Bieber and Reform Rabbi Don Goor have in common? Both have starred in quirky YouTube spoofs of Carly Rae Jepsen’s Top 40 hit “Call Me Maybe.” Playing into the time-honored Internet tradition of creating Jewish holiday parodies based on popular secular tunes, the staff of Temple Judea in Tarzana, CA, created “Call Your Zeyde,” a Rosh HaShanah video that brings the giggles and pays homages to the celebration of the Jewish new year.

Rutgers Hillel recently honored Peter Weidhorn, Immediate Past-Chairman of the Union for Reform Judaism, with the Rutgers Hillel Innovation and Excellence Award. In his remarks, he said, I am asked on a regular basis what makes me commit time and energy to Jewish causes when in fact I did not grow up in a practicing Jewish environment. The answer has been consistent and simple. I believe Jewish continuity is built on tradition, family, and our congregational community, which guarantees the future for our children and our grandchildren. The Hillel Reform Outreach Initiative is just one spoke in a wheel of [...]

Today is Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, when we pay tribute to all those who died in the Holocaust. Shoah, which means “catastrophe” or “utter destruction” in Hebrew, refers to the atrocities that were committed against the Jewish people during World War II. We’ve posted a number of moving and meaningful blog posts on RJ.org about this day, and we hope you’ll take the time to read them. We’ve also rounded up some of the interesting Yom HaShoah-related pieces that have been making their way around the Internet today. have we missed anything that you found to be particularly [...]

by JanetheWriter Earlier this week, I posted this status update on Facebook: It’s 21 Elul and the Rosh Hashana videos have begun. Here’s the first one that crossed my desk this morning: Temple Rodef Shalom, Falls Church, VA. Later the same day, a flyer from Temple Israel Reform Congregation of Staten Island landed on my desk.  It asks that when congregants come to temple for the High Holy Days they “wear something of a loved one who has passed–a pin, a scarf, a necklace, or bring a small picture in your pocket…. It will make their light shine again.” Indeed, [...]

by Natalie MillerURJ Congregational Technology Specialist The Union is currently accepting submissions for The URJ Techies, a social media and technology contest set up to recognize member congregations that are successfully utilizing and embracing social networks and technology. It will also inspire others to seek innovative ways to enrich their communities by engaging members online. Social networking and technology are extremely important tools to increase awareness about the work congregations do within a community. These tools can help leaders connect with members outside congregation walls and can create an online community that can supplement and enrich the offline community, offering [...]

Rabbi Eric Yoffie, President of the Union for Reform Judaism, gave his Shabbat morning sermon today at the URJ’s 70th Biennial Convention in Toronto. Read the full text below. His sermon launched two Biennial initiatives: Just Table, Green Table: Rabbi Yoffie calls for a commitment to ethical eating, asking synagogue leaders to “carefully, thoughtfully, Jewishly” formulate new eating guidelines for their communities. Embracing Technology:  Reform Judaism’s opportunity to engage with communities and help congregations relate to members in the online space has reached a tipping point. At the Biennial in Toronto, Rabbi Yoffie urged the Reform Movement to create congregational [...]

Michael Goldberg is Editor in Chief of URJ Books and Music I couldn’t be happier with today’s grand opening of the URJ Books and Music Store. The turnout exceeded all expectations, as did the performances from Dan Nichols, Julie Silver, and Doug Cotler, and the ruach of the crowd, who sang along with such joy and spirit, even before the Biennial officially started.  If this is a preview of things to come, this should be an amazing Biennial. Steve Brodsky, administrative director of Sounds Write Productions, served as emcee, and introduced Dan, Julie, and Doug, as well as Rabbi Yoffie, who [...]

by Kate Bigam(Originally posted on the RACBlog) After President Barack Obama addressed the Muslim community in a speech in Cairo, Egypt, Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the RAC, recorded a video response to the speech for Patheos.com, a newly launched religion website. Check out Patheos’ page on the Obama speech, where you can watch video responses from Rabbi Saperstein and from Eboo Patel, Director of the Interfaith Youth Core. Responses have also been posted from religious leaders across the country representing various faiths. Here’s Rabbi Saperstein’s take: