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Women of Reform Judaism: Shaping the Culture of Kutz and NFTY

Women of Reform Judaism: Shaping the Culture of Kutz and NFTY

on May 18, 2012

It was just a year ago when I had the opportunity to be part of the listening campaign of the Campaign for Youth Engagement with the WRJ District Presidents during their annual retreat to Kutz Camp. Last year these women shared their unique and powerful stories about a time when an interaction with a young person influenced their lives.

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Finding God Through Sports

Finding God Through Sports

on May 15, 2012

As you read Maura’s essay, think of your own children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and all the kids in your Religious Schools. Have they had this experience? How would they relate their Jewish lives to daily experiences? Would playing Lacrosse or basketball connect them with God? When our kids play Little League at home, do they learn that compassion and humility are as important as courage and determination?

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Camp Coleman Connects With Gilad Shalit

Camp Coleman Connects With Gilad Shalit

on

Last week I was in Israel attending the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Summer Staff Seminar. I was asked to present a D’var Torah, and I chose to relate the Parsha to everything that we have done at Coleman over the past five years to advocate for the release of Gilad Shalit who was returned to his family last fall after being held for 5 years in captivity by Hamas. Ironically, just 3 days later, I was surprised and amazed to find myself visiting with Gilad in an apartment in Tel Aviv.

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Connections in Israel

Connections in Israel

on May 10, 2012

URJ Camp Harlam Director Aaron Selkow “really likes Israel”, to be sure. But as he explained to a group of 20-something Israelis that were about to embark on a momentous journey to the United States to join the North American Jewish camp culture, it was for a very specific reason. It was because of them.

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How’s Your Purple?

How’s Your Purple?

on May 4, 2012

Before we had left, our colleagues tossed us bits and pieces of what to expect: “Just wait until you have to drag someone out of a ‘burning’ building!” and “Oooh, you’ll get to walk through fire!” As intriguing as those things sounded, no one really could have prepared me for what became an eye-opening, thought-provoking, and unforgettable journey.

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How I Brought My Staff Training to the Streets of New York

on April 25, 2012

Andrew Paull, Youth Programs Coordinator at Larchmont Temple in Larchmont, New York talks about a recent experience where the skills he acquired during his summers as a URJ Camp staff member came in handy.

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OSRUI Director Chosen for Consortium for Applied Studies in Jewish Education Panel

OSRUI Director Chosen for Consortium for Applied Studies in Jewish Education Panel

on April 20, 2012

Jerry Kaye, the Director of URJ Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute, has been invited to be one of 18 noted professionals from around North America and Israel to sit on the CASJE Panel for Jewish Educational Leadership.

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Early Childhood Centers and URJ Camps: Let’s Get Together!

on February 23, 2012

Rabbi Ethan Tucker, in his “Immersion and Identity” presentation, argues that immersion experiences are central to creating a “radiant core that can inspire an abiding attachment to Jewish identity.” He observes, “the power of immersion experiences in general…is their ability to generate the kind of intensity required to navigate today’s world Jewishly. … In short, they create miniature Jewish societies.”

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The Power of The Music Of The Night

on January 12, 2012

Rabbi Marci Bellows talks about the contiunous impact of Jewish music. She discusses her first meeting with Debbie Friedman at URJ’s Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute and how transformative her music has been on the Jewish community.

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Youth Engagement Pushed at URJ Biennial

on December 23, 2011

Youth engagement was a major initiative presented at the 71st biennial conference of the Union for Reform Judaism, held Dec. 14-18, in Washington. The statistics of youth engagement are alarming – the URJ’s youth movement, National Federation of Temple Youth, has lost thousands of members and participants over the last few years, according to reports. To address the problem, the URJ has decided to act swiftly and with strength and confidence.

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