Fresh Updates from RAC

In the six months since Superstorm Sandy devastated coastal communities in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, the Reform Jewish community has rallied to support the rebuilding effort, our synagogues, and the millions of people who were – and continue to be – impacted by the storm.

Although much of the Reform Movement’s work has been behind the scenes – raising and allocating funds, coordinating volunteers, and keeping abreast of the rebuilding efforts two of our synagogues are undertaking – our members have risen to the occasion. Countless volunteer hours have been applied to the cause, entire trailers of donated goods have been sent by our synagogues to some of the hardest-hit communities, and the URJ’s Disaster Relief Fund, which opened just after the storm passed, raised nearly $1 million for relief efforts.

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You’ve probably heard a lot about plagues over the past few days, but I hope you’ll take three minutes to learn about a very real one facing half of the world’s population today. (If you don’t have three minutes, click here.) Read more…

When most people think of Hanukkah, the first things that come to mind have absolutely nothing to do with social justice. Let’s be honest, our priorities rest with sufganyot, latkes and dreidel for the Festival of Light. (And that’s okay, although your doctor might disagree!) Regardless of how we choose to celebrate Hanukkah, there remains an important social justice theme within the ancient story, and it’s up to us to keep that tradition alive throughout the winter holiday season, especially today.

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What would Passover be without matzah ball soup, Hanukkah without latkes, Thanksgiving without turkey? For the Jewish – and indeed American – people, food plays a pivotal role in who and what we are. So let’s celebrate it with Food Day on October 24.

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How “green” has your synagogue gone? Here’s a checklist – what can you find and where can you improve?

___ Our light fixtures have been switched from incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent (CFL)
(HINT: Don’t forget to check the Ner Tamid!)

___ Copies for our meetings, classes and religious school are always double-sided.

___ Lights in our bathrooms, hallways and classrooms are on motion sensors.

___ Thermostats in our building are programmed to heat or cool only when the building is in use.
(HINT: For the greatest savings, cool rooms to only 78 degrees in the summer!)

___ Recycling bins are in all offices and classrooms and are clearly labeled.

___ We use only reusable or compostable plastic dishware for events.

___ Leftover food from our events is donated and/or composted.

___ Our janitorial supplies are environmentally friendly.

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This Friday, we enter a new year – 5770. At this time every year, we reflect back, we contemplate, we repent. We seek forgiveness from those we have offended, and we forgive those we have wronged. We recognize that our actions are our own, as are our thoughts, and our judgments are all too often just reflections of ourselves. We seek ways to improve our lives, to strengthen one another, and to become better individuals. We do so not because of motivation, rather out of obligation – to humanity, to community, to family, and to ourselves.

We read: On Rosh Hashanah it is inscribed,
And on Yom Kippur it is sealed.
How many shall pass away and how many shall be born,
Who shall live and who shall die,
Who shall reach the end of his days and who shall not,
Who shall perish by water and who by fire,
Who by sword and who by wild beast,
Who by famine and who by thirst,
Who by earthquake and who by plague,
Who by strangulation and who by stoning,
Who shall have rest and who shall wander,
Who shall be at peace and who shall be pursued,
Who shall be at rest and who shall be tormented,
Who shall be exalted and who shall be brought low,
Who shall become rich and who shall be impoverished.
But repentance, prayer and righteousness avert the severe decree.

Each year, these words strike deep at the core of our faith. They are neither a threat nor a promise; they are simply a belief. They are meant to unsettle the content, disrupt the status quo. They are designed to cause introspection, and they recognize that righteousness – doing good by one another, living morally and ethically, and taking a stand for those who cannot – is a duty of each and every one of us, regardless of faith.

When you take the time to think about the following words, to comb through them carefully, you cannot help but to fear a little. The fear comes not out of the uncertainty of what might be, rather it concerns who you are – how you are viewed, how you act, how you react, and how you leave your mark. These words inspire us to be more than we are, to do good, to love mercy, and to walk humbly. How do these words impact you?