This is not yet the America most of us dream of, but it is an unavoidable part of our DNA. American equality and exceptionalism are checks that are still in the mail. If we truly love what this country is capable of, we must continue to speak the hard truth to power.

We know that religious freedom is not a lesson from ancient stories, but an ongoing quest even today. While many of us are fighting antisemitism in our home countries, we are also in solidarity with the Rohingya people, who have been persecuted for decades.

Jewish Disability Advocacy Month is an opportunity to participate in working toward a more just world.

In Hebrew, two terms describe two different aspects of nationalism. Leumiut directly translates to “nationalism"; leumanut carries a jingoistic, chauvinistic, supremacist, and extremist brand of nationalism.

This MLK Day, we can honor the legacy of Dr. King and fight back against white supremacy and systemic racism by urging Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

I envisioned an investigator examining our homes and our lifestyles to determine whether enough about us would convince a jury that we were indeed Jews. What would they look for? Would they deem us Jewish?

This is a moment that requires extraordinary courage to do the hardest and most transformative social change work. It is for all Americans of conscience to build a more just and compassionate future by facing the truth of our history and our present.

Before the start of Shabbat, the Reform Jewish community hosted a live webinar, "Healing, Hope, Action: A Reform Movement Pre-Shabbat Gathering," sharing a Jewish framing for what we’re experiencing communally and as a country.

What we saw Wednesday was not just an unprecedented assault on the U.S. Capitol but on our constitutional democracy and the values we as Reform Jews – and Americans of all faiths and cultural backgrounds – hold so dear.