Blog Filtered | Reform Judaism

Collage of Black faces and features stitched together to represent the diversity of the Black communal experience

Reflections on Observing Black History Month in the Wake of the Capitol Insurrection

Robin Harrison

February 23, 2021

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.

International Issues

This Purim, Make Noise to Protest Modern-Day Hamans

Rabbi David Wirtschafter

February 22, 2021

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.

Disability Rights

Jewish Disability Advocacy Month: Building Community for All

Lee Smith

February 17, 2021

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

Closeup of a burning match against a black background

Israel

Nationalism Unhinged: Jewish Insight and Wisdom

Rabbi Josh Weinberg

January 19, 2021

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.

View of the Washington Monument from the Lincoln Memorial with MLK quote in view

Civil Rights & Voting Rights

This MLK Day, We Celebrate, Reflect Upon, and Act to Advance Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Legacy

Josh Burg

January 11, 2021

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.

Silver star of David and a hamsa hanging from a key ring

Worship

The Three H's of Jewish Life: Head, Heart, and Hands

Rabbi Stephen Lewis Fuchs

January 11, 2021

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?

Top of Washington Monument against a blue sky with pink cherry blossoms blooming in the foreground

Civil Rights & Voting Rights

Awakening to the Moral Imperatives of this Moment

Rabbi Rick Jacobs

January 8, 2021

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.

Worship

Watch "Healing, Hope, Action," a Reform Jewish Gathering after the U.S. Capitol Insurrection

Kate Bigam Kaput

January 8, 2021

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.

Two Shabbat candles glowing in the darkness

Disaster Relief

Jewish Resources for Coping with the Insurrection in Washington, D.C.

C.E. Harrison

Kate Bigam Kaput

January 6, 2021

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.

Social Justice

The Tzedek Box: A New Way to Hold Yourself Accountable in the Pursuit of Justice

Andrew Kaplan Mandel

December 21, 2020

What will it take for all of us to pursue the tireless work of tzedek with consistency? It is in this spirit that I invite you to join a new initiative: the Tzedek Box.

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