Reform Jewish Movement Responds to School Shooting in South Florida
Reform Movement leadership statements in response to yesterday’s mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which left at least 17 people dead and many more injured.
Rabbi Rick Jacobs: Israeli Ministers Must Stop Their Hate Speech
Union for Reform Judaism Establishes Presidential Fellowship on Millennial Engagement
The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) is launching a new high-level fellowship to strengthen its engagement with millennials. The first Fellow will be Evan Traylor, 21, of Edmond, Oklahoma. Traylor, who will graduate from the University of Kansas in May, will work alongside URJ President Rabbi Rick Jacobs and leaders of the Reform Movement to develop a toolkit for engaging millennials as partners in creating a more just, whole, and compassionate world.
Rabbi Rick Jacobs: Ultra-Orthodox MKs Must Learn the Torah of Respect
Statement by Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ):
MK Israel Eichler’s comments yesterday are yet another example of the extreme intolerance of the ultra-Orthodox religious establishment. Clearly they feel a seismic shift in their decades-old monopoly on Judaism in Israel. Their stranglehold on Judaism is being loosened, and their response is desperate and pathetic.
It is hard to imagine what twisted Torah MK Eichler studies when he characterizes the largest Movement in Jewish life as “mentally ill.” Our Torah teaches us the values of pluralism and of tolerance - and it teaches us not to use phrases like “mentally ill” as an epithet.
Reform Jewish Movement Launches New Greening Initiative
Rabbi Marla Feldman: "Climate change is the crisis of our time, and we must confront this challenge in our individual and communal lives."
Contacts: Emily Grotta, 212.650.4227
Rabbi Marla Feldman, 212.650.4000
New Fair Pay Law Combats Injustice of Wage Discrimination
Saperstein: "In these trying economic times, equitable pay is not only a right, but a vital step in enabling women and minorities, the most frequent victims of discrimination, to pull themselves out of poverty."
Children's Health Bill is an Investment in America's Future
Saperstein: "SCHIP is a crucial program, providing access to quality, affordable, life-saving and preventative care."
Contact: Kate Bigam or Jill Zimmerman
202.387.2800 | news@rac.org
Vital Stimulus Package Must Also Support Most Vulnerable Communities
Saperstein: "The number of Americans in need is expanding, and so must our compassion, creativity, and collective will to help them through this trying time."
Saperstein's Letter to Obama Addresses an Era of Great Challenge and Opportunity
"In this time of economic upheaval and military challenges, the pursuit of justice is more urgent than ever."
Contact: Kate Bigam
202.387.2800 | news@rac.org
Reform Movement Welcomes Appointment of Senator Mitchell as Middle-East Envoy
Saperstein: "Over a lifetime of public service Mr. Mitchell has demonstrated formidable talent as a consummate statesman and as a master at bridging divides."