Union for Reform Judaism Invests in LGBTQIA+ Leadership Development
URJ Stands with Israel and the Residents of the South
URJ's Rabbi Rick Jacobs Welcomes Rabbi Hara Person as CCAR Chief Executive
Following today's announcement that Rabbi Hara Person will become the next Chief Executive of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), stated: "I could not be more excited to welcome my friend and colleague Rabbi Hara Person to her new, and richly deserved, position as Chief Executive of the Central Conference of American Rabbis."
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.
Draft Climate Legislation Marks Significant Step Forward On Environment
Pelavin: "The world is looking to the United States to lead the way in confronting the environmental and economic crisis of climate change, and the draft bill released today is a significant step toward tackling this global problem."
Reform Jewish Movement Praises Amicus Brief on Key Voting Rights Case
Saperstein: "We strongly urge the Supreme Court to affirm the lower courts ruling and ensure that section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act remains a stronghold of protection at the polls for members of minority communities."
Reform Movement to Newspapers: Remove Anti-Semitic Cartoon
Pelavin: "Published during a tenuous cease-fire in Gaza, this cartoon will only add fuel to the proverbial political fire and stroke the flames of anti-Semitism."
Plan B Ruling A Victory for Women's Health
Pelavin: "By allowing for expanded access to emergency contraceptives, we can provide young women with the resources necessary to make decisions about their own reproductive health."