URJ Biennial, North America's Largest Jewish Gathering, Begins in Chicago
December 11, 2019; Chicago, IL – The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) has gathered more than 5,000 Reform Jewish leaders and community members at the 75th
Jennifer Brodkey Kaufman Elected to Serve as Chair of the Union for Reform Judaism's Board
Jennifer Brodkey Kaufman, of Sacramento, CA, has been elected to serve as the next chair of the North American Board of Trustees of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ). The role is the top lay leadership position in the URJ, which represents North America’s largest and most diverse movement in Jewish life.
Torah Scroll Rescued from the Holocaust To Be Returned Home To New Czech Republic Congregation
A Torah scroll that miraculously survived destruction during the Holocaust and was cherished for decades by generations of North American Reform Jewish youth leaders at URJ Kutz Camp will be returned home as a symbol of the rebirth of Jewish life in Central Europe. Reform Jewish Movement leaders chanted from this remarkable Torah scroll during Shabbat worship services at the URJ Biennial, the largest Jewish gathering in North America, and then the symbolic transfer announcement of this Torah was made.
JCC Association of North America and The Union for Reform Judaism Launch Unprecedented Partnership to Strengthen Field of Jewish Early Childhood Education
JCC Association of North America and the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) announced a major new partnership to address immediate challenges facing the field of Jewish early childhood education and family engagement. This marks the first time JCC Association and the URJ, the two largest providers of Jewish early childhood education in North America, are partnering on a joint initiative of this scale. Their work together impacts more than 65,000 children from 50,000 families and 10,000 educators across 475 early childhood centers in the United States and Canada.
Reform Movement Hopes Souter Successor Preserves Church/State Separation
Pelavin: "We hope that the next Supreme Court Justice will follow in Justice Souters footsteps as strong defender of religious freedom and the separation of church and state."
Saperstein Welcomes Dismissal of AIPAC Case
"We are gratified that the government has made the decision to drop the charges against Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman and welcome the dismissal of this case."
House Passage of Hate Crimes Bill Vital Step Forward for Civil Rights
Saperstein: "Crimes rooted in bias, hatred and intolerance against people who belong or are perceived to belong to particular groups are intended to intimidate and victimize entire communities and cannot be ignored."
On Equal Pay Day, a Reform Jewish Call to End Wage Discrimination
Weinstein: "In these trying economic times, fair pay is not only a right but a vital tool, enabling women to provide for themselves and their families."
Saperstein Calls to Eliminate Crack-Cocaine Sentencing Disparities
"Prison bars do not treat addiction and prison walls cannot rehabilitate communities. We must support at-risk communities and decrease demand for illegal substances."
Rabbi David Saperstein Arrested with Members of Congress to Protest Suffering in Darfur
Saperstein: Make no mistake - our legacies will be measured not by our sentiments or even our efforts - but by whether in the end we stop or fail to stop this genocide, by whether we save the children or they perish on our watch.