Resolution on Private Prisons
A proposed resolution to defining the URJ's stance on private prisons. If adopted, the Union for Reform Judaism resolves to: Call for federal and state governments to phase out any current contracts with private prisons and detention centers; Support legislation banning construction or implementation of new private prisons and detention centers; Encourage congregations and congregants to participate in local, state, and federal efforts to close private prisons; and Continue to work toward a more just criminal justice system overall.
Resolution on Supporting Those Affected by the Opioid Crisis
The causes of the opioid crisis are diverse, including pharmaceutical companies’ aggressive sales tactics, over-prescription of opioids by doctors, the ease of purchasing illicit drugs, stigma associated with seeking help, ongoing economic dislocation, and a broken criminal justice system that prioritizes punishment over treatment.
Resolution on the Study and Development of Reparations for Slavery and Systemic Racism in the U.S.
One means of addressing centuries of entrenched racial discrimination is through reparations. Reparations can take many forms including expressions of remorse, education, monetary compensation, and more.
Stories We Tell: Finding God on the Mountain
Stories We Tell: The Weight Of One Good Deed
Podcast: Why Marriage Equality is a Reform Jewish Value
Hear why marriage equality is a Reform Jewish value.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah: B’chukotai: Do We Believe that Good Behavior Brings Rewards, and Bad Behavior Punishment?
Does being a person of faith mean you believe in blessings and curses? Why should we always "do the right thing?" Are we rewarded or punished for what we do in the world?
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah: B'midbar: Uniting as One, Despite Our Differences
Like our ancestors, we focus on our own modern day tribes: The tribes of the Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Reconstructionist, and secular. Amidst our real differences, can we sew ourselves together into a larger identity of being Am Yisrael – one people?
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah: Naso
Do we do things because they bring us meaning, or do things have meaning because we do them? Can your morning yoga class or walk through the park serve as a source of spiritual inspiration?
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah: B'haalot'cha: Gossip
Even with good intentions, when we talk about people who are not present, we run the risk of disparaging them, without giving them the opportunity to respond.