URJ President to Spend Night at Synagogue Homeless Shelter He Founded 30 Years Ago
Brooklyn, NY, January 14, 2014 – In 1983, when Rabbi Rick Jacobs was the rabbi at Brooklyn Heights Synagogue (BHS), he had a vision to start a shelter to address the growing problem of homelessness in New York City.
Rabbi Saperstein Confirmed as Ambassador for International Religious Freedom
December 12, 2014, Washington, D.C.- In response to today's Senate vote to confirm Rabbi David Saperstein as Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the Union for Reform Judaism released the following statement:
URJ Announces Two New Vice Presidents as 2020 Vision Takes Shape
DECEMBER 12, SAN ANTONIO, TX – At the organization’s North American board meeting today, Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) President Rabbi Rick Jacobs introduced two new vice presidents who will work with him to implement the Union’s 2020 Vision.
New Online Learning Center to Enhance Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Congregations
December 15, 2014, New York, NY -- The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and the Ruderman Family Foundation this week launched the URJ Ruderman Disabilities Inclusion Learning Center, an innovative and interactive online resource center.
Reform Movement Mourns Slain NYPD Officers and Prays for Healing
Washington, D.C., December 22, 2014 - In response to the murders of two New York City police officers on Saturday afternoon, Union for Reform Judaism President, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, delivered the following statement:
URJ Responds to Accusations Reportedly Made By Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas
Union for Reform Judaism President Rabbi Rick Jacobs issued the following statement reacting to reports of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ invocation of the classic anti-Semitic canard of water poisoning:
It is deplorable that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas engaged in spreading libelous accusations against Israeli rabbis in his remarks to the European parliament today. This persistent lie dates back thousands of years and is no more true today than it was in medieval ages.
URJ Responds To UUA Rejection of Divestment From Israel
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), issued the following statement today reacting to a vote taken on June 25th at the General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association defeating a resolution to support Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel:
URJ Board Adopts New Resolutions on Paid Leave, Immunizations and Predatory Lending
The Union for Reform Judaism North American Board this week overwhelmingly adopted new resolutions on Paid Family Leave, Mandatory Immunizations and Predatory Lending. The resolutions’ adoption concludes a consultative and inclusive process that began before the recent Biennial assembly held in November 2015 in Orlando, FL. The resolutions add to the canon of hundreds of URJ resolutions adopted over more than a century and which outline the URJ’s values and priorities.
URJ President: We're Opposed to Israeli Legislation on NGOs
In response to attacks against human rights NGOs in Israel, including the advancement of a “Transparency Bill” in the Knesset, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), issued the following statement.
Reform Jewish Leader Responds to Implementation of the Iran Nuclear Deal
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) issued the following statement in response to the announcement that the P5+1 have fully implemented the Iran nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.