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.
It's Elul: 6 Ways to Get Ready for the High Holidays
Reform Movement Adopts Three New Resolutions
This week, the URJ's North American Board adopted three new resolutions, concluding the consultative and inclusive process that began before the Biennial. These resolutions add to the canon of hundreds of URJ resolutions that outline its values and priorities.
If Anne Frank Had a Gun
I am often asked why Jews went like sheep to the slaughter during the Holocaust. The question falsely assumes it was possible to resist, but Jews failed to do so.
God as Matchmaker: A Reflection on Adoption
Holy Fertile Ground: Creating Compassionate Spaces for People on a Family-Building Journey
Were Shakespeare's Plays Actually Written By a Jewish Woman?
William Shakespeare's name appears on many of play, but no evidence demonstrates that he actually wrote them. Could they have actually been written by Aemelia Bassano?
On the Outside Looking In: Approaching Conversion
Next week at this time, I’ll be stepping into the mikveh, the Jewish ritual bath. It’s been a yearlong journey that will lead me to that holy space, one I’ll enter as a former Catholic/not-quite-Jew and exit as a Jewish woman – no longer an outsider.