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.
Union For Reform Judaism Announces Riva Silverman Will Join URJ Executive Team As Vice President Of Philanthropy
Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) President Rabbi Rick Jacobs and Chair of the Board of Trustees Daryl Messinger announced today that Riva Silverman will join the URJ’s executive leadership team as Vice President of Philanthropy.
URJ President's Statement Following Mass Shooting in Las Vegas: We Must Revere Human Life Over Gun Rights
This latest mass shooting cannot be termed a random act of violence. Even before all the facts are known we know this: rather than revere gun rights our country must finally revere human life.
Reform Jewish Movement Responds to School Shooting in South Florida
Reform Movement leadership statements in response to yesterday’s mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which left at least 17 people dead and many more injured.
URJ President on United Methodist Church Rejecting BDS
This week’s clear decision by the United Methodist Church rejecting the efforts of those who misguidedly sought to draw the Church into the boycott, divestment, sanctions campaign to delegitimize Israel is a welcome step in support of peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
URJ Launches JewV’Nation Fellowship: An Interfaith Outreach Incubator for Emerging Jewish Leaders
Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) today launched the JewV’Nation Fellowship, an innovative year-long project incubator and leadership development program supporting emerging Jewish leaders and creative interfaith outreach initiatives. The program, which will begin in early 2017, is supported in part with a Jewish Funders Network grant from Avenues to Jewish Engagement for Intermarried Couples and their Families, in honor of 2015 Genesis Prize Laureate Michael Douglas.
The JewV’Nation (pronounced “juvination”) Fellowship program will be led by April Baskin, URJ’s Vice President of Audacious Hospitality, and seeks to engage a new generation of leadership by valuing the perspectives and insights of the younger members of the community and supporting them with resources and strategies to bring their best ideas to life. The fellows themselves will define and create exciting and contemporarily relevant Jewish programming.
Reform Jewish Leader Offers Prayer for Victims of Gun Violence
For Immediate Release
October 3, 2017