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
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Vayeilech: The Sacred Art of Letting Go
Parashat Vayeilech is read between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a time of transition for all of us. We've brought in the new year with hopes, prayers, and the shofar, and we look toward Yom Kippur, where we are tasked with letting go of the last year and moving forward.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Nitzavim: Standing for What Matters Most
At the beginning of Parashat Nitzavim, we hear the phrase, "Today you are all standing." This phrase isn't referring to people simply standing, it means that the Jewish people stood together and entered into a Covenant, affirming the things that matter most.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Haazinu: Between a Rock and Hard Place
Parashat Haazinu includes the word tzur, or rock, eight times. But in this case, tzur isn’t referring to just any rock; it’s referring to God, as the rock of Israel.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Sukkot and the Fragility of Life
Five days after Yom Kippur, we turn our gaze out to the world around us and take notice of the harvest season. Sukkot is a holiday that teaches us to appreciate what we have, while reminding us that life is fragile.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - B'reishit: Creationism vs Science: Which is the Truth?
This week we enter the beginning of a brand new cycle of Torah reading with a parashah that has become controversial in today’s political climate: B’reishit (in the beginning).