Treyf: My Life as an Unorthodox Outlaw
In her memoir, Treyf: My Life as an Unorthodox Outlaw (New American Library), food writer Elissa Altman, who also wrote Poor Man’s Feast, deftly uses kashrut – Judaism’s dietary laws – to portray, both literally and symbolically, the toxic relationships in her dysfunctional Jewish family.
The House by the Lake: One House, Five Families, and a Hundred Years of German History
On the outskirts of Berlin lies the charming lakefront community of Groß Glienicke, where locals and summer visitors enjoy swimming, boating and fishing. Nestled among the medieval village’s structures is the lake house where author Thomas Harding’s grandmother once lived.
Zionism: The Birth and Transformation of an Ideal
Author Milton Viorst wants to know how Theodor Herzl’s vision of a Jewish refuge for a beleaguered people became “a military power where peace and security was thought about exclusively within a military framework.”
URJ President Rabbi Rick Jacobs: “We Vehemently Oppose Israel’s ‘Nation-State’ Bill”
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the Union for Reform Judaism: "We vehemently oppose the ‘nation-state’ bill being debated in the Knesset."
URJ President Rabbi Rick Jacobs Statement on Israel’s Nation-State Law
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the Union for Reform Judaism, issued the statement below about Israel’s controversial Nation-State law:
This is a sad and unnecessary day for Israeli democracy. The damage that will be done by this new Nation-State law to the legitimacy of the Zionist vision and to the values of the state of Israel as a democratic—and Jewish—nation is enormous.
Reform Movement Protests Israeli Police Interrogation of Israeli Rabbi Dov Haiyun
From Rabbi Rick Jacobs and Rabbi Joshua Weinberg: We are astonished, angered, and outraged by the interrogation by Israeli police of Rabbi Dov Haiyun yesterday morning. We stand in solidarity with the thousands of protesters who have raised their voices against this attack on religious freedom.
Reform Jewish Movement Calls on Senate to Reject Nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh
Today, the Reform Jewish Movement adds its voice to those calling on the Senate to reject the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court.
URJ Receives $5 Million Gift From Heller Family To Enhance Transformational NFTY-EIE High School in Israel Program
New York, NY, October 19, 2016 – The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) announced today that the Heller family of Scotch Plains, NJ, has made an endowment gift of $5 million to fund the NFTY-EIE High School in Israel Program, which is being renamed URJ Heller High: Isaac and Helaine Heller EIE High School in Israel. This is the largest gift in EIE history, and the URJ’s largest non-capital gift.
The Union for Reform Judaism's Camp Newman Dedicates $4 Million Koret Conference Center Serving Northern California Jewish Community
On November 5, the Union for Reform Judaism’s Camp Newman will dedicate the Koret Conference Center at URJ Camp Newman, a sacred new space for the Northern California Jewish community to enjoy immersive year-round Jewish experiences. The Koret Conference Center’s completion is a critical phase in the major development project completing the Jewish retreat center at URJ Camp Newman.n November 5, the Union for Reform Judaism’s Camp Newman will dedicate the Koret Conference Center at URJ Camp Newman, a sacred new space for the Northern California Jewish community to enjoy immersive year-round Jewish experiences. The Koret Conference Center’s completion is a critical phase in the major development project completing the Jewish retreat center at URJ Camp Newman.
URJ President Rabbi Rick Jacobs Asks Prime Minister Netanyahu About Israel's Entry Ban And Reform Judaism's North American Trips
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), sent the following letter today to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: