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URJ Youth Professional Development Interactive Learning Opportunities
We’re excited to introduce our brand new 3-Part Webinar Series for Spring 2018: Asking the Why: The Jewish in Jewish Youth Engagement!
Urgency of Now Initiative
In 2017, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism launched the Urgency of Now Initiative on behalf of the Reform Jewish Movement Developing a strong network of active and empowered congregations is imperative to the sacred work of תקון עולם (tikkun olam), repairing the world.
Building the Temple
When King Solomon decided to build the temple in Jerusalem, he hired the best artists, architects, and stonemasons. The work came along a little slower than King Solomon expected, and he decided to check in on what was taking so long. What did he find? Listen to this story, retold by Cantor Rosalie Will.
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Rationale
Depth and meaning in Jewish learning is necessary to reduce the staggering rates of post-b’nei mitzvah dropout. We believe that a root cause of these challenges is the perception that b’nei mitzvah celebrations are like graduation ceremonies.
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Teaching Children about Asking Forgiveness (Slicha)
Spilled cereal? “Sorry!” Broken bongos? “Oops!” Overturned plant? “Sorry!” Stolen comic book? Accusations fly and tears fall as the cloud playhouse and Plony home confront the chaos of careless apologies and misplaced blame. A laser beam trap and giant basketball magically help Rafi and Ben learn that sometimes just saying sorry isn’t enough.
8 Ways to Celebrate Hanukkah that Don’t Involve Gifts
Instead of eight days of gifts, here are eight ways to celebrate Hanukkah with your kids that relate the story and celebration for your enjoyment and to help you refocus your approach:
Stories We Tell: The Grandfather, the Granddaughter and the Donkey
An old grandfather and his young granddaughter go for a walk, leading a donkey by its reins. All is well, until they meet a stranger who wonders why they walk in the manner that they do. What happens next, in this story retold by Cantor Ellen Dreskin, teaches the grandfather and granddaughter a valuable lesson about what it means to take advice and please the people around them.
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Stories We Tell: The Prince Who Thought he was a Rooster
When a prince wakes up one morning and decides that he is actually a rooster, his father, the king, does not know what to do. Nothing that the king does can make the prince stop behaving like a rooster, until he seeks out the rabbi who has an interesting solution. This story, retold by Rabbi Marc Katz, explores themes of empathy, and what it means to meet people where they are.
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On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Sh’lach L’cha: Judaism on the Fringes
What does it mean to be on the fringes of Judaism? Does Judaism allow for creativity, allowing those on the fringe who want, to be brought toward the center? Is Judaism open to different forms of expression?
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