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Statement of Union for Reform Judaism President Rabbi Rick Jacobs Responding to the Mass Shooting in El Paso, TX
"Clergy colleagues throughout El Paso will faithfully and lovingly hold up the families of the slain and wounded. So too our hearts – indeed the hearts and prayers of all people of good conscience across the nation – are with those families."
URJ President Rabbi Rick Jacobs: “Israel’s Decision To Bar U.S. Representatives Is Wrong. Democracies Do Not Hide.”
Israel’s decision to bar U.S. Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar from entering the country is wrong, full stop. Democracies do not hide; they can protect their security and well-being and also celebrate robust debate and engagement in the public square.
Reform Jewish Movement Decries Mississippi ICE Raid
“Yesterday, what we long feared finally came to pass: a mass immigration raid in Mississippi has led to the detention and possible deportation of nearly 700 immigrants by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This action highlights the cruelty and inhumanity of the federal government’s immigration policies."
Reform Movement Condemns Proposal Expanding Religious Exemptions for Federal Contractors
“By allowing federal contractors and subcontractors to discriminate in hiring and firing on the basis of their religious beliefs, the Department of Labor’s proposed rule authorizes government-funded discrimination against women, religious minorities, LGBTQ people, and other marginalized groups."
Reform Movement Decries Administration's Plan to Indefinitely Detain Children and Families
"Today’s decision by the Trump Administration effectively terminating the Flores Settlement Agreement puts untold immigrant children and families at risk for lifelong physical, emotional, and mental harm."
Stories We Tell: My Grandfather's Kittel
In the early 1900s, an elderly Jewish man named Shmulik prays at his synagogue on Yom Kippur. He suddenly faints, only for a fellow congregant to offer him his kittel (traditional ritual garb) to keep him warm. The grandson of that congregant, Rabbi Jonathan Biatch, reflects on this story and how it connects to being a compassionate, caring, and dedicated person to those we cherish the most.
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On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah: Reaching the Promised Land
This week, as we move into the book of Exodus, we transition from learning about Joseph to learning about another Jewish leader: Moses.
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On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah: The Sacred Pursuit for Reparations - Parshat Bo
This week, Rabbi Rick Jacobs takes a look at Parashat Bo and the behaviors of the Israelites during the Exodus from Egypt.
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On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - B'shalach: Lifting Hands and Sharing Power
This week, Rabbi Rick Jacobs discusses Parashat B'shalach and the powerful image of Aaron and Hur lifting Moses' hands as he grew weary.
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On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah: Commanded to Honor, Compelled to Care - Yitro
In Parashat Yitro, we are instructed to honor our parents, in part so that we may live longer lives.
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