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.
Parashat Tzav: Taking Care of Ourselves and Each Other Amid Crisis
In recent weeks, we have found ourselves on a journey for which we have felt totally unprepared. Like our ancestors, we lack maps and familiar signposts (though we do have Zoom!) to help us get oriented in our new reality.
A Pandemic Playlist: Jewish and Secular Songs for This Moment
For many of us, words seem inadequate to describe how we are feeling at this very moment. It is music that can carry us, support us, and hold out the possibility of hope and a better future.
This Year, We Need Passover More Than Ever
Each year on Passover, we ask “Mah nishtanah,” “Why is this night different?” This year, though, we know why: Pesach 5780 is simply unlike any other.
A Jewish Values Matrix for Dealing with a Time of Illness
As we struggle to consider all our options in this ever-changing environment, we strive to make decisions using a values-based matrix that will help us to act in a consistent manner that is in line with Jewish tradition and modern sensibility.
How Will History Judge Us in This Time of Crisis?
I pray that this pandemic may be lifted speedily from this planet – and when it is, may we be able to look back without shame at the way we behaved and how we treated one another.
What Does "Next Year in Jerusalem" Really Mean?
A Passover Prayer for Congregational Leaders in the Era of COVID-19
As we prepare to enter into the holy days of Passover, let’s first take a moment to reflect on the work we’ve all done throughout the past few weeks. You have been willing to lead, and in doing so, you have helped make very narrow places, the literal translation of the word mitzrayim, a little less narrow.