Displaying 1 - 10 of 69
How Can Congregations Be Secure and Communities of Belonging at the Same Time?
We want everyone in our communities to feel safe, including those from marginalized backgrounds, and therefore we must acknowledge that the best security practices are unified with principles related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Stories We Tell: The Right Bell for the Right Place
Have you ever made a decision that you felt was the right thing to do, but could have benefited from someone else’s advice? This week, join Rabbi Steven Bob, the emeritus Rabbi from Etz Chaim in Lombard, Illinois as he tells a story about a man who purchases a fire bell for his small town, but things don’t go quite the way he expects.
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Stories We Tell: The Truth Telling Rabbi
Can two things be true at once? How do the ways we see ourselves and each other influence those truths? This week, join Rabbi Leora Kaye as she explores these questions through the story of a man seeking counsel from a wise and humble rabbi and someone who sees the rabbi just a bit differently.
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Stories We Tell: Devorah and the Gold Coins
Devorah’s friend Yoel has the right intentions when she asks him to watch over her prized possessions. However, just like honey, sometimes friendship can be both sticky and sweet. Join Rabbi Lisa Delson, as she shares the story of Devorah and the Gold Coins.
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Stories We Tell: The Boastful Farmer
Have you ever felt like you were the smartest or most important person in the room, only to realize you’re just as dependent on others as they are on you? This week, Rabbi Phyllis Sommer of Am Shalom in Glencoe, IL shares a story about a boastful farmer who had to learn this lesson himself.
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The URJ Reflection Project: Go Deeper on “The Spiritual”
As part of the URJ Reflection Project, a new set of offerings and experiences for the High Holidays in a time of social distance, we’ve also developed three short essays that allow you to go deeper into the essence of Jewish wisdom that grounds these rituals.
Environmental Injustice and the Legacy of Redlining
Although Judaism frames our responsibility to care for the planet in forward-looking terms, our commitment to environmental protection requires that we look backwards, too. This Earth Day, we must consider the connection between historic injustices, who bears the burdens of environmental harm, and solutions to correct these injustices.
A Charlottesville Rabbi Reflects on the Infamous Hate Rally and Its Aftermath
Many white Jews were raised to believe that America was a kind of promised land, where mass public demonstrations of hatred towards Jews was a thing of the past. Then came August 12, 2017, the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, VA.
The New URJ/ADL Partnership: Responding to the Uptick in Acts of Antisemitism and Hate
The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) recently entered into a formal partnership in response to the question posed by URJ president Rabbi Rick Jacobs: “How are we going to respond to the uptick in acts of antisemitism and hate in a thoughtful, intentional, and effective way?” On July 27, 2021, the two organizations co-hosted a webinar to address this question.
Calling Out Antisemitism Wherever It Is Found, Especially When Criticism of Israel Crosses the Line Into Antisemitism
Read Rabbi Rick Jacobs' remarks at the recent webinar co-hosted by the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).