RJ Blog

L’hitraot, for Now...

After four years of bringing you a new episode nearly every week, this podcast is taking a little break. Listen to this episode to learn more about our hiatus and where to find us in the meantime.

The Antidote to Kvetching

Most of us today aren’t tasked with wandering through the desert, like the ancient Israelites were... but we still find plenty to kvetch about! What if, instead of focusing on small annoyances, we turned to community-building and togetherness? This episode first aired in May 2018.

URJ Youth

How Can Birds Teach Us About Compassion?

How Can Birds Teach Us About Compassion?

D'Var Torah By: Rabbi Sari Laufer

jemerman
Ki Teitzei seems, at first glance, to be a hodgepodge of laws which often touch on very painful topics. We see laws about captive women, unloved second wives, strict gender norms, and more. Ki Teitzei is not a pleasant read, especially for the modern reader.

Motives Matter: Choosing Leaders Well

Motives Matter: Choosing Leaders Well

D'Var Torah By: Rabbi Sari Laufer

jemerman
Parashat Shof'tim deals with both the challenges and opportunities of leadership. Like much of Deuteronomy, the text imagines a world the Israelites do not yet inhabit; one where they are sovereign, settled, and agrarian.

On the Other Hand

Reform Jewish Leaders Mourn Six Hostages Killed by Hamas in Gaza

We join with millions around the world, including the tens of thousands of Israelis currently pouring into the streets, who are expressing their grief and anger over the murders of six hostages at the hands of Hamas.

Over 1,400 North American Jews Sign Petition Urging Prime Minister Netanyahu to Move Forward with a Negotiated Ceasefire and Hostage Deal

Over 1,400 Jews from the United States and Canada signed a petition from the Union for Reform Judaism urging Prime Minister Netanyahu to heed the voices of the hostages' families and negotiate for a new ceasefire and hostage deal during the latest round of negotiations in Qatar.

RJ Blog Social Justice

Creating High Holiday Memories for Children

Creating High Holiday Memories for Children sdolgov

Yom Kippur
A child blowing a shofar
Finding ways to make the High Holidays meaningful for your child is an important way to nurture their Jewish identity. There are many ways to celebrate at home, like reading books, making crafts, or discussing what the holiday means to you and them.

Jewish Pride + Jewish Community = Strong Jewish Future

Jewish Pride + Jewish Community = Strong Jewish Future jemerman

Summer Youth Experiences
Photo of Rabbi Burkeman and his family at Crane Lake Camp leading Handallah
In North America, our community has been dealing with rising levels of antisemitism and fears about being attacked for the crime of being Jewish. It was against this backdrop that I arrived in the safe haven that is URJ's Crane Lake Camp.

RJ Blog Jewish Life

Supporting Survivors of Domestic Violence in the Jewish Community

Supporting Survivors of Domestic Violence in the Jewish Community jemerman

Gender-based Violence
White flag with purple ribbon on it representing domestic violence awareness
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) in the U.S. Each of us likely knows someone, either in our Jewish community or our secular communities, who has been impacted by or is a survivor of domestic violence.

Grow a Good Citizen

Grow a Good Citizen sdolgov

Here are some ways to to make a difference by engaging voters and children.

RJ Blog Practice

Eight Hebrew Words and Phrases You Can Use Every Day!

Eight Hebrew Words and Phrases You Can Use Every Day! jemerman

Jewish Learning
an image of a bunch of color hebrew letters
Learning new words and phrases can be enjoyable, but when they're in a new language, they can also be daunting. If you'd like to build your own Jewish vocabulary, here are a few words and phrases that you can use in everyday conversation.

Take a Tour of the Torah!

Take a Tour of the Torah! jemerman

Torah usually refers to the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Running through these stories is the unique lens through which the Jewish people would come to view their world and their God.

RJ Blog Learning

Creating High Holiday Memories for Children

Creating High Holiday Memories for Children sdolgov

Yom Kippur
A child blowing a shofar
Finding ways to make the High Holidays meaningful for your child is an important way to nurture their Jewish identity. There are many ways to celebrate at home, like reading books, making crafts, or discussing what the holiday means to you and them.

You’re Invited to Remember

You’re Invited to Remember jemerman

High Holidays
Unlit white memory candle in a glass votive against a black backdrop
Growing up, I saw Yizkor as a mysterious event on Yom Kippur afternoon. The grownups would return to temple in the afternoon, while my sister and I stayed home. There was no explanation, just an understanding that this was a thing our parents and grandparents did, and we did not.

RJ Blog Jewish Holidays

Hope and Pride in Be’er Sheva

Hope and Pride in Be’er Sheva jemerman

LGBTQ+ Jewish Life
Photo of a group of people on A Wider Bridge Leader's trip to Israel
During Pride Month, I participated in a leaders' trip to Israel through A Wider Bridge, an organization dedicated to connecting LGBTQ+ people in North America and Israel. Around Israel, pride events this year focused on calls to free the hostages, support the hundreds of thousands of displaced people, and reach a meaningful ceasefire.

Over 1,400 North American Jews Sign Petition Urging Prime Minister Netanyahu to Move Forward with a Negotiated Ceasefire and Hostage Deal

Over 1,400 North American Jews Sign Petition Urging Prime Minister Netanyahu to Move Forward with a Negotiated Ceasefire and Hostage Deal jemerman

Israel Peace and Security
Statement from the Union for Reform Judaism
Over 1,400 Jews from the United States and Canada signed a petition from the Union for Reform Judaism urging Prime Minister Netanyahu to heed the voices of the hostages' families and negotiate for a new ceasefire and hostage deal during the latest round of negotiations in Qatar.

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RJ Blog Israel

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Torah commentaries

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URJ Press Releases

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Torah

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Sukkot

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Hannukkah

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Parenting

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