Reform Movement
By Rabbi Marla Feldman, WRJ Executive Director, 3/21/2019
Earlier this month an intrepid group of Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ) leaders traveled to Israel to participate in the 30th anniversary celebration of Women of the Wall’s (WOW) gallant efforts to carve out a space at the Kotel for pluralistic women’s prayer. Sadly, what should have been a joyous celebration was instead a harsh reminder of the challenges faced by progressive Jews in our beloved homeland as we were confronted by a violent mob of extremists determined to block our prayer. We will be processing that experience for some time to come. Despite that shocking and dreadful display... Read More
By Alyson Malinger, 3/07/2019
As our mission statement says, Women of Reform Judaism is dedicated to creating caring communities, nurturing congregations, and cultivating personal and spiritual growth. We achieve these goals by using our collective voice to speak up and advocate for change. I was given the immense honor of representing WRJ in the U.S. Capitol last week as we celebrated the 9th annual Jewish Disability Advocacy Day (JDAD). JDAD is an opportunity for professionals and lay leaders from Jewish organizations and diverse communities from around the United States to come to Capitol Hill and advocate with,... Read More
By Sara Charney, 11/28/2018
Abraham Geiger College, one of WRJ’s YES Fund recipients, asked WRJ to send a representative to Berlin for the 80th anniversary commemorative events of Kristallnacht, including special services, concerts, art exhibitions and panel discussions. It was my honor to be representing WRJ at these events. November 9, 2018 We began the day with Rosh Chodesh Kislev services organized by Abraham Geiger College. The service was led by a graduate of the cantorial program, a current cantorial student, and one of WRJ’s grantees at Geiger College, rabbinical student Jasmin Adriani. This was the... Read More
By Susannah Cohen & Jacob Greenblatt , 9/20/2018
From September 4-7, the Senate Judiciary Committee held its confirmation hearing on the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh for Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. As explained in the Reform Jewish Movement’s statement of opposition, Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation would threaten to roll back critical social justice advances for which, inspired by our Jewish values, we have fought so hard to achieve. The stakes are high; Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation has the potential to impact the United States for generations to come. In advance of the hearing, we ... Read More
By Deanna Stilwell, 8/14/2018
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. I have heard this expression countless times in my life, and it is incredibly fitting for URJ Camp Newman for summer 2018. Last October, after many years in operation along Porter Creek Road in Sonoma County, a majority of Camp Newman’s buildings were engulfed in the Tubbs Fire. Quickly after the depth of devastation was made clear, the board and staff persevered to make sure that Summer of 2018 at Camp Newman would happen. Campers eagerly awaited the news of an alternate location. Finally, the announcement came via an email with a video clip... Read More
Subscribe to