Related Blog Posts on 20s and 30s, Jews of Color, and WRJ YES Fund

My Year in Israel Becomes a Life in Israel: A WRJ YES Fund Story

Julia Ullman
It's hard to put my finger on just one moment or reason that made me want to move to Israel. Maybe it’s the delicious fresh and diverse cuisine, the laid-back problem-solving culture, or the proximity to all sorts of nature within only an hour’s drive–but even more so, it’s the passionate Reform Movement leaders and teachers who inspire me to be a part of this community. I am so fortunate to continue my studies toward the rabbinate at HUC in Jerusalem and know that this would not have been possible without WRJ’s YES Fund.

Avodah’s Jews of Color Bayit Turns Two With Help From WRJ’s YES Fund

Abby Cortrin
Thanks to WRJ’s YES Fund, Avodah's Corps Members, who self-identify as Jews of Color (JOC), are given the opportunity to live in a JOC-only space for the duration of the program. This allows participants to enjoy deep learning and community building while maintaining a space to disconnect, process, and celebrate their experiences.

The Collab: A New Chapter for URJ’s NFTY Leadership

Leora Cohen-Rosenberg
The URJ Teen Leadership Collaborative (The Collab) took place at URJ’s Camp OSRUI - created and run by teen leaders to empower and teach other teens the art of community organizing. The weekend program served as the beginning of a new chapter in NFTY and for the whole Reform Youth Movement. This event could not have happened without the generous support of the WRJ YES Fund and its philanthropy.

Fighting for the Rights of Women to be Seen

Orly Erez-Likhovski
I have been fighting gender segregation and the exclusion of women for 18 years since I joined the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC). The attempts to treat women differently and prevent them from enjoying equal rights are incomprehensible in a democratic state. WRJ has stood by IRAC in the struggle for a more equal, just, and pluralistic Israel.

The Leo Baeck Education Center: A WRJ YES Fund Story

The children went to typical summer camp activities like movement workshops, clowning, capoeira, ball games, crafts, etc., as well as special events, included a “Joker Day” in the circus, a day of culture through music and food, a day of challenges in Acco Park, a bilingual performance at the Acco Theater, and a movie at Movieland Haifa. Through all of this and more, 99 Arab and Jewish children we able to put down shared roots, create friendships, and build tolerance that will change how Arabs and Jews see and understand one another for generations to come.

Community Leader Berenice Arce: A WRJ YES Fund Story

WRJ YES Fund Grantee Fundación Judaica was established after the tragic attack in July of 1994 on the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina, a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The attack left 85 people killed and over 300 injured. Together