Related Blog Posts on Jewish Values and Social Justice

Four photos of people we met during the Civil Rights Journey trip

We Are, We Are, We Are, WRJ

Shari Carruthers
Lillian Burkenheim Silver
In October 2022, 88 of us traveled from across North America to Atlanta to join other sisters on the WRJ Civil Rights Journey. Armed with articles, movies, books, and memories about the fight for racial equality in the 1950s and 1960s, we visited historical landmarks in Atlanta, Montgomery, Selma, and Birmingham. We found what we knew intellectually was no match for walking in the footsteps of those who were there and have continued to advocate and advance racial equality. As we kick off WRJ’s end-of-year campaign, we reflect on the impact of this trip and the work still to be done.
black and white photo of men and women marching with banners

Women's History Month is a Call to Action

Jessica Cadmus
Women’s History Month serves as a timely reminder that the fight for voting rights and bodily autonomy for all is ongoing and requires collective action.
congregants of Temple B'nai Jeshurun of Short Hills, including Rabbi Hannah Ellenson, standing together and smiling

Entering a Holy Relationship

Rabbi Hannah Ellenson

During my time as the (first!) social justice intern at Women of Reform Judaism, I had many conversations with WRJ leaders from all over the country. I heard time and time again that WRJ was the place where they could combine their dedication to Judaism and

woman with long, silver/white hair in blue zip hoodie and black glasses smiling

Be Part of WRJ’s Day of Action

Carol Schuster
Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ) has made it easier than ever to take part in making the world a better place. On April 12, WRJ will hold the 2026 Day of Action, uniting sisterhoods, women’s groups, and individual members across North America in a collective effort toward justice, compassion, and change.
Women of Reform Judaism Day of Action, April 12, 2026, graphic of heads of women in purple and pink

Take Action With Us

Liz McOsker
Lori Motis
WRJ also has a direct impact on our own local communities. When we served as District Presidents, our work centered around this focus. One of the roles of Districts is to help grow membership and engagement in individual sisterhoods/women’s groups.
Text: "This Repro Shabbat, Our Tradition Demands Action" by Shayna Dollinger (photographed on the left) and Jessica Cadmus (photographed on the right)"

This Repro Shabbat, Our Tradition Demands Action

Shayna Dollinger
Jessica Cadmus
As a member of Jews for Abortion Access, WRJ is proud to co-sponsor NCJW’s Repro Shabbat, when we will join with the wider Jewish community to recommit ourselves to reproductive rights and health.
WRJ attendees smiling at Consultation on Conscience in Washington DC

"When Everything Looks Dark, You Are the Shard of Light"

Emma Aaronson
Shayna Dollinger

The Jewish mystical tradition, Kabbalah, teaches us that when the world was created, God’s presence filled the Earth. When God’s divine beings came into the world, God made room for us by contracting the divine light into vessels, but the vessels were too

a hanukkiah with all nine candles lit

When the Universal Becomes Personal

Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch

I never imagined I would be mourning two communities that shaped my life in the same weekend. Spaces that I once valued as shelters of learning and sanctuary changed instantly into scenes of deadly gun violence.  

At Brown University, my alma mater, students

hands holding a teal ribbon in front of a pink background

WRJ Fights Erasure and Abuse

Trish Joseph
Shoshana Dweck

In 2022, WRJ launched “WRJ says STOP: An Initiative against Sexual Harassment and Assault.” The initiative’s goal was two-fold: (1) to help our sacred communities and congregations be proactive in reducing and even preventing the scourges of power dynamic

text: Life is Sacred: A Journey of Hope, Healing and Advocacy by Lillian Silver; four people smiling in front of a bimah, the father and son holding the Torah

Life is Sacred

Lillian Silver

This piece includes details about abortion and loss of life.

 

Life is Sacred: Our Pathway to Parenthood and Community Care

When my husband, Bruce, and I married, our vows reflected a dream: to share the journey of parenthood. We embraced the hope and joy that