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.

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 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.

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 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.

My relationship with WRJ began with a business card. It was June 2018, and the URJ Board of Trustees was convening in Austin, TX, for their annual Board meeting. As a recent graduate and former student leader at the University of Texas Hillel, I was asked to lead Shabbat morning services for the URJ Board before joining Board members for lunch and a discussion on how to best engage college students in the Reform Movement.