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

We Are All Culpable

We Are All Culpable

D'Var Torah By: Rabbi Andy Gordon

sdolgov
This Shabbat, we arrive, smack dab in the middle of the Torah. The double portion Acharei Mot-Kedoshim includes the Holiness Code which serves as the very heart of the Torah.

Moving Forward: The Eighth Day

Moving Forward: The Eighth Day

D'Var Torah By: Rabbi Andy Gordon

sdolgov
If Parashat Sh’mini was an episode of a TV show, it would begin with dramatic music followed by a big, booming voice announcing: “Previously in the Torah, our ancestors navigated the meaning of purity and sacrifice. The kohanim prepared for their ordination as the spiritual leaders of the Israelite community.

On the Other Hand

Post-Election Statement – ARZA/Vote Reform – Hatikvah – Mercaz USA

The election for the 2025 World Zionist Congress has been a significant success for our 3 slates, representing the majority of liberal Jewry in the U.S. It was also a success for furthering our values of pluralism, equality, justice, and democracy.

Reform Leader’s Statement on Right Wing Attack on Reform Congregation in Israel

On Yom HaZikaron - Israel's Memorial Day - a solemn Israeli-Palestinian joint remembrance ceremony hosted at Kehillat Ra'anan, a Reform synagogue in Ra'anana, was violently disrupted by a mob of far-right extremists

RJ Blog Social Justice

Dear Israel: A Story of Love and Longing

Dear Israel: A Story of Love and Longing jemerman

Israel
Photo of Israel
In the pages of a hand-drawn picture book, your story first unfolded before me, telling the tale of my parents' first journey together to your distant lands.

Becoming B’nei Mitzvah at Any Age

Becoming B’nei Mitzvah at Any Age jemerman

Lifecycle Rituals
Photo of an older man standing behind a Torah scroll
Terms like "bar mitzvah," "bet mitzvah," and "bat mitzvah" typically evoke images of teens reading from the Torah and formally taking their place within the Jewish community. But many Reform congregations offer adult b'nei mitzvah classes, enabling people to participate in this ritual later in life.

RJ Blog Jewish Life

What’s So Jewish About Voting?

What’s So Jewish About Voting? jemerman

Judaism teaches us that voting is not just a civic duty. In fact, throughout Jewish history, many of our rabbis and sages have framed voting as a mitzvah.

Supporting Survivors of Domestic Violence in the Jewish Community

Supporting Survivors of Domestic Violence in the Jewish Community jemerman

Women's Rights
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.

RJ Blog Practice

What’s So Jewish About Voting?

What’s So Jewish About Voting? jemerman

Judaism teaches us that voting is not just a civic duty. In fact, throughout Jewish history, many of our rabbis and sages have framed voting as a mitzvah.

Eight Hebrew Words and Phrases to Learn

Eight Hebrew Words and Phrases to Learn 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.

RJ Blog Learning

I Have No Other Land

I Have No Other Land jemerman

Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut
Israeli and American flags blended into one photo
This year, Yom HaAtzmaut, Israel's Independence Day, finds me in a place that the past 10 years have not: in my birth country, the United States. My journey to and from Israel includes chapters that people can instinctively understand: a year of protesting judicial overhaul in Israel, the events of October 7th, and the bitter war in which we are still immersed.

The Nevas Family's Enduring Passover Tradition: A Celebration of Freedom, Justice, and Community

The Nevas Family's Enduring Passover Tradition: A Celebration of Freedom, Justice, and Community sdolgov

Passover
A seder plate
The Nevas family's history is deeply rooted in their desire to make a positive impact on the world. This year's Seder, marked the next chapter in the family's tradition.

RJ Blog Jewish Holidays

Dear Israel: A Story of Love and Longing

Dear Israel: A Story of Love and Longing jemerman

Israel
Photo of Israel
In the pages of a hand-drawn picture book, your story first unfolded before me, telling the tale of my parents' first journey together to your distant lands.

Sam Griffin: Aftermath

Sam Griffin: Aftermath jemerman

Israeli Arts and Culture
“Egyptian Border, Dawn,” 2024, oil on paper
Israeli artist Sam Griffin's paintings, forged in the crisis of war, convey the human capacity for healing and hope for a peaceful future for Israel and humankind.

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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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