Online Marketing Webinar

Learn how to send a community newsletter, advertise upcoming events and solicit donations via email in our free Online Marketing webinar on July 25 at 2 p.m. EST.

Click here to sign up for the webinar.

All Are Welcome Flyer Update

We invite you to display our updated All Are Welcome flyer in your community to welcome all who enter, regardless of ability, race, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Download the flyer here.

Join the Tikkun Olam Commission

Our Tikkun Olam Commission is seeking new members who are passionate about social justice and reflect the diversity of the movement. Apply by August 10.

Click here for more information.

Convention Update

Rooted and Relevant: Reconstructing Judaism in 2018

We look forward to seeing you at Convention on November 15-18 in Philadelphia. Please share the following links with your community:

• Convention registration is open! Register at Reconvention2018.org.
• To apply for financial aid, visit Bit.ly/Reconvention-Scholarship.
• To donate to the Convention Scholarship Fund, visit Bit.ly/Reconvention-Donate.

As a leader of our movement, you can help ensure a successful Convention by:

• Encouraging members of your community to register at Reconvention2018.org.
• Designating a Convention liaison from your community.
• Providing a community contact who is responsible for music. Please send us the name and contact information for the person to whom we can direct all music resources.

For more information, visit Reconvention2018.org or contact Jackie Land at jland@reconstructingjudaism.org.

Tikkun Olam Email List

Would you like to learn about social justice campaigns happening across the movement and help bring more justice into the world?

Email our Tikkun Olam Specialist, Taryn Wyron, to add your name to our new Tikkun Olam email list.

Fair Trade: Partnering for Justice

In collaboration with Fair Trade Judaica, Reconstructing Judaism has created educational resources about fair trade, focusing on the core Jewish values of human dignity and sanctity of the earth. We welcome you to share these resources with your communities as a springboard to discussions with congregants of all ages.

Additional Resources

Glean Network courses for faith-rooted leaders seeking transformation

Glean Network provides training and support for spiritual entrepreneurs of all faiths in partnership with the Columbia Business School. Applications for fall courses in spiritual entrepreneurship and America’s changing relationship with religion are now available. 

eJewish Philanthropy provides valuable articles for Jewish organizations on topics from marketing to community engagement. The following articles may be relevant to your work and the work of the other leaders of your community:

• Lessons Learned as Synagogue Executive Director
• Appreciation Leads to Retention: 7 Creative Ways to Express Gratitude to Donors
• Reflections on Leadership and Unconscious Bias
• Relational Judaism and Synagogue Websites

Upcoming Programs

Public Positions on Current Matters

Reconstructing Judaism endorses and co-sponsors numerous petitions, public letters and statements from aligned organizations and also issues its own public statements on occasion. Here are the statements we have issued and public letters we have signed onto in the last month, either alone or jointly with the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association:

Letter of Concern Regarding Human Rights in Burma

All of our statements are available at ReconstructingJudaism.org/positions, catalogued by date and by topic.

Reconstructionist Communities and Leaders in the News

Setting Down Roots On The Upper West Side (New York Jewish Week)

Gay and African-American rabbi wants to shatter stereotypes of what a Jew looks like (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

St. Louisan honored at Reconstructionist Rabbinical College graduation ceremony (St. Louis Jewish Light)

Rabbis as Entrepreneurs? It’s Not About the Money (Jeducation World)

Rabbi Meets Jews Where They Are Today (Philadelphia Jewish Exponent)

Letter from America: RFK’s Finest Moment (The Jerusalem Post)

Fences, Barriers, and Walls: A Personal Rabbinic Reflection (The Jerusalem Post)

Zwischen Bima und Hörsaal (Between Bima and Lecture Hall) (Jüdische Allgemeine) [article about Rabbi Birgit Elke Klein, RRC ‘17, written in German]

Podcasts From Our Studio

RRC/Jewish Reconstructionist Communities built a professional podcast studio to launch two podcast series: Hashivenu and #Trending Jewish. We hope you will consider sharing the links to and explanations of these podcasts with your community.

Hashivenu podcast cover art

Hashivenu: Jewish Teachings on Resilience

Hashivenu is a podcast about Jewish teachings and practice around resilience. Cultivating resilience, both individually and collectively, is an essential path to personal renewal.

trendingjewish_cover_art.jpg

#Trending Jewish

How does Judaism intersect with contemporary culture and illuminate how people live their lives? Hosts Rachael Burgess and Bryan Schwartzman have a lot of questions, both profound and goofy.