Resources on Reconstructionism
God in Metaphor: A Guide for the Perplexed
Rabbi Toba Spitzer explores the obstacles to prayer posed by stale language about God, and suggests new language that may ease our way in finding connection.
New Online Community for Jewish Poets and Liturgists Aims to Produce “Ripple” Effect
For 20 years, Ritualwell has served as a pioneering resource for original Jewish liturgy and rituals, along the way nurturing an informal network of liturgists, poets and ritual innovators. Now, it has launched ADVOT @ Ritualwell, a formal online community offering unprecedented support and empowerment to writers who are imagining new ways to mark life’s most salient moments in a Jewish context.
The "Next Normal" and Our Movement
The last sixteen months of the pandemic have highlighted the necessity of community as something both poignant and urgent. With many of us physically removed from our “normal” sites of gathering (i.e., workplaces, schools, cultural venues, “third spaces,” places of worship), we’ve learned to cultivate relationships online, to use digital tools to create new places of meeting and connection, and to experiment with alternative and even more accessible forms of engagement. Despite the very real challenges of long-term isolation and Zoom fatigue, we’ve found new ways to experience community, to address pragmatic needs, and to fill our souls.
America's First Bat Mitzvah and its Legacy for American Jewish Life
The first American bat mitzvah took place nearly a century ago, but its effects reverberate to this day. This podcast episode explores how the bat mitzvah helped pave the way for greater inclusion of women in public Jewish ritual and practice and laid the groundwork for further steps toward inclusion.
Rooted and Relevant: 21st Century Jewish Life
In her presentiation, Rooted and Relevant: 21st Century Jewish Life, Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D., explores how Reconstructionist Judaism can lead the way in the post-COVID world toward a religious revival that meets this century’s new realities.
Collaboration Across Difference: An Innovation Power Tool
This article was originally published in eJewish Philanthropy on Nov. 25, 2019.
Provide for Yourself a Rabbi
If we are serious about building Jewish community, what could be more important than educating, nurturing and supporting Jewish leaders — rabbis — who will partner with us, teach us, learn with us, and both ground us in our tradition and inspire us to reach for new meaning?
Divine Justice: A Jewish Perspective
Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D. spoke at the Chautaqua Insitution about divine justice, about good and evil and about God’s presence, plans, and love in the face of what seems to be unearned suffering.
New Book Sparks Conversation Between Torah, Kaplan and Real Life
A Year With Mordecai Kaplan: Wisdom on the Weekly Torah Portion by Rabbi Steven Carr Reuben, Ph.D. is a deeply rooted and boldly relevant Torah commentary. For each week’s reading, Rabbi Reuben weaves together traditional commentary, a nugget of Mordecai Kaplan’s thought, and a vivid personal insight that illuminates the connection between the two. This powerful and accessible work invites us to engage with Torah, Kaplan and contemporary human experience in ways that are nourishing, optimistic and inspiring.
Session 5: Questions and Answers
Audience questions and answers at Reconstructing Jewish Communities panel
Session 4: The Need to Wrestle with Difficult Issues
Rabbi Shira Stutman on Reconstructing Jewish Communities panel
Session 3: The Need to Reconstruct Judaism Itself
Rabbi Michael Strassfeld on Reconstructing Jewish Communities panel
Session 2: Redeveloping Congregational Identity So That Being Part Of The Congregation Makes Meaning
Rabbi Lauren Grabelle Herrmann on Reconstructing Jewish Communities panel
Session 1: The Need for Progressive Jewish Communities to Reconstruct Themselves in This Era
Rabbi Sid Schwarz introducing Reconstructing Jewish Communities panel
What Does a Thriving Synagogue Look Like?
Synagogues are a means, not an end in themselves. But thriving synagogues contribute to Judaism’s goal: to create healthy individuals, thriving communities, flourishing Jewish life, interconnected human life and a sustainable planet.
