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The front door of Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in Evanston, Ill.

Talking About Israel During Wartime? Here’s One Reconstructionist Model

Members of Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in Evanston, Ill. — one of the movement’s oldest congregations, and one where the conversation about Israel had long proved polarizing — have shown that such respectful engagement is possible, maybe even necessary.

Over the past two months, the congregation has leaned into Reconstructionist values by emphasizing the community’s voice over the rabbi’s and embracing complexity and nuance. Following a process that lasted for about three weeks, entailing thousands of emails, two board meetings and feedback from more than 200 members, the congregation adopted a statement steeped in Jewish values, that declared “All parties must stop the killing to create the conditions for lasting peace.”

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A rabbi holds a "no more harrasment at work" sign on the streets of Philadelphia. It's snowing and people around her are carrying umbrellas. Her hair is dotted with white snowflakes.

Course Spotlight: Rabbis in Social Movements

When Rabbi Alex Weissman applied to rabbinical school in 2011, he estimates that there were just a handful of rabbis working at social-justice organizations. Fast-forward a dozen years and that number now exceeds several dozen — too many for Weissman to name. Why the dramatic shift? Many advocacy organizations now

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Sira Singelenberg pictured in front of RRC's building.

Shir Hadash chosen for new rabbinic internship program

Shira Singelenberg is a native of Bethesda, Md. She said she grew up in an environment that fostered curiosity and questioning and one in which Shabbat dinner was a revered and memorable time. She received her BA degree from the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, where she majored in history with a minor in medieval and early studies.

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Weighing Our Words

So much about this time continues to be heart-breaking and soul-rending. Here in the United States, far removed from the front lines, one of the things that has been most painful for Rabbi Isaac Saposnik over these last few weeks has been the animus with which members of our Havaya family are engaging with one another – primarily on social media.

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Wellsprings of Empathy

Rabbi Deborah Waxman explores the stories of Genesis, as well as contemporary thought, in a search for “wellsprings of empathy.” This teaching points toward means of resilience in the extreme uncertainty of the present.

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An illuminated, floating heart on a beach, with ocean water in the background. This image was to promote the recent Ritualwell program.

Virtual Ritualwell Gathering of Poetry and Prayer Provides Space to Grieve and Come Together

For 45 minutes, participants had a digital space to be together and hold their intense, conflicting emotions. Presenters recited poems — both their own work, composed in the past days, and the work of other poets — led meditations and recited prayers, such as the Mi Sheberach, a prayer for healing, and the Kaddish, the memorial prayer for the dead. (Here is a link to all the resources recited during the program.)

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Statement on Today’s Horrific Attacks on Israel

Reconstructing Judaism and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association are horrified by today’s massive attack on Israel by Hamas. We condemn the attacks unequivocally and join in solidarity with the people of Israel on this harrowing and difficult day.

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The Reconstructionist Network