Reconstructing Judaism and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association mourn the devastating losses that a white nationalist domestic terrorist inflicted upon the Jewish community this past Shabbat morning at Tree of Life – Or L’Simcha Congregation in Pittsburgh. Included among the dead and wounded are members of our affiliate, Congregation Dor Hadash, which meets there.
All of us at Reconstructing Judaism are still processing the shock, grief and heartbreak of the shooting that took place in Pittsburgh at Tree of Life – Or L’Simcha Congregation, which is also the home of our Reconstructionist affiliate, Congregation Dor Hadash.
We are shocked and horrified by the shootings at the Tree of Life Synagogue in the Squirrel Hill section of Pittsburgh. Our hearts, support and condolences go out to the community members of the Tree Of Life – Or L’Simcha Congregation, to the community members of our affiliated congregation, Congregation Dor Hadash, who were meeting at the Tree of Life Synagogue, and to the people of Pittsburgh.
What ideas are Jewish communities exploring to reach unengaged and under-engaged populations in new ways and spaces? What conversations are taking place about how to fund such ideas? How can communities gain the confidence to try, and possibly fail, in order to implement the next idea? These questions will be front-and-center during the closing program of “Rooted and Relevant: Reconstructing Judaism in 2018,” the Reconstructionist movement’s first convention in nearly a decade.
Two November events loom as I write this column: the mid-term elections on November 6, and the first Reconstructionist movement-wide convention in a decade, a week later. The first admittedly will have far more impact on the world than the latter, but they are linked in my mind for one important reason: movements matter.
We lift our collective voices in support of transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people — our loved ones, our community leaders, and people across the globe.
Reconstructing Judaism and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association condemn the terrorist attack that killed two Israeli civilians. Terrorism is never justified and will not help end the Occupation of the West Bank, nor will it pave the way to a lasting, fair peace agreement. May those who work for peace, justice, and reconciliation throughout the region be strengthened in their work and their ideals.
Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, RRC ’74, knows what it means to make history. Her newest children’s book, Regina Persisted: An Untold Story, reclaims a story lost to history. The book also provides adults and children a portrait of a strong woman driven by her love of Judaism.
Reconstructing Judaism and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association condemn the stabbing attack carried out by a Palestinian youth that killed Ari Fuld, an American-Israeli father of four, at the Etzion junction in the West Bank.
Serving as central organization of the Reconstructionist movement
Training the next generation of groundbreaking rabbis
Modeling respectful conversations on pressing Jewish issues
Curating original, Jewish rituals, and convening Jewish creatives
