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Participants in a recent Reconstructionist pilgrimage for Jews of African descent visit the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Ala, which retells American history from chattel slavery to mass incarceration. The museum also honors those who have resisted systematic racism and white supremacy.

Jewish Exponent: Reconstructing Judaism Grows Opportunities for Black and Jewish Community-building

February 15, 2023

The pilgrimage is part of Reconstructing Judaism’s intention to build community for Black Jews both within the organization and in the greater Jewish community. On Feb. 9, the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History hosted “Deconstructing Racism to Reconstruct Judaism: The Story of a Pilgrimage Down South,” a panel outlining the event’s significance.

RRC's building as viewed from the parking lot.

Groundbreaking RRC Policy Impacting the Jewish World, Enhancing the Rabbinate

February 1, 2023

When the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College changed our admissions policy to allow for the possibility that Jews partnered with non-Jews could become rabbis, we did so out of the understanding that in the 21st-century Jewish behavior and commitments–religious, cultural, secular–are more important than Jewish status. We acted to meet Jews in the realities of their complex lives—to engage with them, to raise up leaders from among them, and together to build the Jewish future. We have been inspired and moved by the powerful and passionate students who have enrolled at RRC since this policy change, some because of their non-Jewish partners and more in support of this principle.

100+ Jewish groups sign onto open letter to Elon Musk on Twitter antisemitism

January 31, 2023

Reconstructing Judaism and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association have signed on to an open letter to Elon Musk alongside 100+ Jewish organizations denouncing antisemitism on Twitter. Numerous racists and bigots who had been banned from the social media platform have been reinstated since Musk took over.

An overview of the Western Wall Plaza in Jerusalem with the Dome of the Rock in the background.

A Clarion Call against Ethnonatioanlism

January 25, 2023

This letter, along with the growing number of statements of protest from many quarters of the Jewish community, is a clarion call. These statements communicate that this government and what it espouses are not normal and should not be normalized. They seize the opportunity to reassert the kind of Zionism championed by Justice Louis Brandeis, who equated Zionism with American democracy, and who believed in a Zionism dedicated to giving social justice and democratic values expanded expression.

Reconstructionist Movement Calls for Reparations and Teshuvah

January 22, 2023

The Reconstructionist movement has adopted a Resolution on Reparations, making a commitment to “supporting and advocating for institutional, local and federal legislation and policies that specifically address the need for reparations.”

The resolution is a call for communal and national teshuvah, an opportunity for repentance, utilizing a Jewish framework to speak with moral authority on an issue of profound importance to American society and global efforts for justice.

Rabbi Alex Weissman stands in front of bushes. He's wearing a purple checkered shirt and eyeglasses.

You Should Know …. Rabbi Alex Weissman

January 19, 2023

Rabbi Alex Weissman remembers walking into the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Wyncote for the first time. It was November 2010, and he was a 27-year-old Tufts University graduate who had held a few jobs with community and service-minded organizations.

A group of Jews of African descent gather in Selma, Ala. with activist Joanne Bland. They are in front of the Brown Chapel AME Church, an important organizing center.Rabbi Micah Weiss is the only white person in the picture and is wearing teffilin.

‘Deconstructing Racism to Reconstruct Judaism’: The Story of a ‘Life-Giving’ Pilgrimage to the South

December 15, 2022

The pilgrimage to the South for Jews of African descent who serve as leaders of the Reconstructionist movement was fully funded by Reconstructing Judaism. Participants were able to engage in healing work and visit sites imbued with trauma within a Jewish and Black context.

The Situation in Hebron is Oppressive: Rabbi Deborah Waxman

December 14, 2022

My needles moved rhythmically, creating orderly rows of delicate knots as we rolled into the center of Hebron that Thursday afternoon. When I got off the bus and looked around, I could hardly recognize the place I’d visited as an adolescent.

Jewish Rohingya Justice Network Statement on Genocide Prevention Day

December 9, 2022

Reconstructing Judaism and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association have signed on to Jewish Rohingya Justice Network’s Statement on Genocide Prevention Day.

Jewish Exponent: Reconstructing Judaism Grows Opportunities for Black and Jewish Community-building

Groundbreaking RRC Policy Impacting the Jewish World, Enhancing the Rabbinate

100+ Jewish groups sign onto open letter to Elon Musk on Twitter antisemitism

A Clarion Call against Ethnonatioanlism

Reconstructionist Movement Calls for Reparations and Teshuvah

You Should Know …. Rabbi Alex Weissman

‘Deconstructing Racism to Reconstruct Judaism’: The Story of a ‘Life-Giving’ Pilgrimage to the South

The Situation in Hebron is Oppressive: Rabbi Deborah Waxman

Jewish Rohingya Justice Network Statement on Genocide Prevention Day

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