News

Overhead view of an Or Zarua Purim party, with most people wearing costumes.

Or Zarua Takes a Collective Approach to Synagogue Life

December 18, 2023

Back in 2017, Rabbi Shelley Barnathan met with 100 prospective members individually over coffee to ask some central questions about what they wanted in a new Reconstructionist synagogue in Philadelphia’s western suburbs.

She had just completed rabbinical school after leaving a 32-year career as a language arts teacher. A child of Holocaust survivors, she wanted to realize a childhood dream that wasn’t accessible in her Modern Orthodox community.

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

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

December 7, 2023

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.”

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

December 6, 2023

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

Reconstructing Judaism and the RRA condemn the attack on Palestinians in Vermont

November 27, 2023

Reconstructing Judaism and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association unequivocally condemn the shooting of three Palestinian students in an alleged hate crime in Vermont over Thanksgiving weekend. We pray for the full recovery of all three students, Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid, and Tahseen Ali Ahmad. Together, our organizations work to create a

Shir Hadash chosen for new rabbinic internship program

November 20, 2023

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.

Two people stand arm in arm, watching a sunset in the desert while riders on ATVs drive across the sand dunes.

Weighing Our Words

November 13, 2023

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.

A rustic well with a metal handle in a scenic countryside at sunset, overlooking hills and distant farms.

Wellsprings of Empathy

November 9, 2023

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.

Open book on a table next to a glass vase holding dried flowers against a beige textured wall.

Improv Your Writing Craft; Grow as a Person While You’re at It

October 27, 2023

Rabbi Joshua Boettiger is the kind of religious leader — and the kind of writer — who sees connections in seemingly disparate things, such as the calling of the rabbinate and the art of writing poetry. Boettiger, RRC ’16, will share many such connections as part of “Mussar Poetry: Writing Toward

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

October 12, 2023

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.)

Or Zarua Takes a Collective Approach to Synagogue Life

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

Course Spotlight: Rabbis in Social Movements

Reconstructing Judaism and the RRA condemn the attack on Palestinians in Vermont

Shir Hadash chosen for new rabbinic internship program

Weighing Our Words

Wellsprings of Empathy

Improv Your Writing Craft; Grow as a Person While You’re at It

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

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