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Wisdom from the Bimah

October 23, 2025

High Holy Days are an inflection point. They are a time to pause and absorb words of wisdom, comfort, and purpose from the bimah. As Reconstructionists across the country wrestle with the ongoing situation in the Middle East and search for light and joy, we want to share a few recent High Holy Day sermons with you. While our rabbis do not have all the answers, they have some, especially when they hold up a mirror to our collective struggles and speak about them with refreshing candor and insight.

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Rabbi Deborah Waxman in Haaretz: On Rosh Hashanah, We Must Decide Which post-October 7 Jewish Story to Write in the Book of Life

September 29, 2025

In this op-ed for Haaretz, one of Israel’s leading newspapers, Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D. reflects on the High Holy Days, October 7 and the challenges of balancing care for our own community with compassion for others. She asks: “Can we choose a path that will lead us, individually and collectively, toward our own well-being and the well-being of others not within our own tribe, to the preservation and even flourishing of the planet?”

Ritualwell Launches Jewish Writers’ Circles Across the World

September 9, 2025

To respond to the strains Jewish writers are experiencing, Ritualwell is launching a new initiative, Jewish Writers’ Circles. Starting this fall in multiple cities across North America and Europe, as many as twenty Jewish Writers’ Circles will meet monthly, with Ritualwell providing session guides and coaching support. These circles will nurture Jewish literary community, strengthen participants’ writing, and enrich their lives with Jewish wisdom.

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Living Its Values, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College Reckons With Its Own History

August 20, 2025

The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College is bringing a racial justice lens to the story of its nearly 60-year history, especially when it comes to the context surrounding its 1982 move from North Philadelphia to a nearby suburb.

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Jeremy Hanson Willis Leads Reconstructing Judaism’s Strategic Advancement

June 24, 2025

Jeremy Hanson Willis shares how his life, values, and vision shape his new leadership role at Reconstructing Judaism. He speaks about racial justice, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and building a vibrant Jewish future rooted in equity and belonging.

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Prayer for Groundedness in Troubled Times

June 18, 2025

We are living in tremendously challenging times, where every day and every headline brings difficult news. At this moment of disruption and destruction, we offer a prayer for groundedness and grace.

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Rabbi Mira Wasserman Confronts Slavery in Jewish Sources

June 16, 2025

Rabbi Mira Wasserman, Ph.D., exemplifies the Reconstructionist approach to challenging Jewish texts by investigating how enslaved people are depicted in the sources.

In Sorrow and in Conviction: Reflections After Boulder

June 5, 2025

According to Mordecai Kaplan’s teachings, which have long resonated with me and so many others, to be Jewish in America is to live simultaneously in two rich civilizations, the Jewish and the American civilizations, both full of promise and character-shaping values. To be Jewish in America is to draw deeply from both of these civilizations in order to contribute meaningfully to both of them. As deeply as Kaplan believed this, living it out was often challenging in his day. Increasingly, it is challenging in our day as well.

Two people hold a rainbow heart sign, surrounded by a diverse, smiling group at a pride event.

Celebrating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride Month

May 28, 2025

Jewish communities are embracing meaningful ways to support LGBTQ+ folks and foster inclusive spaces. Below, you’ll find resources and actions to honor Pride Month through a Jewish lens.

Wisdom from the Bimah

Rabbi Deborah Waxman in Haaretz: On Rosh Hashanah, We Must Decide Which post-October 7 Jewish Story to Write in the Book of Life

Ritualwell Launches Jewish Writers’ Circles Across the World

Living Its Values, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College Reckons With Its Own History

Jeremy Hanson Willis Leads Reconstructing Judaism’s Strategic Advancement

Prayer for Groundedness in Troubled Times

Rabbi Mira Wasserman Confronts Slavery in Jewish Sources

In Sorrow and in Conviction: Reflections After Boulder

Celebrating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride Month

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