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CEO and President Deborah Waxman at J Street Convention 2026: On War, Democracy, and the Courage to Hold Complexity

March 2, 2026

This is so hard. Everything changes and changes again and then changes again. The world we knew when we entered Shabbat on Friday was gone when we woke up the next day. Suddenly, America is at war and Israel is at war again and millions of people across the Middle East are under attack and seeking shelter, even where no shelters exist. While we have hopes and prayers and ideas and recommendations, we do not know how this will end, and many Americans are devastated at how it started—before every diplomatic avenue was exhaustively pursued and without adequate consultation with or oversight from Congress, in direct violation of the US Constitution.

Rabbi Deborah Waxman to Speak at J Street’s 2026 Convention

February 26, 2026

Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D., president and CEO of Reconstructing Judaism, will be a featured speaker at J Street’s 2026 Convention in Washington, D.C. The four-day event runs February 28 through March 3 at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, bringing together Jewish leaders, elected officials, and policy experts for programming

Jewish Cross-Denominational Statement Against Violent Immigration Enforcement

January 21, 2026

Adding our voices to millions of others across the United States, leaders of the Reform, Conservative/Masorti, and Reconstructionist Movements of Judaism condemn, in the strongest terms, the violence with which the Department of Homeland Security is enforcing American immigration law—above all, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as well as in cities and towns across the nation.

A reddish, pink menorah with multicolored candles rests on a table, with a smattering of dreidels. Someone wearing a pink sweater stands behind, putting the eight candle in.

A Message of Solidarity and Hope This Hanukkah

December 15, 2025

Those of us living in North America woke up yesterday morning to devastating news of a horrific and deadly antisemitic attack on a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia, occurring amidst increasing antisemitism in Australia, North America and around the world. We reel as well from reports of yet another deadly shooting spree

People march and chant at a rally; text reads Hatikvah Progressive Israel, World Zionist Congress 2025.

Update on the World Zionist Congress and Reconstructing Judaism’s Engagement with Israel

November 24, 2025

Reconstructing Judaism’s engagement with Israel takes many expressions. We prioritize encounters with Israelis from across a broad spectrum of Israeli society—listening and learning from their aspirations, experiences and priorities—to inform our programming and educational offerings.

Three people stand and smile in front of an ICC Jerusalem event backdrop inside a modern building.

WATCH: Inside the Parliament of the Jewish People

October 30, 2025

Why does the World Zionist Congress matter? It directs over $5 billion in global Jewish resources, shaping everything from land policy to religious life to what gets built – and importantly, where. Rabbi Waxman joined “Word on the Street Live” with J Street founder Jeremy Ben-Ami and Rabbi Jill Jacobs, CEO of T’ruah, to offer insight into the inner workings of the World Zionist Congress and to discuss the Reconstructionist values driving the progressive Hatikvah Slate.

A woman speaks at a podium in a synagogue with papers and a microphone in front of her.

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.

A winding dirt path runs through a sunlit forest with tall trees and green foliage.

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.

CEO and President Deborah Waxman at J Street Convention 2026: On War, Democracy, and the Courage to Hold Complexity

Rabbi Deborah Waxman to Speak at J Street’s 2026 Convention

Jewish Cross-Denominational Statement Against Violent Immigration Enforcement

A Message of Solidarity and Hope This Hanukkah

Update on the World Zionist Congress and Reconstructing Judaism’s Engagement with Israel

WATCH: Inside the Parliament of the Jewish People

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

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