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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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?”
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.
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.
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.
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
