From its very beginnings, the Jewish story is full of journeys. When it comes to racial justice work, the Reconstructionist movement is in the midst of a profound journey.
The existential nature of the Coronavirus pandemic is laying the groundwork for a religious revival, and the Reconstructionist movement is poised to contribute a compelling vision of 21st-century Jewish life as part of this revival.
Rabbi Joshua Lesser (RRC '99) has had a front seat to one of the most joyful spots of our tragic time. With a group of Jewish leaders from different movements and perspectives, he helped create a Facebook group called Dreaming Up High Holy Days 2020.
This summer we encountered a growing movement that forces us to stare into the face of racial injustice. For those of us who are accepted as white, it demands that we stop looking away. It requires us to try to imagine what it means to raise a child of color in America and examine how we, despite all of our best intentions, fail in our efforts to include and empower people of color in our civil and religious communities.
Tara Saltzman, director of lifelong learning at Congregation Beth Evergreen in Denver, reflects on the ups and downs her congregation has experienced on the road to becoming more environmentally friendly.
Judaism teaches that seven years is a full cycle, and the current status of Reconstructing Judaism bears this out. Over the last seven years since the merger, and in the six years of my presidency, we have been transformed and are acting more and more every day as an integrated organization whose staff members work collaboratively towards shared goals.
We’re beyond excited to share with you that our new home for Havaya Arts is Scripps College in Claremont, Calif.!
If we are serious about building Jewish community, what could be more important than educating, nurturing and supporting Jewish leaders — rabbis — who will partner with us, teach us, learn with us, and both ground us in our tradition and inspire us to reach for new meaning?
Reconstructionist Jews are creating beautiful music. In this video, watch and listen to some of the musical highlights from our 2018 Convention and learn about Kolot Zimrah, a new online community where Reconstructionist musicians share their latest creations with the world.
As leaders of the Reconstructionist movement, we hold Dor Hadash up as a powerful example of an active and engaged lay-led Jewish community. We urge communal leaders and opinion makers to recognize Dor Hadash itself — in all dealings around the attack, as an exemplar of vibrant Jewish life.
Jonathan Markowitz recounts his narrow escape from the World Trade Center on 9/11, and reflects on God, Judaism and humanity in light of his experience.
Reconstructing Judaism's support of entrepreneurship gives rabbinical students and recent graduates the funding, supervision and mentorship to turn ideas into reality. “For me, the big story is that Jews remain seekers of meaning and community. What our Auerbach grants do is create new portals for Jewish community and meaning,” said Cyd Weissman, Reconstructing Judaism’s vice president for Innovation and Impact.
Rooted in the Jewish textual tradition and lived experience, Reconstructionist communities are aiding immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers through direct service, education and advocacy.
As more and more places of worship become vulnerable to hate crimes and gun violence and we increase security measures, young people are particularly traumatized. One congregation has created a mental health and resilience curriculum for its students.
Rabbi Deborah Waxman reflects on the ways in which Reconstructing Judaism is strengthening the ways in which we support and connect Jewish communities traumatized by the recent surge in antisemitic attacks.
Profile of Rabbi Sheila Peltz Weinberg: her journey, and her contributions to the Reconstructionist movement and to Jewish spiritual life writ large.
Rabbi Maurice Harris shares the moving story of welcoming new Jews through conversion —on a Reconstructionist beit din in the Netherlands.
Rabbi Elliott Tepperman's vision of a synagogue: a community that sustains itself through prayer and Torah, while also "trying to be a powerful force for making change in the world.”
Synagogues are a means, not an end in themselves. But thriving synagogues contribute to Judaism's goal: to create healthy individuals, thriving communities, flourishing Jewish life, interconnected human life and a sustainable planet.
Seth Rosen reflects on the successes of our 2018 convention and shares plans to build on it to strengthen our communities and movement.
Learn more about Reconstructionist Educators of North America, a vital resource for professional development, mentorship and connection for Jewish educators in Reconstructionist communities.
Through Evolve, we we provide deep, thoughtful, challenging materials to rabbis, professionals and educated laypeople, and provide forums for discussing and reflecting on these materials with respect.
Two months after the attack at Pittsburgh congregation Dor Hadash, we revisit the community.
The Joint Israel Commission gathered in person at the Reconstructing Judaism convention. Rabbi Maurice Harris reports on their activities and next steps.
Reconstructionist congregation Dor Hadash was one of the groups in the crosshairs of the horrific Pittsburgh shooting attack. We recount the unique qualities of this vibrant community, the trauma they've undergone, and the values they continue to uphold.
A selection of articles, essays and statements on the tragic events in Pittsburgh.
We deeply believe in holy conversation. It is essential and urgent. We know Reconstructionists are good at it. We want to maintain this strength and deepen it, and to model it for the wider community. We hope that you agree and will join us.
Two November events loom as I write this column: the mid-term elections on November 6, and the first Reconstructionist movement-wide convention in a decade, a week later. The first admittedly will have far more impact on the world than the latter, but they are linked in my mind for one important reason: movements matter.
Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, RRC ’74, knows what it means to make history. Her newest children’s book, Regina Persisted: An Untold Story, reclaims a story lost to history. The book also provides adults and children a portrait of a strong woman driven by her love of Judaism.
Rabbi Deborah Waxman, president of Reconstructing Judaism, reports on her participation in the national leadership mission to the San Diego-Tijuana border organized by HIAS and the Anti-Defamation League.
The musical services at Congregation Bet Haverim are a phenomenon. This November, a contingent of more than 30 members of Bet Haverim’s chorus and band will be featured at the Reconstructing Judaism 2018 Convention in Philadelphia.
As we continue to develop new ways to build community across time and distance, we must also continue to find ways to “be there” for one another.
Board president Seth Rosen reflects on the power of being together in the same place.
The RRA recently became a partner of the Poor People’s Campaign (PPC). In the last two weeks the PPC has coordinated rallies and acts of civil disobedience in over 30 state capitals, including the participation of over 15 RRA members.
Belonging connects us to something larger than our own individual experience. I belong to the Jewish people because claiming this connection enters me into a millennia-old conversation and joins me into community both vertical—all those who came before me and all those who follow—and horizontal—the Jews of today, in all our diversity.
With a welcoming ethos and a drive to break down barriers, Reconstructionist congregations and havurot have been part of a revolution that’s taken place in the public awareness of the importance of disability inclusion and related services.
The Aviv Revolving Loan Fund is one way that Reconstructing Judaism is marshaling its resources to strengthen affiliated communities and foster innovation.
When we began our Israel journey together in Tel Aviv on March 7th, we were 25 people representing 11 Reconstructionist communities who travelled there on the promise to go places and meet people that even veteran Israel travelers hadn’t visited or met. And on that promise, the Reconstructing Judaism Israel Mission Trip delivered.
Why belong to the Jewish people? Why belong to a synagogue? Why belong to the Reconstructionist movement? These are some of the most important questions that I am asked and that I, along with all of us at Reconstructing Judaism, strive to answer powerfully and convincingly.
Though we count time Jewishly, by any consideration the secular year 2018 is an exciting year for the Reconstructionist movement.
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