News

Brief Asking Federal Court to Reverse Ruling Allowing Strip Searches of Female Inmates As Training Exercise

We ask the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit to re-hear and reverse a ruling that found that staff at an Illinois prison did not violate the Constitution when they forced female inmates to engage in a deeply humiliating and dehumanizing strip search as part of a training exercise. The ruling “opens the door to other violation of prisoners’ First Amendement religious freedom rights and protections.”

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Statement by Congregation Dor Hadash on Justice Department Decision to Seek Death Penalty

Yesterday, we learned that the U.S. Justice Department will seek the death penalty against the suspected shooter in the 2018 mass shooting that devastated three congregations and rocked the entire North American Jewish community. Reconstructing Judaism is proud to share this moving statement from our Pittsburgh affiliate, Congregation Dor Hadash. And we note that Jewish tradition is weighted heavily against the use of the death penalty.

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Joint Letter on Refugee Policy

Reconstructing Judaism and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association have joined with 166 Jewish organizations and institutions in urging the United States to return to historic numbers for refugee resettlement. “The United States has historically distinguished itself as a beacon of hope and as a safe haven for those who most need it… Resettling zero refugees in the U.S. in FY2020 would effectively gut the refugee resettlement program, violate our values as Jews and Americans, and abdicate the American promise of freedom and opportunity.”

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Statement on El Paso and Dayton Attacks

While raising our voices in prayer and condolences for the victims of this latest mass-shooting, we also raise our voices to call for the enactment and enforcement of reasonable gun laws throughout this country that would help prevent such tragedies. 

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