
Resources for Affiliates
This page is home for material of use to Reconstructionist affiliates and their leadership.
Additional resources are being added on an ongoing basis. Let us know what you’d like to see!
For coronavirus-specific resources, see here: Pandemic Resources
Older materials are still available at http://archive.jewishrecon.org/resources/329 (please note that they may be out of date.)
Congregational Directory
Reconstructionist Congregations are found throughout North America. See if there's one near you!


More Congregational Resources
The Midwives of Exodus: An Interfaith Text Study
An easily-accessible text study about the ethnic ambiguity that the Torah presents us with regarding the midwives who refused to obey Pharaoh's orders.
"Peoplehood" Reconsidered
Reconstructionism has long held the notion of Jewish Peoplehood as a central organizing principle. But does it mean the same thing that it used to? How can “Peoplehood” itself be reconstructed to remain relevant today?
Making Decisions on Controversial Issues
How can congregations best handle controversial issues and explore the values underlying disagreements about issues?
Guide to Free Media Publicity
The goal of this document is to provide synagogues with guidance regarding how to obtain publicity that will enhance their outreach efforts.
Eco-Judaism (Is There Any Other Kind?!): How Torah Pushes the Sustainability Envelope
“Love of the Creator, and love of that which G!d has created, are finally one and the same,” wrote Martin Buber. Defending this divine creation in an era of climate change is a Jewish (and social, political, and moral) imperative.
Bar/Bat Mitzvah Family Education Series
This three-part family education series addresses issues related to bar/bat mitzvah. It is designed for a large group of parents and students and uses active learning exercises. It covers issues around Jewish identity, the meaning of bar/bat mitzvah, and common concerns that parents and students have about the process.
What Makes a Reconstructionist Congregation Different?
In this talk, Rabbi Jacob Staub describes what makes Reconstructionist communities unique. Recorded in November 2014 at Congregation Kehillat Israel in Pacific Palisades, California. A full transcript is included.
How Might We Learn Sustainability from "Hot Dudes Reading?"
Cyd Weissman interviews the founder of Hot Dudes Reading to glean lessons on marketing, sustainability, and collaboration.
Reconstructionism, Chosenness, and the Abrahamic Dialogue
Fuchs-Kreimer describes how respect for interfaith colleagues led her to re-examine Jewish beliefs she once dismissed out of hand.
“Straight-Welcoming?!” – Creating an Inclusive Community
Lesser describes the evolution of an LGBT synagogue and dissects the meaning of inclusive community.
No Success Without Learning To Fail
“Fail Forward” is the mantra of entrepreneurs. Take risks. You will fail, guaranteed. Learn from it. Once a little smarter, boldly launch again. Entrepreneurs believe, as Robert Kennedy did, “to achieve greatness, you have to fail greatly.”
How to Build Just and Holy Congregations
Tepperman encourages sustained congregational dialogue and action around social, environmental and political justice.
Building the Jewish Future
Rabbi Sid Schwarz describes a lifetime of building new Jewish organizations that meet the Jewish community’s ever-changing needs.
Episode 2: Acting Sustainably (Interview with Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb)
In this interview, Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb reflects on the Jewish roots of his climate change activism. He also reflects on how his role at Congregation Adat Shalom has led him to appreciate the emotional resistance that can arise when confronting injustice.
Episode 1: New Jewish Spaces (Interview with Rabbi Shira Stutman)
In this interview, Rabbi Shira Stutman reflects on the promise and potential of an open, welcoming and pluralistic synagogue and community space.