Following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's March 16 speech to Congress, more than 375 Jewish and other faith-based groups and organizations urged President Joe Biden to take immediate steps to welcome refugees from Ukraine. Jewish Federations of North America spearheaded the letter, sent March 18.
Public Square
Related Resources
Reconstructing Judaism offers prayers, and positive action steps, following an 11-hour hostage standoff at a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas.
We must act now in defense of democracy and in support of a vibrant, principled America that values all voices and that protects all minorities. We must insist that perpetrators of this insurrection — from those who instigated to those who acted — be held accountable. We must work to ensure that the Biden administration works with Congress to enact meaningful reforms in support of racial justice and voting rights, and to combat the white nationalist movement. American democracy is a great, unfolding experiment that requires attention and effort. Let us renew our commitment to the work of furthering it.
Many American Jews considering voting to be a mitzvah, a commandment. It is essential that every vote is counted so that every voice is heard and so that our full-throated democracy can flourish.
Positive media coverage can amplify your voice, inform the public about key issues and build further credibility for your community. At the same time, a negative story can negatively impact your community’s reputation. Here are key tips for speaking with journalists.
The murder of George Floyd is a blatant display of the systemic racism built into the fabric of American society. To our black and brown siblings: your lives matter. We support non-violent protest to build a more just and equitable world for all people. Let our anger and our love lift us up into a better tomorrow.
The rise in antisemitism is a real and growing threat, but the prospect of defining Judaism as a nationality is deeply problematic. The Reconstructionist notion of peoplehood sheds light on the weighty issues at stake.
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."
Pluralism is dead. Long live pluralism.
Two months after the attack at Pittsburgh congregation Dor Hadash, we revisit the community.
Eighty-six Jewish activists, including six Reconstructionist rabbis, were arrested in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 17 in a bold act of civil disobedience in solidarity with more than 800,000 Dreamers.
A petition to the elected leadership of our country to take steps to stop the spread of fascism.
This ritual invokes the blast of the shofar to articulate the plight of refugees. It was created for use at High Holidays in response to the presidential travel ban.
Video and transcript of conversation on journalistic ethics and Jewish values
Rabbi David Teutsch, Ph.D., discusses the role of the free press in the Jewish community and American society, and what Jewish values can teach us about journalistic ethics.
Rabbi David Teutsch, Ph.D., discusses the role of the free press in the Jewish community and American society, and what Jewish values can teach us about journalistic ethics.
Reconstructionist Judaism takes seriously our obligation to act together to address injustice and suffering. To do so, Rabbi Elliot Tepperman argues, our congregations need to be places where we can safely engage in political and ethical agitation and disagreement, while avoiding mere irritation.
Two RRC professors are part of an effort in which scholars of religion will, for the first 100 days of the new administration, be sending letters to the president, vice president, cabinet secretaries and members of the House and Senate.
How will you sustain your spirit through your next four years, your lifetime? Do you wonder how you can show up for challenging times with compassion, courage, equanimity and joy? Spirit in Practice, a podcast miniseries, answers these and other questions through lively discussion among emerging leaders and religious teachers of many faiths who are exploring social activism and spiritual practices.
