Reconstructing Judaism

If we embrace Judaism, what do we do with passages from Torah and elsewhere that seem to directly undermine our worldviews and values? Human rights attorney turned rabbinical student Maria Pulzetti makes a compelling case that we should deal with these problematic biblical passages head-on. Listen to the latest episode from Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: https://loom.ly/awPgzG4

Join Rabbi William Plevan (RRC), Rabbi Sandra Lawson (Reconstructing Judaism) and Rabbi Salem Pearce (Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life) on Tuesday, Aug. 13 @ 1 p.m. EDT for a discussion of how Tisha B’Av might guide us in responding to the instability in our democracy. Registration is FREE: https://loom.ly/9Lrd1WA 🌿 What might our tradition’s stories of resistance, destruction and survival teach us about how to respond to the current crisis? 🌿 How could the practice of mourning sustain our capacity for hope as we face the challenges of the moment? This program is co-sponsored by Reconstructing Judaism Democracy Fellowship in honor of Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer, Ph.D. (RRC ‘82) and Rabbi Mordechai Liebling (RRC ’85).

For a certain generation of Jewish Americans, Israel and the memory of the Holocaust represented twin pillars of civil religion, argues Louis Newman, a scholar of Jewish ethics and religion, on the latest episode of the Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations podcast. While these pillars may have shown cracks for decades, Newman says they came crashing down on Oct. 7, 2023. What can we learn from our history? Where do we go from here? Listen now to hear more of this conversation between Louis Newman and our hosts, Rabbi Jacob Staub, Bryan Schwartzman and Sam Wachs: https://loom.ly/lCwYdP0

Members of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College faculty have arrived in Israel to take part in a study tour, the first such excursion since the horrors of Oct. 7, 2023, and the devastating war that has followed. This trip is an expression of the college’s commitment to Israel education as a core component of RRC’s rabbinical school curriculum and reflects a belief that effective Israel education is grounded in experience, knowledge, and relationships. The trip includes three days of intensive learning at the college’s program partner in Tel Aviv, BINA The Jewish Movement for Social Change. https://loom.ly/Q00or7s

Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum's trailblazing tenure at NYC's Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, New York City’s pioneering LGBTQ-oriented synagogue, has drawn to a close. Now, Kleinbaum has passed on the leadership a younger rabbi, recognizing that much work remains. She is a 1990 Reconstructionist Rabbinical College graduate. https://loom.ly/G_6TAVc

How does one find sources of optimism in Jewish life and culture in light of October 7, the Israel-Hamas War and the global rise in antisemitism? Cyd Weissman, Reconstructing Judaism’s vice president for engagement and innovation, spoke about this on a Shavuot panel held at the Weitzman Musuem of American Jewish History in Philadelphia and sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia: https://loom.ly/kQGOfZY

When it comes to combating systemic racism, everyone has something to learn. That’s one reason why faculty members at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College are engaging in a year-long process — one rooted in the Jewish practice of Mussar — to confront anti-Black racism in themselves and the college environment. Reconstructing Judaism is committed to leading “Jewish efforts to dismantle systemic racism, and to advance racial diversity, equity and inclusion within the Reconstructionist movement. Read more about what we are doing here: https://loom.ly/9sToCzg

This June, rediscover how equity is an expression of our Jewish values. Together, we’ll leave our narrow places and move through the wilderness into a place of shared freedom. Stay tuned for updates on this project presented in partnership with the Forward, the leading voice in Jewish journalism.

Many thanks to Dr. Tarece Johnson-Morgan for these beautiful words! May we all put aside our differences and work together in love and peace to make a difference in the world. Shabbat Shalom! #blackandjewish #jewishcommunity #love #shabbatshalom

These new and previously published essays offer a range of perspectives on how to engage with Torah, Revelation, Shavuot and, ultimately, Judaism itself. Check them out here: https://loom.ly/5xs5p1I