Reform Judaism
France’s ‘hip’ female rabbi draws Muslims, Christians and Jews in a time of crisis
By Julia Lieblich and Luc Vachez — June 29, 2020
(RNS) — One of only four female rabbis in France, Delphine Horvilleur calls herself a storyteller, and one who believes that ‘God has a good sense of humor.’
Should Reform and Conservative Judaism merge?
By Jeffrey Salkin — May 19, 2020
(RNS) — In the post COVID 19 era, will Jewish denominational differences still matter?
An extra symbol on this year’s seder plate: Chewing gum
By Jan Zauzmer — April 6, 2020
(RNS) — This year's spatially distant, socially malleable holiday observance is nothing if not an attempt to stretch the bounds of tradition. Let's add something meaningfully elastic.
What is the miracle of Hanukkah’s first night?
By Joshua Hammerman — December 20, 2019
(RNS) — It may be that 2,000 years later, Jews, a miraculously inextinguishable and inexhaustible people, still joyously light their menorahs and spin their dreidels as the sun sets.
Reform US rabbi in Dresden explains ultra-Orthodox traditions to German Jews
By Tom Heneghan — December 20, 2019
PARIS (RNS) — The story of Akiva Weingarten, an ultra-Orthodox New Yorker who was ordained in Israel and started over as a Reform rabbi in Germany, sounds like a made-for-TV movie saga.
US rabbis from three Jewish movements call for Stephen Miller’s firing
By Yonat Shimron — November 22, 2019
(RNS) — The statement follows a report from the Southern Poverty Law Center that revealed emails Miller sent to the conservative website Breitbart before he worked at the White House.
When a Jewish magazine dies
By Jeffrey Salkin — November 5, 2019
(RNS) — Sh’ma, the 40-year-old journal of Reform Jewish thought, utters Sh’ma, the deathbed prayer. Don’t mourn too much. It did its job.
Faith groups need to repent for gay ‘conversion’ bullying
By Mitchell Gold — October 16, 2019
(RNS) — Most clergy I know would recoil at the notion that they or their faith communities have routinely engaged in bullying — but that’s exactly what anti-LGBTQ messaging and policies are.
How American Jews became camp-passionate
By Jeffrey Salkin — July 31, 2019
Under the trees and by the lake, we were creating a new American Judaism. Who knew?
Richard Levy was a “real Jew,” and a great rabbi
By Jeffrey Salkin — June 24, 2019
There are, at least, two kinds of piety. You don't have to choose between them.
Sebastian Gorka, evaluator of rabbis
By Jeffrey Salkin — June 21, 2019
Who made this man an expert on Judaism?
What is killing the American synagogue?
By Jeffrey Salkin — May 24, 2019
(RNS) — A synagogue on Long Island is now in ruins. It wasn't the antisemites. It was something even sadder.
Al Vorspan was a Jewish giant of justice
By Jeffrey Salkin — February 17, 2019
The story Al Vorspan told me fifty years ago, and how it taught me to hear the real music.
How do you say kaddish for Kutz Camp?
By Jeffrey Salkin — December 10, 2018
A post-mortem for a Jewish summer camp. And, a certain way of being a kid.
As immigrants come north, ‘Let Our Families Go’ caravan heads for border tent city
By Eric Berger — November 14, 2018
(RNS) — The goal of the trip, an organizer said, is to 'raise our voices and ensure that indefinite detention of asylum seekers does not happen.'