Reform Presses Obama on No-Discrimination Order
Nearly two dozen faith groups joined an initiative led by the Reform Jewish movement calling on President Obama to reconsider his decision not to issue an anti-discrimination executive order.
In Thursday’s letter, 23 organizations expressed disappointment that the president did not issue an executive order to include sexual orientation and gender identity as prohibited forms of employment discrimination practices by U.S. government contractors.
“We believe that no one should face discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity: Our various faith traditions and belief systems counsel the treatment of all people with dignity,” the organizations wrote.
The letter was spearheaded by the Reform movement’s Religious Action Center. Signatories included Christian, Muslim and Jewish groups.
In addition to a number of Reform-affiliated bodies, Jewish groups included the Reconstructionist movement, the Anti-Defamation League and the National Council of Jewish Women.
Why I became the Forward’s editor-in-chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
— Alyssa Katz, editor-in-chief
