This is the Forward’s coverage of Reform Judaism, a major liberal Jewish denomination.
Reform Judaism
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Fast Forward Rabbi Aaron Panken, Reform Seminary President, Killed In Plane Crash
(JTA) — Rabbi Aaron Panken, the president of Hebrew Union College, was killed piloting a small aircraft in the Hudson Valley area of New York state. MidHudson News reported that Panken crashed the plane in a wooded area in the Town of Wawayanda, near the New Jersey border. A passenger, Frank Reiss, a flight instructor,…
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Fast Forward Reform’s Rabbi Rick Jacobs Calls For Restraint On Gaza Border
(JTA) — The president of the largest Jewish movement in the United States called on Israel to “take all necessary and effective precautions” to prevent harm to civilians during the Gaza border protests. Rabbi Rick Jacobs of the Union for Reform Judaism said in a statement issued Monday that the “ongoing escalation on the Gazan…
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News Parkland Horror Elicits Another Communal Call For Gun Control
A tragic mass shooting that hit close to home for the Jewish community elicited a call from Jewish groups for gun control legislation. The Orthodox Union put its emphasis on expanding the program providing security grants to nonprofits, a program that has provided throughout the years funds for Jewish institutions to better address threats of…
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News Jews Gather To Eat Bacon With A Rabbi’s Blessing — And Celebrate Their History
At an event hall in early January, some 80 Californian foodies gathered to indulge in artisanal food prepared by Jewish chefs from the area. The dishes were locally sourced and carefully presented. An organizer lauded the spread as food made “mindfully,” and a Jewish rabbi offered a reverential prayer. No rubber chicken here — but…
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Opinion Want To Help Women Rabbis Get The Respect They Deserve? Here’s A List
Recently, my colleague, Rabbi Jordie Gerson, wrote an op-ed regarding the most common type of erasure that female clergy encounter: the omission of title and withholding of respect. It is a large-scale battle, but one that is fought in small moments. The article sparked a wide-ranging discussion among my colleagues in the Reform rabbinate. Many…
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News In Trump Era, Reform Jews Find Even More Meaning In Politics
This Rosh Hashana, Rabbi Adam Spilker delivered what he said was his strongest sermon ever as a spiritual leader. His congregation, a veteran Reform synagogue of more than 600 families in Minnesota, had recently signed on to a new campaign organized the Reform movement to ramp up political and social activism amidst the culture wars…
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The Schmooze The New ‘Star Wars’ Isn’t Pro-Reform Judaism. It’s Anti-Religious Inflexibility.
I watched “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” this weekend because the group I was with couldn’t decide between “Call Me By Your Name” and “I, Tonya.” I did not intend to write something Jewish about “Star Wars,” just as I have not previously intended to write about Jews and sports or Jews and sex-spaghetti. Then…
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Opinion American Jews: Your Obsession With The Western Wall Is Ridiculous
A familiar scene played out in front of the Western Wall recently. Leaders of the Reform movement from both the United States and Israel along with members of Women of the Wall attempted to pray and bring Torahs to the Wall. They were forcibly stopped and subjected to violence by guards hired by the Orthodox…
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