Related Blog Posts on Death and Mourning, Judicial Nominations, and Rabbi Rick Jacobs

Words of Remembrance for Sue Klau

Rabbi Rick Jacobs
What a joy it was to know and work closely with Sue Klau z"l who passed from this world Thursday morning. For every one of her 89 years, Sue was a bundle of creativity, commitment, and love. Along with her late, beloved husband, Jimmy, they were generous with their time, care, and resources toward every single part of our global Reform Movement.

5784 Hanukkah Message from Rabbi Rick Jacobs

Rabbi Rick Jacobs
A central theme of Hanukkah is Jewish sovereignty. To commemorate our independence and express our Jewish pride, we light our hanukkiyot publicly after sundown each night – outside in public spaces, or in a window or doorway at home. Doing so allows others to see the candles shining in the darkness, symbolizing the open expression of our Jewish identity.

URJ: 150 Years of Leadership and Light

Rabbi Rick Jacobs
Twenty-eight congregational leaders met in Cincinnati in the summer of 1873 to establish the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC), which we now call the Union for Reform Judaism. And so, 150 years ago, the Reform Movement in North America was born.

What a Trip to Israel Taught Two Faithful Progressives

Reverend Fred Davie
Rabbi Rick Jacobs
Last week, we traveled together to Israel and the Palestinian territories with a remarkable group of Black civil rights leaders and Reform Jewish leaders, including those who sit at the intersection of being Black and Jewish. We imagined that there would likely be bumps along the way, and there were. However, our group knew one another from our ongoing social justice and racial equity work in the United States, so there was a reservoir of goodwill and commonality that served us well.

Remembering Rabbi Dow Marmur z”l

Rabbi Rick Jacobs
We have lost one of the G'dolay ha'dor, one of the rabbinic giants of our time. Rabbi Dow Marmur's life reflected the triumphs and tragedy of 20th Century Jewish life, beginning in Poland on the eve of the Shoah to his last days in the State of Israel. He was truly brilliant, incisive, and witty, with unshakable integrity.

Blame Ourselves, Not God

Rabbi Rick Jacobs
Blaming God for such tragedies is theologically problematic; blaming God for failed human policies is blasphemous. This idea is worth considering as we cope with the devastating aftermath of the multiple disasters confronting us.