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.Statements from the Movement

In addition to endorsing and co-sponsoring numerous petitions, public letters and statements from aligned organizations, RRC/Jewish Reconstructionist Communities issues its own public statements on several issues. Here are the statements we have issued since May, either alone or jointly with the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association:

Statement by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association on Foregoing Annual High Holy Day Call with Trump
Response to Charlottesville
Statement on July Violence in Israel
Statement on Terror Attack at Entrance to Temple Mount
Statement on Cancellation of Western Wall Agreement
Statement on June 14 Shooting
Statement on Terrorist Attacks
Joint Statement on Israel Conversion Bill

Hashivenu: Jewish Teachings on Resilience - Podcast Episode 2 is live!

Last month, Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D., launched her new podcast called Hashivenu: Jewish teachings on resilience. We are excited to announce that Episode 2 is now live!

About Episode 2

As the High Holiday season approaches, Jewish people across the world begin to reflect on their behavior of the past year. They wonder: What does it mean to forgive? What does it mean to seek forgiveness? In a conversation with Rabbi Vivie Mayer, RRC '96, Rabbi Waxman explores the complexities of teshuvah (repentance) and ways to seek it as the Jewish new year approaches and throughout the year. Click here to listen.
 
If you missed episode 1, click here to listen.
.Reconstructionist Voices

An Unforgettable Shabbaton With Long-Lasting Impact

More than 120 people attended the Pacific Northwest Shabbaton in May, which featured dynamic workshops, festive meals, spirited prayer, walks by the lake, and Jewish learning led by RRC faculty members Elsie Stern, Ph.D., and Joel Hecker, Ph.D.
Read more here.

Explore JewishRecon.org, the New Online Home of Reconstructionist Judaism 

Looking to learn, act, or connect to Reconstructionist Judaism? Your best online resource is the newly redesigned JewishRecon.org. For a primer on some of the site’s new features and background into the thinking driving the redesign, check out this article.

The First Reconstructionist Birthright Adventure 

In this five-minute video from the first-ever Reconstructionist Birthright Trip, you’ll hear from some of our most inspiring young voices and see their reactions to the many facets of Israeli life and the peers they met there. If you’re looking to brighten your day, watch the video.

Embracing the Stranger: Elul 5777

For Elul 5777, we partnered with the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association and Ritualwell to create High Holiday teachings, poetry, and art that focus on "Embracing the Stranger" — the stranger we encounter inside ourselves, the strangers we meet in the world around us, and the intersection between the two. Explore this tremendous resource.
.Innovation and Impact
Reconstructionist Learning Networks Are Back! 

Are you ready to dream about and build the Jewish future you want to see? Reconstructionist Learning Networks connect you with people across geography and perspectives. Join us as we explore the crucial questions of Jewish life that just can’t be Googled. 
Learn more and register here.
Innovation 101: Have 100 Coffees 

Rabbi Shelly Barnathan, RRC '15, the winner of RRC’s 2017 Auerbach Innovation Launch Grant, had 100 coffees with more than 80 people while planning Or Zarua, an intimate Jewish community for baby-boomers she recently launched in the Philadelphia region. 
Read more here.
Ritual Guides

Are you planning your wedding? Did you recently bring home a new baby? Ever thought about how to mark a milestone anniversary? Let our Ritual Guides assist you in creating a meaningful ritual that will create memories for decades to come.
Elul: A Prayer for Those Who Wrestle

Ritualwell has lots of new content as we approach the High Holidays. Find meaningful rituals, prayers, reflections, and poems (like the poem found here) for the month of Elul. 
A Ritual for Sending Challah to College Kids

Sheri Lindner writes about her weekly ritual, in which she bakes challah on Wednesday to send to her college-age children just in time for Shabbat. Read more about the ritual on Ritualwell's blog.
Want to sell your products in the Ritualwell Store?

We welcome proposals from artists and merchants to sell their products in the online Ritualwell Store. Products should be aligned with the Ritualwell mission to enhance people’s experience of Jewish ritual. Please contact Ritualwell (ritualwell@rrc.edu) to discuss your product(s). Include a description of the product(s) you might want to sell and images or a link to view the product(s). We will let you know if we think your product would be a good fit for our store. We look forward to hearing from you!
.Upcoming Events

An Evening with The Zohar 
Oct. 17, 2017 
8:00 p.m.
92nd Street Y 
New York, N.Y. 

Celebration and book-signing for the completion of the translation of The Zohar: Prizker Edition. This translation by Joel Hecker, Ph.D., professor of Jewish mysticism at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, and co-authors makes the masterpiece of Jewish mystical tradition accessible in English for a new audience.   

Global Day of Jewish Learning
Nov. 12, 2017
10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Kol Emet
Yardley, Pa.

Join us for a Global Day of Jewish Learning featuring brunch, workshops, and a keynote presentation by Lori Lefkowitz, Ph.D. This year's theme will focus on "Beauty and Ugliness." 
Plenum
Dec. 3, 2017
1 p.m. EST / 10 a.m. PST

Plenum Representatives, please expect further details from the Affiliate Support Department.
.Reconstructionists in the News
A Lesson After Charlottesville: Join a Synagogue (The Times of Israel): Rabbi Nathan Weiner, RRC '16, writes a powerful call to action after the saddening events of Charlottesville. 

Iconic San Francisco Synagogue No Longer 'Just' For LGBT Jews (Forward): Rabbi Mychal Copeland, RRC '00, and Sharon Kleinbaum, RRC '90, discuss the changing role of LGBT-centric synagogues.

Keeping the Faith: Resilience in the Jewish Tradition (eJewish Philanthropy): Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D., RRC '99, speaks up for the importance of renewal practices in these stressful times. 

Jewish Startup Inspiration with the Innovators Incubator (Jeducation World): Hila Ratzabi describes how the Innovation and Impact team led Learning Networks to inspire Jewish leaders to reach for new goals. 

Rabbis Boycott Trump After Charlottesville Remarks (NPR): Rabbi Elyse Wechterman, Executive Director of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, explains her concerns about rising anti-Semitism in the United States. 
.Inspiration and Connection
The newly completed translation and commentary of The Zohar: Prizker Edition, by Joel Hecker, Ph.D. and co-authors, opens up the vast world of Jewish mysticism to a wider audience. Dr. Hecker, professor of Jewish mysticism at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, is among today’s most prominent scholars of Kabbalah. Against a backdrop of popular trivialization of this subject, he strives to help readers grasp the true theological gravity and multi-layered beauty of these mystical texts.
Join members of other Reconstructionist congregations on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for wisdom, news and special announcements.

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Support RRC
The Jewish Reconstructionist Communities in association with the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC) provides services for more than 100 congregations and havurot where members help create the Judaism they want to live. RRC is a progressive rabbinical school­­ where people of all backgrounds engage intensively with Jewish texts, thought and practice. As a combined organization, RRC / Jewish Reconstructionist Communities make up a unique kind of entity in the contemporary Jewish landscape.
 
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