Rabbi Toba Spitzer: Leader of Dorshei Tzedek in Newton, MA and President of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical AssociationRabbi Toba Spitzer was inaugurated as the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association President at their Convention on March 13, 2007.

Audio and written versions of the speech and Rabbi Potemkin's introduction are available. A one-paragraph excerpt is also provided.

Rabbi Spitzer has received much attention as the first gay or lesbian head of a rabbinical association. She meakes reference to this attention in speech, welcoming it.

Read and/or listen.

Dr. Arnold Eisen, JTS ChancellorThe Jewish Theological Seminary (J.T.S.) announced on March 26, 2007 that it will begin accepting openly gay and lesbian candidates into its rabbinical and cantorial schools, and extend application deadlines to allow for prospective students impacted by the decision.  read more »

The announcement comes on the heels of the decisions expressed in December by the Conservative movement's Committee on Jewish Law and Standards (C.J.L.S.), ending their movement’s ban on ordaining openly gay and lesbian rabbis and on sanctioning same-sex unions. Those teshuvot (rabbinic opinions) gave individual Conservative congregations and academic institutions the theological latitude to stake out their own positions.

RECONSTRUCTIONIST RABBINICAL ASSOCIATION CALLS FOR TROOP WITHDRAWL FROM IRAQ AND OPPOSES PREEMPTIVE INTERVENTION IN IRAN  read more »

• For immediate release
• Contact: Rabbi Richard Hirsh, 215-576-5210, rhirsh@therra.org

WYNCOTE, PA, March 16, 2007 The Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association (RRA) has adopted a resolution calling for a “rapid and responsible withdrawal” of U.S. military forces from Iraq. The resolution opposes U.S. troop escalation in Iraq and any unilateral and preemptive U.S. military intervention in Iran, urging instead a “political and diplomatic” solution to the region’s problems.

Reconstructionism Today's latest issue (Winter, 2007) is now available online and is attached to this post. Detailed coverage of the JRF convention held in November is included. The full texts of talks given by Rabbis Richard Hirsh, Toba Spitzer, Michael Strassfeld and Lester Bronstein are printed in the volume.

Other articles of note include Reconsidering Reconstructionist Liturgy by Dan Cedarbaum and Art Goes to Shul by RT editor Lisa Tuttle.

(L-R) Dan Cedarbaum and Bob BarkinDaniel Goldman Cedarbaum of Evanston, IL, immediate past president of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation (JRF) was honored at a luncheon on Sunday, February 28th. The event was held at Ezra Habonim, The Niles Township Jewish Congregation in Skokie, IL.  read more »

Over 170 people from the area and from around the country participated. Rabbi Rachel Gartner, Rabbi for Campus Ministries at Earlham College, Richmond, IN and Rabbi Brant Rosen of the Evanston-based synagogue, the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation, led the program. A Conversation about Spirituality. Also participating in the program were Rabbis Jonathan Ginsburg of Ezra Habonim, the Niles Township Jewish Congregation, and Moti Rieber of Beth Sholom in Naperville, IL.

(L to R) Rabbis Shawn Zevit, Jonah Pesner, and Elliott TeppermanRabbi Shawn Zevit, Director of Outreach and Tikkun Olam for JRF, Rabbi Brant Rosen, Rabbi Toba Spitzer, Rabbi Elliot Tepperman, Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, myself and over 20 other leaders from 10 JRF congregations recently represented our movement in attending the second JFJ national conference on Congregation-Based Community Organizing (CBCO) in Santa Clara, CA.  read more »

At the conference 30 people joined together for a Reconstructionist caucus to discuss next steps in bringing this powerful organizing and social justice approach to their congregational life.

See the file attachment for a listing of news around the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation. It is in Word format, intended for newsletter editors to cut and post into their newsletters.

It's also available here for our web site readers. Enjoy.

This summer, from Sunday, August 12 to Friday, August 17, 2007, teams of post-B'nai Mitzvah teens and their parents are invited to share a week working together to make a difference. Participants will meet at Camp JRF: The Aaron and Marjorie Ziegelman Campus in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains, and will travel to Wilkes Barre, PA, where they will provide much needed assistance with a variety of carpentry, building repair, home rehabilitation, and light construction projects.

Rabbi Jeff EisenstatLast week was Tu B'shvat, the Holiday of the Trees. As a matter of fact, I led a Tu B'shvat Seder with Rabbi Sonya Starr, Rabbi Ilyse Kramer, and our Columbia Jewish Congregation campers on the Fifteenth of Shvat. Assistant Director, Isaac Saposnik, was with our campers this past weekend for the Midwest Kallah (retreat) at our old site, Camp Henry Horner.

Beit Devora: 101 Greenwood Ave. Jenkintown, PA 19046In August, we moved from our Elkins Park location to 101 Greenwood in Jenkintown. But our space hadn't been built out yet and we've been working in temporary space. Now completed, we move one floor up to our permanent space. The move will take place on Thursday, February 15 and Friday, February 16. Our offices will be closed during the move.

We look forward to seeing you at the new space!