Western
Welcome to JRF's Western Region and Texas!
THE JRF'S WESTERN REGION & TEXAS - OUR MISSION: The JRF’s Western Region mission is to build a Reconstructionist Kehillah shel Kehillot. Our “community of communities” will provide an environment that: celebrates and respects each Kehillah's unique minhag (practices), enables each Kehillah to thrive and achieve its goals, while also stimulating connection, communication, and sharing of best practices within the region. Regional leadership will serve as the first point of contact for Affiliates, ensuring that they become aware of the JRF’s North American initiatives and available resources. Regional leadership will expedite connections to such resources and other solutions and services that affiliate members value as helpful to achieving their objectives. Leaders will also facilitate synergies within the region and seek opportunities for the Western Region to be an integral part of the entire movement’s Kehillah shel Kehillot, with the intention of fostering growth, innovation and inspiration. read more »
JRF Legacy Project
April 20, 2012 - 2:02pm — Victoria Cangelosi
As the JRF and the RRC continue to restructure our movement for a better future, JRF has created a timeless Legacy Tribute Book in honor of our congregations. This keepsake memento will walk our members through the years of Reconstructionist history and highlight each of our communities in story and pictures. We are looking for your help to make this once-in-a-lifetime tribute book a reality. Would you consider making a gift to the JRF to support our lasting legacy?
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BELONGING, BEHAVING, BELIEVING: THE WISDOM OF RECONSTRUCTIONIST JUDAISM
SUNDAY MARCH 25 from 9:30am to 4:30pm
Congregation Or Shalom
1250 Quintara St. SF, CA 94116
Come join Reconstructionists from across Northern California for a Yom Iyyun -- a Day of Learning -- to explore how the Reconstructionist understanding of peoplehood impacts Jewish life and practice. This is a wonderful opportunity for Reconstructionist Jews, and those interested in learning about transformative 21st Century Judaism, to enjoy stimulating speakers and discussions, share wisdom & experiences, participate in dynamic workshops and lift our voices together in music and song.
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THE NORTHWEST RECONSTRUCTIONIST DAY OF LEARNING WAS AN OVERWHLEMING SUCCESS!
February 6, 2012 - 1:05pm — Victoria Cangelosi
Over seventy participants - from as far north as Seattle, Washington to as far south as Eugene, Oregon - attended JRF’s regional Yom Iyyun (Day of Learning), themed “East by Northwest: A Jewish Perspective on Place and Community.” The five Reconstructionist congregations and havurot of the Pacific Northwest sponsored this thought-provoking program, held January 29th 2012 at Havurah Shalom in Portland. Feedback from attendees was extremely positive. read more »
Groundbreaking Women’s Torah coming to San Francisco Bay Area
January 31, 2012 - 3:48pm — Victoria Cangelosi
This February, the Reconstructionist Community of the Bay Area welcomes the Women’s Torah, the first Torah in history to be created and embellished by an international community of women and the first to be sewn together in community.
The Torah is the handwritten parchment scroll of the first five books of the bible. All over the world, Jews read and study from the Torah during religious services and other times. The Hebrew letters must be hand-written by a trained scribe on special parchment using special ink and quills. Learning to become a Torah scribe requires painstaking training that takes many years. Until the Women’s Torah Project (WTP), only men scribed Torahs. read more »
East by Northwest: A Jewish Perspective on Place and Community - A Yom Iyyun (Day of Learning)
This is a joint event of the Pacific Northwest JRF Congregations and Havurot:
Temple Beth Israel (Eugene, Oregon), Temple Beth Shalom (Salem, Oregon), Havurah Shalom (Portland, Oregon), Temple Beth Hatfiloh (Olympia, Washington), and Kadima (Seattle, Washington)
Come join Reconstructionists from across Oregon and Washington for a Yom Iyyun -- a Day of Learning -- to explore how "place" impacts Jewish life and practice in the Diaspora in the 21st century.
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The Western Region Congratulates JRF on a great Convention
November 29, 2010 - 12:31pm — Victoria Cangelosi
We'd like to congratulate the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation on a wonderful 2010 Convention. The Western Region was thrilled to host this year's gathering in Newport Beach, California. The overwhelming feedback has been that the 2010 Convention was an incredible experience. Mazel tov, JRF!
Women's Torah Project
November 23, 2010 - 12:00pm — Victoria Cangelosi
The Western Region of the JRF congratulates the Reconstructionist congregation Kadima on the creation of the first Women's Torah ever to be commissioned.
The Women's Torah was finished in Seattle, Washington on October 15, 2010, with the help of many hands, hearts, and spirits. It is not only the first Torah written and embellished by an international community of women, it is the first Torah literally sewn together in community. Dozens of people had the opportunity to fill in letters, sew the parchment panels together, and tie the scroll to the rollers. Many others watched or helped the six scribes put the 62 panels in order, under the exultant wings of Shekinah.
Read more about the Women's Torah
Last year's Western Region Reconstructionist “Trailblazers”
August 19, 2010 - 10:37am — Victoria Cangelosi
The Western Region of JRF celebrated their Morei Derekh Reconstructionist Trailblazers. These outstanding individuals were chosen by their congregations for the Western region’s distinguished leadership award. Whether through building community, tikkun olam (social action) or hesed (acts of service), their volunteerism stands as a model for inspirational values in both the Jewish world and broader secular society.
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JRF Congratulates Rabbi Seth Goldstein
June 29, 2010 - 12:03pm — Victoria Cangelosi
CONGRATULATIONS to Rabbi Seth Goldstein of Temple Beth Hatfiloh in Olympia. He has been named one of the top 10 Jews under the age of 40 in Washington state who are making a difference in their communities. In bestowing the honor, the JTNews, a Seattle-based Jewish newspaper, said that New York-born Goldstein never planned on becoming a rabbi. But after visiting Temple Beth Hatfiloh, Olympia’s Reconstructionist synagogue, as a student rabbi, he couldn’t resist an opportunity to pull this region’s Jewish community together. Read the article.
