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”Rituals make spirituality manifest without demanding too much in the way of
explanation, which is essential, since language only takes you so far when it comes
to the sacred….We dance in circles at weddings to enact our small but crucial part in
a vast and mysterious cycle. We immerse
in mikveh to acknowledge the mystery of
change. We sing and feel our hearts open
and our doubts fall away.”
– Anita Diamant, author
“Many men are feeling displaced in our
congregations. The problem is not that
women are more active in Jewish life, but
that men and boys seem to have retreated….[We do not] want our achievements
to be minimized and the value of the work
we do diminished because there are not
enough men at the table.”
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– Shelley Lindauer, executive director,
Women of Reform Judaism
“Because [our kids] are waiting longer
to get married, it could be twenty years
between the time they graduate college
and the time they show up at our synagogue doors….That’s a generation. We
cannot sit back and…hope they show up
when their kids are ready for a religious
education. I’m not convinced they will
show up.”
– Dr. Ron Wolfson, Fingerhut Professor of
Education, American Jewish University.
Tony Blair, His Majesty King Abdullah II of
Jordan, and Israeli Ambassador to the United
States Michael Oren; listened to URJ and
WRJ chairs and presidents give major
addresses; worshipped with thousands of
other Jews; learned at hundreds of workshops and study sessions; consulted with
Union for Reform Judaism experts; experienced live music performances by star entertainers; caught up with old friends and made
new ones; and much more.
Enjoy this photographic taste of the 2009
URJ Biennial and WRJ Assembly, and mark
your calendars for December 14–18, 2011—our
next Reform family gathering, in the Washington, D.C. area. For more info visit
www.urj.org/biennial.
“The extremists of all [religious] traditions…are the enemies of us all, whether they
pray in Arabic, Sanskrit, English, or Hebrew.
If you seek to destroy pluralism—a world in
which people live in equal dignity and mutual loyalty—you are dangerous to life itself.”
– Dr. Eboo Patel, founder and executive
director, Interfaith Youth Core
“In the United States, according to the
IRS, there are more women controlling
wealth than ever before in our history. But
unlike any previous time in our history,
these women are more likely to use their
wealth deliberately and systematically to
aid other women. Globally…more than 145
funds exist to improve the lives of women
and girls, [up from] zero in 1972. I would
call it the power of sisterhood.”
– Lynn Magid Lazar, president,
Women of Reform Judaism