NEW YORK – In response to President Obama’s announcement today naming U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice as his new National Security Advisor, the Rabbinical Assembly released the statements below:

Julie Schonfeld said,

On behalf of the rabbis of the Rabbinical Assembly, I am extremely pleased with President Obama’s decision to appoint Susan Rice as his National Security Advisor. As an experienced diplomat, and a champion of human rights, Ambassador Rice is a smart choice for security advisor. At the United Nations, she has successfully led efforts to advance U.S. interests, including saving countless Libyans, supporting the historic independence of South Sudan after years of genocide and horror, and delivering the tightest sanctions on Iran and North Korea.

Moreover, Ambassador Rice has always been a great friend to the Conservative movement, the Jewish community, and Israel. She has engaged extensively with Jewish community leadership and has globally advocated for democracy, truth and fairness, values that we as Jews cherish. As the Ambassador to the United Nations, Rice has been a steadfast and unwavering supporter of Israel's security and legitimacy by forcefully and courageously opposing unbalanced and biased actions against Israel in the Security Council, the General Assembly and across the UN system. Because of Ambassador Rice, America’s defense of Israel is stronger than ever.

On a personal level, I have enjoyed the privilege of knowing Ambassador Rice for over a decade and know that her courage emanating from deeply held values is what has earned her the respect, trust and admiration of the Jewish community around the world.

Gerald Skolnick added, 

On behalf of the Rabbinical Assembly, I would like to extend my congratulations to Ambassador Rice on her White House appointment. As Ambassador Rice moves to the National Security Office at the White House, we look forward to working with Samantha Power in her new role as UN Ambassador on our mutual interests of defending universal human rights and Israeli security.

NEW YORK – In response to the death today of Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey, Gerald Skolnik and Julie Schonfeld released the following statement:

During his almost 30 years in the Senate, Senator Frank Lautenberg was a true advocate for Israel and the Jewish community, ensuring that refugees from troubled nations could seek safe haven from religious persecution in the United States.

The child of Jewish immigrants to the United States and a World War II hero, Senator Lautenberg was a model Jewish leader – an ambitious and inspiring man who became a leader in Congress. A steadfast advocate for the poor and vulnerable, he was a leader in the fight for comprehensive immigration reform. In a similar vein, he leaves behind an admirable legacy of respect for gender and religious equality. Most recently, Senator Lautenberg fought for legislation to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals. His advocacy for gun violence prevention legislation will live on after his death.

May his memory be for a blessing.

Also calls for official, non-Orthodox administration of Robinson’s Arch

NEW YORK – In response to the announcement by Israel’s Ministry of Religious Services that it will develop criteria enabling communities to select rabbis of their own choosing without regard to religious denomination, Gerald Skolnik and Julie Schonfeld issued the following statement:

We are pleased to learn that the Ministry of Religious Affairs has announced its intention to end discriminatory practices in the selection of religious leadership by communities. We are hopeful that such policies will bring us significantly closer to restoring the principle of freedom of religion and conscience, one of the pillars of democracy undergirding Israel’s political system.

We support our rabbinic colleagues in Israel who work tirelessly on behalf of Israeli citizens to strengthen and enrich their lives through Judaism. In the absence of separation of synagogue and state, equal funding for all religious streams is the prerequisite for making Judaism available to Israeli Jews long alienated by decades of entrenched Orthodox monopoly by the Israel government.

The Rabbinical Assembly encourages the Ministry of Religious Services to take swift action to implement fair guidelines on this issue. In numerous cases, government pronouncements have remained unfulfilled for years. We are eager to see the new government reverse this model of discrimination by not delaying in implementing its new policy.

In May 2012, Israeli Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein issued a determination declaring that Conservative and Reform rabbis serving in rural communities would be paid salaries by the Ministry of Culture and Sport, thus short-circuiting the need for the Supreme Court to make a decision in the case of Rabbi Miri Gold. One year later, Rabbi Gold has yet to receive the first shekel.

Under the direction of Natan Sharansky, discussions are now also underway regarding renovation of the Kotel, including at Robinson’s Arch where egalitarian prayer services are now held. The initial requirement for the Israeli government to create appropriate space at Robinson’s Arch goes back to 2003, and yet the space is still largely unsuitable and open only for very limited hours. The Conservative Masorti Movement in Israel brings 20,000 worshippers to the current space, undertaking the administration and supply of prayer books and other necessary items at our own expense. Equitable funding for the work carried out by Masorti rabbis at Robinson’s Arch also calls for redress by the government of Israel, which benefits immensely from the tireless service of these Israeli citizens.

Now is also the time for government to support the appointment and government funding of non-Orthodox leaders to administer this space, just as the government supports the administration of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.

NEW YORK – In the wake of rioting by extreme, ultra-Orthodox segments of the Israeli population, resulting in violence against women seeking to pray according to their understanding of Jewish tradition and in accordance with Israeli law, Gerald Skolnik and Julie Schonfeld issued the following statement in response:

We are shocked and horrified to see the desecration of a Jewish holy site by Jewish religious extremists. We call for a full investigation by the Israeli government into the role of government salaried religious officials who called for thousands of people, especially youth to come to the Western Wall plaza, provoking hooliganism targeting fellow Jews and putting young boys and girls in a dangerous situation. We extend our thanks to the Jerusalem police for their professionalism and dedication this morning in protecting Women of the Wall and their supporters as they attempted to pray in accordance with the law, and Jewish tradition.

As we watch our sisters and brothers in Israel undertake a long awaited challenge to an entrenched system of political abuses, we look forward to the day when all Jews in Israel enjoy the rights to religious freedom in matters not only of worship, but birth, death, marriage and divorce. Sadly, it will take some time to unravel the net of religious coercion that has entrapped Israeli democracy. The courage and calm of Jerusalem police this morning is a positive sign of the civic and public discipline that will need to be exercised as justice and order is restored to the people of Israel.

We look forward to receiving an official version of a plan from Natan Sharanksy, on behalf of the Prime Minister, resulting in two equal prayer sections consistent with the Supreme Court’s directives to the government. In the intervening years, Conservative rabbis have provided egalitarian prayer space to 20,000 worshippers a year under challenging conditions at Robinson’s Arch. They have done so by literally carrying all prayerbooks, scrolls, tables and necessary items to the site in order to allow Jews to pray in the Traditional egalitarian manner that respects all people equally.

(Download PDF)

NEW YORK – In response to Wednesday’s failure in the Senate to pass an amendment supporting a compromise on stricter background checks on firearms for private-party gun sales at gun shows and online, Gerald Skolnik and Julie Schonfeld issued the following statement:

The Rabbinical Assembly looks in utter shock at the moral failure of our elected officials to pass even the most inadequate background check legislation. We wonder where our society is headed when, after years of children being gunned down in our cities without even public notice, even a brutal massacre of six-year-olds goes unheeded. We can only say, with deep regret, and frankly, shame today as Americans, that you have failed us.

We appreciate the tireless and courageous efforts of President Obama and Vice President Biden in their commitment to prevent further heinous acts of gun violence, but we  must say to the ladies and gentlemen of the Senate: "Lo ta’amod al dam re’eicha" – "Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor" (Leviticus 19). We all must face the fact that left unchecked, acts of gun violence will happen again, whether it be today, tomorrow or the next day. There can be no mistake, because of your neglect of your moral obligations to the American people, that you bear responsibility.

(Download PDF)

NEW YORK – The Rabbinical Assembly and Jewish Lights, a leading publisher of books and LifeLights™ pastoral care resources that reflect the Jewish wisdom tradition for people of all faiths and all backgrounds, announced the establishment of a new joint imprint. The new imprint will publish works of interest both to the Jewish community and other readers interested in how Conservative Judaism teaches Torah.

"We hope to give those seeking insights into Judaism a wide array of publications to reflect on their religious journey," said Julie Schonfeld. "We will publish works that will give people of faith the tools to explore their own religious journey from the perspective of the wisdom of Conservative Judaism."

The imprint’s first publication will be God of Becoming and Relationship: The Dynamic Nature of Process Theology, due to be released this fall. Edited by Bradley Shavit Artson, dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, with contributions from 13 leading theologians, the book focuses on process theology, which reflects upon the dynamic relationship between God and the world, and the way the world is ever-changing through God’s hand. The book continues the exploration of process theology that began with a special edition of Conservative Judaism Journal, jointly published by the RA and The Jewish Theological Seminary. 

"How perfect that the first volume in a joint Rabbinical Assembly/Jewish Lights imprint invites contemporary readers to develop a personal theology that is authentic, open to the breadth of modern science and academic insight, and articulates an integration of heart, mind and soul," Artson commented. "Process Theology offers precisely that rich harvest to today's inquisitive minds and seeking souls."

Stuart Matlins, Jewish Light’s founder and publisher, added, "One of the major goals of the Jewish Lights publishing program is to encourage people to think about and explore the meaning of the Divine in their lives and as, Jewish people in particular, their personal relationship with God. This important and innovative book will help us facilitate and provide resources for the conversation."

A joint Rabbinical Assembly/Jewish Lights editorial committee will review manuscripts for publication. Manuscripts should be submitted for consideration to Stuart Matlins at Jewish Lights as set out in the publisher’s manuscript submission guidelines on its website, jewishlights.com.

New York, The following letter of thanks and congratulations was sent to President Obama on behalf of the Rabbinical Assembly upon his return from visiting Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan.

Dear Mr. President:

We write to congratulate you for what was, in so many significant ways, a vitally important and successful trip to Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Jordan this past week.

The unprecedented levels of support and cooperation that Israel has enjoyed from the United States during your first term offer eloquent testimony to the enduring relationship between these two great democracies. We in the Rabbinical Assembly, 1700 rabbis world-wide, including in Israel, have long appreciated your unshakable commitment to Israel’s security, and intuitive understanding of the great difficulties that she faces in a particularly dangerous part of the world.

The personal and intimate bond that you established with the people of Israel and their leaders over these past few days has forever changed the landscape of the American-Israeli friendship, and we salute you for making this extraordinary gesture. Two of our leading Israeli colleagues, RA Israel President Rabbi Mauricio Balter and Raba Tamar Elad-Appelbaum were present on Thursday for your speech and remarked:

President Obama's message spoke to us as an Israeli man and an Israeli woman, as Jews, as Zionists, and as Israeli rabbis. His words were those of a true friend of the Jewish people and of the State of Israel, deeply rooted in the teachings of Torah: faith, partnership, sovereignty and security, peace, prosperity and Tikkun Olam. As Israeli rabbis we heard his words and through them saw a vision which we share, that of a nation returning to its homeland to build a state in light of its eternal values, a state which would become a center of pride to every Jew and to the human community as a whole.

It is our fondest hope that this new and powerful connection, characterized by enhanced trust and respect, will open the door to renewed progress in the quest for an enduring peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

In this season of redemption, we join you in the prayer for a more peaceful and just world, and are strengthened in this vision by the friendship and partnership of the American and Israeli people.

B'virkat shalom (with blessings of peace),
Rabbi Gerald C. Skolnik, president
Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, executive vice president

WASHINGTON – Today, the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships convened to release its report, Building Partnerships to Eradicate Modern-Day Slavery, and to present the report’s recommendations to President Obama on how to eliminate modern-day slavery. The recommendations are available at the White House’s website.

The advisory council’s 10 recommendations focus on how faith-based and community organizations around the country can work together to end modern-day slavery, as well as support the White House in expanding the growing sector of modern-day abolitionists in every sector fighting modern-day slavery. Among the advisory council’s recommendations is the formation of a set of definitive standards for companies and industries to follow for eliminating slavery in supply chains. The council recommends these standards be developed as a result of the implementation of President Obama’s executive order issued during the Clinton Global Initiative last September, prohibiting the U.S. government from purchasing goods or services from contractors who engage in any form of human trafficking.

Julie Schonfeld, a member of the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, was present at today’s meeting and issued the following statement today:

I am proud to join my esteemed fellow members of the Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships in initiating a national call to action for our government to work with the American public – charitable organizations, the business community, universities and other educational institutions, and the religious community, to eradicate modern-day slavery – a heinous crime trapping an estimated 21 million people across the globe in servitude.

The voices of courageous survivors of human trafficking and the efforts of the many non-governmental organizations dedicated to ending this crime too often go unheard. As faith and community leaders, we are compelled to come together to raise up a unified moral voice to mobilize the public to join us in our opposition to modern-day slavery. But just as importantly, we call upon the White House to use its unique role as leader and convener to mobilize even larger numbers of people and resources across the country – and across the globe – so that together, we can bring the struggle against modern-day slavery to the scale it demands.

We share President Obama’s conviction that “our fight against human trafficking is one of the great human rights causes of our time.” It is a high-profit and low-risk endeavor that allows criminals, through their cruel enslavement of innocent people, to profit by $32 billion per year.

Since July of last year, the members of the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships have worked to develop recommendations we are confident President Obama will support, so that together, we can find a solution to ridding our society of modern-day slavery.

As a rabbi, I recognize that the Jewish community has an abiding interest in fulfilling our moral mandate to emulate the Godly qualities described in the Bible – where God “saw our suffering and brought us out of Egypt with an outstretched arm.” The Jewish community joins Americans of all faiths in our abiding belief that human beings are inherently free and may never be viewed as property, much less subject to the horrors of labor and sexual exploitation.

We pledge to continue to work as a collective front of advocates opposed to human trafficking in order to successfully combat this complex situation which affects a diversity of individuals and communities, is exacerbated by rampant poverty, and preys on those in crisis seeking refuge in runaway and homeless youth shelters. We urge the White House to accept leadership in this realm and to help us grow partnerships across different industries, faiths, and communities across the country – and globe.

Two Conservative rabbis among those arrested

NEW YORK – Following today’s arrest of 10 women praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Julie Schonfeld renewed her call for a quick solution that respects religious pluralism and women’s equality. Schonfeld has been an outspoken critic of the treatment of non-Orthodox Jews at the wall.

Among those arrested today were RA members Debra Cantor of B’nai Tikvoh-Sholom in Bloomfield, Conn., and Robyn Fryer Bodzin of the Israel Center of Conservative Judaism in Flushing, N.Y. In response to the arrests, Schonfeld offered the following statement:

Today’s arrests at the Western Wall are a deeply concerning development at a time when we were hopeful for real progress on religious pluralism and women’s equality at this sacred site. It is unthinkable that in 2013, Israel is still denying the religious freedom of Jews wishing to express their faith without fear of being detained. Today’s action once again divides the Jewish community’s unity and drains energy away from crucial issues demanding our attention.

Adding to Schonfeld’s comments, Gerald C. Skolnik, president of the Rabbinical Assembly, said:

I am proud of Robyn Fryer Bodzin and Debra Cantor and all those who were willing to put their personal freedom at risk today on behalf of all of us. Cantor, one of the first women ordained by our movement, and Fryer Bodzin, ordained in 2005, embody the immeasurable contribution that women make to the Conservative Rabbinate and world Jewry.

NEW YORK – Today, President Obama issued recommendations on reducing gun violence in the United States. On behalf of the Rabbinical Assembly, Gerald Skolnik and Julie Schonfeld issued the following statement:

In the Jewish tradition, the conclusion of the first month of mourning signifies a transition from the initial shock of tragic loss to a process of grieving that also keeps alive the gifts and visions of those who have died. Because the victims of Newtown were teachers and very small children who did not have time to share their talents with the world, it is up to us to honor their memories through moral action. Indeed, we learn in the Talmud that the world itself rests on the breath of schoolchildren.

It is fitting that as we mark one month since tragedy struck in Newtown, President Obama is taking the threat of gun violence seriously and releasing recommendations on how together, we can work to prevent it as a nation.

Extensive restrictions on semi-automatic assault weapons and high capacity magazines and requiring background checks for all gun purchasers have the power to help reduce violence for all Americans, especially children. Furthermore, we must ensure that we are keeping updated background information on those who should not own guns, and we must prosecute if they try to purchase a gun, as well as prosecute those who try to sell guns to them.

Our society has long neglected a woefully inadequate and poorly organized system of mental health services. In part, this is because we stigmatize mental illness. We mustn't allow the tragedy in Newtown to further misperceptions about mental illness, fueled by fear, but instead, we must engage in a comprehensive overhaul of the ways in which mental health services are made available to those who need them. Most importantly, because mental illness, like any illness, affects many American families, we must change our language from fear and ostracism to treatment and support for members of the mentally ill community, as well as for their families.

The Rabbinical Assembly supports the president and vice president in swiftly bringing forth substantive recommendations, and in turn, we urge Congress to enact effective and meaningful legislation aimed to curb gun violence. Nothing less than our most fundamental obligations as citizens to ensure a safe society are at stake.

NEW YORK – In response to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s decision to ask the Jewish Agency to study the issue of women’s prayer and women’s equality and come up with solutions to ensure the sacred site of the Western Wall is welcoming to all who wish to pray there, Julie Schonfeld released the following statement:

On behalf of the 1,700 Conservative rabbis who comprise our movement, the Rabbinical Assembly supports Israel in its efforts to work toward ensuring women’s equality and religious pluralism -- both in the most sacred moment of prayer at the Western Wall -- and throughout life in Israel.  All Jews should feel welcome and be legally permitted to express their Judaism freely at this holy place we all share.

We seek to bring our communities together in support of reasonable steps taken to prevent future suffering such as that endured by the bereaved and traumatized families of gun violence victims… we commit to building consensus and support in our communities for steps that will turn our collective grief into shared hope.

WASHINGTON D.C.– On the one month anniversary of the Newtown tragedy, in advance of Vice President Biden's report and policy recommendations to President Obama, and as the discussion about preventing gun violence continues in communities throughout the United States, a number of prominent national leaders, who have served on the President’s Advisory Council on Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships today released the following joint statement (please note: these leaders are not speaking on behalf of the Councils nor on behalf of their professional organizations or congregations, but in their individual capacities). The political, ideological and religious diversity reflected among this group of leaders underscores the common understanding of the importance of meaningful action to address gun violence. The full statement is below:

We come together as faith and community leaders who love our country and its Constitution, treasure our rights and take pride in fulfilling our duties as American citizens. We have come to respect each other out of our service on the President’s Advisory Councils on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships but we speak out today in our individual capacities out of our shared desire to unite our country in addressing the challenges of gun violence in America. We write on the one month anniversary of the tragedy in Newtown and are issuing this statement before Vice President Biden issues his report and recommendations.

As we are people of diverse religious, ideological and political views, so our communities are comprised of millions of loyal Americans, some who own guns and some who do not, but all of whom have grieved alongside the families of those lost to gun violence. We come with a common purpose out of a conviction that despite our diversity, we all share a commitment to protect the lives of our people. We commit ourselves and call upon our communities and our elected officials to make every effort to save human lives, especially the lives of children, from senseless gun violence that does not represent the responsible citizenship intended by the Second Amendment.  

Gun violence profoundly affects people in our neighborhoods, our organizations, and our houses of worship. We seek to bring our communities together in support of reasonable steps taken to prevent future suffering such as that endured by the bereaved and traumatized families of gun violence victims. We endorse reasonable steps taken to keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of dangerous people through measures such as ensuring and enforcing universal background checks for gun purchases, collection and publication of relevant data on gun violence, and other constructive measures that will limit gun violence.   

Millions who we serve and their families already suffer the effects of the stigmatizing misperceptions regarding mental illness. As we serve, teach and counsel our communities, we can help those who constitute a danger to themselves and others, and guide them to the intervention and help they need. Now is a time to educate the public and bring support for creating adequate mental health and mental illness resources in the community.  We call upon all sectors of American society, including our government, to see that those in need of mental health services will more readily find and receive them.

We know that these changes are deeply connected with changing our culture and ourselves so that we no longer treat depictions of excessive violence as a primary source of our entertainment. This is a transformation that begins at the grassroots level of family, school, community institution and house of worship.  Without a doubt, the national mourning that has followed the tragedy in Newtown demonstrates that even the incessant cacophony of violent film, music and video that overwhelms our senses each day has not dulled the compassion with which we are endowed. 

We acknowledge that our communities are not in total agreement as to the extent of the measures they currently envision. As religious and non-profit leaders, we commit to building consensus and support in our communities for steps that will turn our collective grief into shared hope. We acknowledge that the privilege of American freedom also carries a moral responsibility, which we recognize we can only shoulder together.

• Susan K. Stern
• Melissa Rogers

• Rev. Leith Anderson
• Anju Bhargava
• Angela Glover Blackwell
• Noel Castellanos
• Arturo Chávez, Ph.D.
• Rev. Canon Peg Chemberlin
• Frederick A. Davie, M.Div.
• Archbishop Demetrios of America
• Bishop Mark S. Hanson
• Dr. Joel C. Hunter
• Lynne Hybels
• Harry Knox
• Ven. Miaohong
• Rev. Otis Moss Jr.
• Maria Nagorski
• Nancy Ratzan
• Rabbi David Saperstein
• Rabbi Julie Schonfeld
• Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori
• Pastor William J. Shaw
• Elder Steven E. Snow
• Rev. Larry J. Snyder
• Rev. Jim Wallis
• Rev. Dr. Sharon E. Watkins 
• Sister Marlene Weisenbeck
• Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner
• Rev. Dr. Nancy Wilson

NEW YORK – On December 17, Senator Daniel Inouye passed away, after a career in public service spanning seven decades. On behalf of the Rabbinical Assembly, Gerald Skolnik, RA President, and Julie Schonfeld, RA Executive Vice President, issued the following statement expressing the RA’s sorrow following the passing of a dear friend and senator:

We mourn the loss of a great American, Senator Daniel Inouye, who was one of the greatest friends of Israel we have ever known. His long and meaningful service to our country is incalculable, and beyond his impressive nine-term career in the United States Senate, Senator Inouye embodied a humility and sincerity which is rarely seen in politics today.

On behalf of the 1,700 Conservative rabbis that comprise our movement, the Rabbinical Assembly greatly appreciates Senator Inouye’s thorough commitment to Israel and the Jewish people, which began as he recovered from serving courageously with the 442^nd Regimental Combat Team in World War II. While serving as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Inouye facilitated significant increases of U.S. aid to Israel and made a point to attend Israeli Independence Day celebrations in the nation’s capital every year.

We offer our deepest condolences to the family of Senator Daniel Inouye and pray that his memory continues to inspire generations of individuals seeking to serve their country.

(Download PDF)

NEW YORK – In response to Friday’s tragedy in Newtown, Conn., the leadership of Conservative Judaism, which includes the Rabbinical Assembly and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, together issued the following statement:

The sacred Jewish text the Mishnah teaches that every human life is unique and precious, created in the divine image.  In the Mishnah, our sages tell us that carrying a weapon is disgraceful; as it says (in Isaiah),“They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks…” (Shabbat 6:4).

Conservative and Masorti Jews join the world in mourning the victims of the senseless murder in Newtown, Conn., including 20 innocent children and their teachers and beloved principal. 

The United States has recently witnessed the wanton killing of innocents by gunfire across the country, both in terms of mass killings in Colorado, Arizona, Wisconsin and Connecticut, among others, as well as hundreds of shootings, many fatal, in crimes, acts of passion and accidents each and every day. 

In 1993, 1995 and 2012, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism went on the record asking that action be taken to reduce the danger to our society from the too easy availability of guns, and in 1990, 1995 and 2011, the Rabbinical Assembly passed similar resolutions calling for very strict regulations on the manufacture, importation and sale of guns.

The leadership of Conservative Judaism, which includes the Rabbinical Assembly, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the Jewish Theological Seminary, Cantors Assembly, Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs, Women’s League for Conservative Judaism, the Jewish Educators Assembly, and the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies reiterates its call for:

1. Stopping sales of assault weapons for non-combat use;
2. Creating a system to tighten and monitor sales of ammunition to individuals;
3. Creating a system to lengthen purchase time for all weapons to ensure that a complete background check be made before sales of guns;
4. Creating a system for coding all ammunition sold in the United States to be traceable to its purchaser;
5. Requiring gun manufacturers to install the already developed system which codes ammunition with traceable markings for each gun; and
6. Banning online sales of ammunition.

We ask that all Americans contact their elected and appointed governmental officials at the local, state and federal levels to echo the words of President Obama on December 16, as he addressed the families of Newtown: “We have to change.”  The President vowed to use “the power of this office” to do whatever it takes  to engage with law enforcement, mental health professionals, parents and educators in an effort to prevent more tragedies like Newtown.

We call for Americans of all faiths to plan for major advocacy in the coming weeks and months to show massive support for strong gun control legislation and enforcement in the United States.

(Download PDF)

NEW YORK – Today, the United Nations General Assembly voted to grant the Palestinian Authority’s non-member observer status at the UN. Calling the outcome a diversion to peace between Israel and the Palestinians, the leaders of the two international organizations of Conservative Judaism were critical of today’s UN vote, which grants the Palestinian Authority de facto statehood. The Rabbinical Assembly, the international umbrella organization for Conservative rabbis, and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, which represents the movement’s North American congregations, together issued the following statement:

Gerald Skolnik, RA President, said, “We speak for Conservative Jews across the United States and internationally when we emphasize in no uncertain terms that a vote on the Palestinians receiving enhanced status in the United Nations is counterproductive as long as Palestinian leadership continues to refuse to engage in direct peace negotiations with Israel.”

Julie Schonfeld, RA Executive Vice President, saluted the Obama administration for its support of Israel, “We are grateful that President Obama and his administration understand and respect the fundamental point of direct negotiations with no preconditions and stand with Israel. We call upon the governments of the United States, Israel and the Palestinian Authority, as well as the United Nations, to prioritize lasting peace in the Middle East and to return to direct negotiations with no preconditions. We pray for peaceful resolution culminating in a two-state solution achieved peacefully and cooperatively.”

Added Steve Wernick, Chief Executive Officer of the USCJ, “Peace in the Middle East must remain one of the top priorities of the UN, and until we know that the Palestinians are willing to participate in peaceful and productive negotiations with Israel, no international governmental body should reward them with increased recognition.”

USCJ President, Richard Skolnik, took note of the irony of today’s date. “Sixty-five years ago – to the very day – the United Nations approved the partition plan. Over half a century passed since the Palestinians passed on the chance at statehood. Today’s vote does not overwrite history.”

NEW YORK – This week, Hungarian Parliament member Marton Gyongyosi suggested in Parliament that all Jews in his country’s government should be counted and monitored as dangerous. On behalf of the Rabbinical Assembly, the Gerald Skolnik, RA President, and Julie Schonfeld, RA Executive Vice President, issued the following statement expressing the RA’s shock and dismay at Gyongyosi’s words:

The anti-Semitic sentiment behind Mr. Gyongyosi’s recent words in Parliament is undeniable. We are appalled and deeply saddened that anyone elected to serve a democratic nation today would suggest identifying individuals by their religion – for any reason, but especially out of an unfounded claim that Jews in government "represent a certain national security risk for Hungary."

As we are taught by Jewish scholar Abraham Joshua Heschel, "Racism is man’s gravest threat to man – the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reason."

Did we not learn mortal and unforgettable lessons from the Holocaust, when hundreds of thousands of Hungarian Jews were killed, its Jewish population decimated and Jewish heritage lost forever? Mr. Gyongyosi’s alignment of Hungarian Jews with the terrorist organization Hamas is a horrible, unjustifiable insult to both the collective memory of Holocaust victims and the Jewish people worldwide.

Furthermore, making rash and broad generalizations about the members of any faith group is never acceptable and is blatantly ignorant.

Our rabbis stand with the Unified Hungarian Jewish Congregation in its demand that Mr. Gyongyosi be held to account for his hateful message. We call upon the government of Hungary and other world leaders, as well as the United Nations, to condemn such vitriolic, anti-Semitic language and to take special care to prioritize religious freedom and religious equality. No religious group should leave in fear.

NEW YORK – Today, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr announced a ceasefire agreed upon by Israel and Hamas. On behalf of the Rabbinical Assembly, Gerald Skolnik and Julie Schonfeld issued the following statement expressing the RA’s continued support for Israel and gratitude for the end to violence:

We are grateful that Secretary of State Clinton, President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu have successfully led the way to an end to the recent violence provoked by Hamas’ criminal, terrorist actions. This violence has left Israelis dead, wounded and fleeing for safety. Over recent days, and until the last moments of the ceasefire, Hamas has fired no less than 1,000 rockets and mortars into the Israel we hold precious, jeopardizing the lives and homes of Israeli civilians in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and southern Israel.

The people of Israel deserve to live in peace, not fear, and the violence Hamas militants have wrought upon Israeli civilians is inexcusable and unforgettable. Even as the sirens are quieted and we cautiously celebrate the cease in rocket fire, we recognize the fragile nature of Israel-Palestinian relations, and we look toward the day when civil discussion will outweigh the use of violence.

As is it written in Ezekiel 34:28, “And they shall live in safety and no one shall make them afraid.”

We call upon the governments of the United States, Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, and other world leaders, as well as the United Nations, to continue to prioritize lasting peace for Israel and its neighbors, and we pray this ceasefire truly leads to an enduring end to the violence.

NEW YORK – Over the past week, Hamas has launched more than 350 rockets and mortars into Israel.  As Israel takes action to protect its people and its borders, today on behalf of the Rabbinical Assembly, Gerald Skolnik, RA President, and Julie Schonfeld, RA Executive Vice President, issued the following statement expressing the RA’s support for Israel:

As sirens sound across southern Israel, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the Rabbinical Assembly condemns in no uncertain terms Hamas’ recent criminal, terrorist actions, which have left Israelis dead, wounded and fleeing for safety.  Hamas has carried out indefensible attacks against innocent citizens, and we stand with Israel as it seeks to defend its people and its borders.  These missiles serve no purpose but to terrorize, maim and kill non-combatants.  No political posture or claim can justify these unprovoked violent actions against the citizens of Israel.

In contrast to the vision conveyed in Micah Chapter 4, Verse 4, of some future time in the land of Israel, when “shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig-tree; and none shall make them afraid,” Israeli’s people once again find themselves hiding from the senseless attacks of randomly aimed missiles.

We call upon world leaders and the United Nations to unite and act swiftly to put an end to these murderous attacks, and we pray for the peace of Israel and its neighbors.

NEW YORK – Last week, a group of rabbis gathered at the Jewish Theological Seminary for a dialogue on the topic of Keruv (Outreach), Conversion and Intermarriage. The October 25 gathering was jointly convened by the Schechter Day School Network and the Rabbinical Assembly. This program is an example of increased collaboration between the two organizations to support the work of day schools.

Most of the gathering’s participants work in Schechter day schools. Our rabbis welcomed the opportunity to engage with colleagues from schools across the Network about issues that touch the lives of students and prospective students and their families,” remarked Dr. Elaine Cohen, Schechter Day School Network Director. “They share a commitment to help more Jewish children attain a deep and sustaining relationship to Judaism through intensive day school education. With children from inter-married families, our work moving forward entails cultivating a strong relationship with parents and engaging with them on their Jewish journey.”

Consensus from the meeting was that it would be beneficial to work together to frame the schools’ admissions policies to include welcoming language inviting families to engage in an open conversation about their aspirations for their children’s Jewish education. The rabbis expressed their commitment to conversion according to the standards of Conservative Judaism, as the ideal for our keruv (outreach) to these families. They agreed that once a child is enrolled in a Schechter school, the ritual aspects of conversion should be treated as a celebration and affirmation of the commitment that the family has already made by choosing a day school education. Best practices include providing a school professional, such as the rabbi or social worker, to support families from the time of their application to the school throughout the child’s Schechter experience.  

“The rabbis delved into the complexities Schechter schools face pertaining to keruv, which they encounter with greater frequency than in years past,” remarked Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, Executive Vice President of the Rabbinical Assembly. “They shared a number of success stories and ways that they support parents and work with them to reach the desired result of deeper family embrace of Judaism alongside conversion of the child, where necessary.”

Among the challenging questions that the group discussed were:

• What is the optimal timeline for conversion after admitting a child who is not yet Jewish to the school?

• How can the school reconcile its desire to include more families and children in Jewish education – and in turn, grow enrollment – while at the same time ensure preservation of the standards of Conservative Judaism?

• What are the best practices to engage the school’s leadership team to ensure a cohesive and coherent approach to keruv?

• What can the Schechter Network do to engage a wider group of school leaders, including lay leaders and heads of school, in the conversation about keruv?

• To what extent is it beneficial for the schools to exercise autonomy on this issue and in what ways would they benefit from clearer guidelines and standards for Schechter schools across North America?

• How might the schools reach out to Reform rabbis and their congregations in respectful dialogue about these issues?

Follow-up activities will include drafting recommended language for admission applications to the schools and holding focus groups of professional and lay school leaders to consider “mission appropriate” practices.  All agreed on the need for training to welcome inter-married families to the school community within the parameters of each school’s mission.

The Schechter Day School Network is a voluntary membership organization that provides resources and support to affiliated day schools across North America under the umbrella of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. More information is available at schechternetwork.org.

NEW YORK – Julie Schonfeld, executive vice president; and Gerald Skolnik, president, congratulate President Obama on his reelection to a second term, as well as Governor Mitt Romney on his campaign, and released the following statement: 

Our movement’s 1,700 Conservative rabbis, from across not only the United States but also the world, today congratulate President Obama on winning a second term. We are a diverse and yet unified group with a shared focus on the need to better our communities, country and the world around us. Just as we come together to build consensus as an organization representing all political streams and points of view, our government must work together, across both sides of the aisle and the political spectrum, to improve the economy and opportunities for all Americans.

The catastrophic events wrought by Hurricane Sandy last week not only have affected many of our rabbis very close to home, but also demonstrate the tremendous need for the country to put aside differences in a unified effort to rebuild infrastructure and address the disastrous impact of climate change. Once again, we are struck by the reality that our nation is vulnerable, the fabric of our society breakable. The time to combine forces is now; there is no time to waste.

RA’s standards committee approved new papers at meetings this week

NEW YORK – The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards met Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss a number of papers.

1. "Reciting Ma'ariv Early on Erev Shabbat" by Barry Leff, as well as a t'shuvah on early kiddush by Aaron Alexander: Both papers give guidance to Jewish communities as to how to set communal times for prayer in locations where Shabbat wouldn’t begin until very late in the day due to sunset not occurring until late during the summer months.
2. The committee released detailed guidelines for supervising the preparation of pizza in locales with no kosher restaurants. The Committee affirmed that offering and consuming food produced at kosher facilities is the ideal for Conservative Jewish communities, but also recognized the challenge in keeping kosher in areas where no kosher alternatives exist. In circumstances where there are no kosher restaurants, the paper gives rabbis and Conservative Jews detailed guidance to oversee a non-supervised establishment in preparing pizza according to laws of kashrut so that it may be served at an event taking place in a Conservative institution. The paper provides detailed guidance of such things as ingredients, food coloring, flavoring, equipment used in manufacturing and transporting, temperature, oven size, and oven racks, among others.
   
   As Paul Plotkin’s t'shuvah (or ruling) on the issue explains:

   The t'shuvah "is not intended to be a carte blanche for eating in non-Kosher restaurants, nor is it even considered to be the first level of default, but rather only a way of dealing with a need to eat cooked food in a specific facility when no supervised kosher alternative is available."

   The examples provided offer a model to Conservative Jews, especially young people, as to how they can embrace kashrut for themselves and own their Jewish practice in the larger world.
3. "The Status of 'Messianic Jews'" by Kassel Abelson and Reuven Hammer clarifies that Jews who have become Messianic Jews are Christians and by virtue of their own religious choices, do not participate in the obligations of Jewish communal life as members of synagogues, recipients of synagogue honors or participants in Jewish rituals, including burial in a Jewish cemetery. Should such an individual wish to return to Judaism, he or she is advised to meet with a rabbi and follow the course of study advised, followed by ritual immersion in the mikvah as well as, if necessary, circumcision, followed by a ceremony of welcome into the Jewish community.
4. The committee also voted to approve an addendum by Joshua Heller, with thanks to Mr. Daniel Lydick, to Richard Eisenberg’s triennial system resolving a gap that would have otherwise occurred in the years 2071-2073. 

NEW YORK – In response to a letter released Friday by a group of representatives of mainline Protestant groups, calling for Congressional investigations into all foreign aid to Israel on the basis that Israel has allegedly used it in violation of U.S. conditions, the Rabbinical Assembly issued the following statement:

The Rabbinical Assembly unequivocally rejects the call of Protestant Christian leaders for reevaluation of foreign aid to Israel, and recommends that Members of Congress do so as well.

The letter calling for hearings and reassessment was issued without outreach to longtime partners in public advocacy within the Jewish community.  It was released on the eve of Shabbat, just before a long weekend of Jewish and American holidays.  And it was distributed at a time when Congress is out of session, in the midst of the general election campaign. 

We find these tactics to be disrespectful of channels of communication that have been constructed over decades, and an essential declaration of separation from the endeavor of interfaith consultation on matters of deep concern to the Jewish community.  Indeed, we find this breach of trust to be so egregious that we wonder if it may not warrant an examination on the part of the Jewish community at large of these partnerships and relationships that we understood ourselves to be working diligently to preserve and protect.

The substance of the letter demands a point-by-point response.  Our community is currently preparing such a document but will be delayed by the holy season that concludes this week.  Rabbi Jack Moline, Director of Public Policy of the Rabbinical Assembly stated: “At the moment, it is sufficient to say that Israel remains the only outpost of democracy and guaranteed human rights in the entire region, and America’s only dependable ally in promoting the rights of free expression, freedom of religious conscience and practice, equal rights for people of either gender and all sexual orientations, and a political system that enables an unfettered exchange of ideas and peaceful transition of government based on the will of the people.

We fail to understand how, under the cloak of concern for human rights, the churches involved have elected to communicate such an unbalanced portrayal of the complex situation which Israel encounters daily, including a constant need to defend itself from attacks on its own people.  It would seem to belie an antagonism that stands in sharp contrast with the theological professions of their outreach to the Jewish community.”

Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt, the Rabbinical Assembly’s Director of Israel Advocacy, added, “Israel’s readiness to pursue peace is not matched by the Palestinians, yet the document seeks to assign blame only to the Jewish state for the inability to progress in the quest for peace.  Moreover, to selectively invoke the representations of a Jewish organization for their own purposes is reprehensible.”

The Rabbinical Assembly expresses its deep disappointment and dismay with the churches involved, who have seen fit to unilaterally release this document in disregard for our longstanding tradition of collaborative discussion on sensitive and complex matters.  We urge our members to express their concern to friends and colleagues who are associated with these denominations in their local communities.

NEW YORK – The leader of France’s Front National political party, Marine Le Pen, who ran for president earlier this year, this weekend said the government should ban religious head coverings in public.  She attempted to cover up her gaffe by saying that Jewish kippot pose no risk, but as she supported a ban on headscarves in public, she also felt compelled to ban kippot – because, she is reported to have said, “What would people say if I’d only asked to ban Muslim clothing?  They’d burn me as a Muslim hater.”

In response, Julie Schonfeld issued the following statement today:

Hatred does not occur in a vacuum.  Political leaders have a responsibility to set a moral example.  At this critical time, in the aftermath of hate speech and violence that shook the world, all who speak publicly must do so in the spirit of building greater tolerance and understanding.  Marine Le Pen’s recent comments encourage the growth of bigotry in a nation to whom the world looks for democratic and tolerant leadership. 

Judaism teaches us that we must “receive every person with a pleasant countenance” (Ethics of the Fathers 1:15), enjoining us to engage the world in a spirit of acceptance and tolerance.

The religious of all faiths should not have to fear the non-violent expression of their religions; when that freedom is restricted, we can only assume that limitations on other freedoms – religious or otherwise – are not far behind.

NEW YORK – In response to violence in Cairo and Libya earlier this week, leaving three dead including American Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, Julie Schonfeld issued the following statement today on behalf of the board, staff and members of the Rabbinical Assembly:

We are horrified by the recent violence in Benghazi, Libya, and Cairo, which has tragically led to loss of life, and we staunchly condemn those who are responsible.  We affirm the U.S. government’s statement that those responsible must be held accountable for their actions and brought to justice. The Jewish tradition is unequivocal in its belief that taking one life is akin to destroying the entire world. 

While we wholly condemn any individual or group who produce messages in any medium that deride or disrespect any group because of its beliefs, we find that there is no justification for violence as a retaliation for insult, certainly not against innocent parties who have come as representatives of cooperation and friendship.

We also note with great concern the escalating protests in Yemen, Morocco and other countries in the region and express our support to the many American personnel, diplomatic and military who serve our country bravely and with honor.  We call upon the leaders of those countries that host American diplomatic missions to fulfill their obligations to ensure the safety of our personnel, as we are committed to the safety of theirs, and to protect the dignity and rights of all people.

May we live to see God’s promise fulfilled: “I will bring peace to the land, and you will lie down and no one will trouble you” (Leviticus 26:Ra6), and may we work together to make this promise come true.

NEW YORK – The New York City Board of Health is scheduled to vote this week on requiring parental consent for mohalim to engage in the controversial practice of m'tzitzah b’peh, or direct oral suction, during a b'rit milah. The Rabbinical Assembly applauds the continued concern shown by New York City Health Commissioner, Dr. Thomas Farley, regarding his call to require informed parental consent in order to utilize this practice, which is not required by Jewish tradition, is not practiced by the overwhelming majority of Jews, and for which safer alternatives exist.

Gerald Skolnik, President of the Rabbinical Assembly and rabbi of the Forest Hills Jewish Center in Queens, stated, “This practice, which is not required by Jewish law, and emanates from older practices designed to prevent illnesses that precede current medical knowledge about disease, presents a serious health risk to babies and is inconsistent with the Jewish tradition’s preeminent concern with human life and health. There have been tragic incidents of babies becoming ill as a result of this practice, and we encourage the Board of Health to require parental consent.”

In addressing the Rabbinical Assembly’s ongoing commitment to b'rit milah, the practice of circumcising males, generally as infants, Julie Schonfeld, Executive Vice President of the Rabbinical Assembly, stated, “We are entirely committed to the practice of b'rit milah (ritual circumcision), an affirmation of our connection to God and Jewish people for more than 3,000 years, and we affirm its centrality to Jewish religious and communal life worldwide. This ritual has been deemed safe by numerous medical authorities when performed by a trained mohel or medical professional, and recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics affirmed the health benefits of the procedure. It is crucial that the practice be conducted – as it overwhelmingly is – by methods which are safe and sanitary.”

RA Expresses Concern for Anti-Semitic Violence

NEW YORK – Earlier this week, Daniel Alter, one of the first liberal rabbis to be ordained in Germany since the Holocaust, and the former rabbi of the Masorti congregation in Oldenburg, Germany, was attacked on a Berlin street in front of his young daughter. The incident is being treated as a religiously motivated hate crime. Julie Schonfeld, Executive Vice President of the Rabbinical Assembly, the international umbrella organization for Conservative rabbis, released the following statement today expressing condolences for Alter and concern with anti-Semitism:

On behalf of the 1,600 Conservative rabbis of the Rabbinical Assembly, we were saddened to hear that Rabbi Daniel Alter was attacked simply for being Jewish.  The attack – carried out in front of the eyes of his young daughter – has left him injured, left his family frightened, and left Jews in Germany and elsewhere suffering from renewed concern for the potential of subsequent anti-Semitic violence.

As we send condolences and wishes for a rapid recovery to Rabbi Alter and his family, we take this time to remember that we must seek to learn from our differences. There is never an excuse for violence – whether religiously-motivated or for any other reason. Jews in Germany – and everywhere else – should not live in fear. We hope and pray that the German Parliament will not ignore this incident, nor any other of its kind, and will take seriously our call for stricter measures preventing and punishing anti-Semitism and other acts of hatred incited by religious discrimination.

RA Concerned by Charges Against German Mohel, Efforts Throughout Europe to Ban Circumcision

NEW YORK – Efforts by groups opposed to circumcision, at both the local and national level in Germany, as well as in several other European countries, have called circumcision, a rite sacred to both Jews and Muslims, harmful.  This week, reports that a court in Bavaria initiated an investigation against Rabbi David Goldberg, a mohel in the Bavarian town of Hof Saale, struck the Rabbinical Assembly as distressing.

Julie Schonfeld, the RA’s executive vice president, released the following statement today expressing concern with the growing wave opposing circumcision in Europe:

On behalf of the 1,600 Conservative rabbis who comprise the Rabbinical Assembly, we were shocked to learn of an investigation into a mohel in Germany for conducting circumcisions.  Circumcision is a sacred rite of both Jews and Muslims, and unfortunately, such antagonism toward the practice is not limited to Germany.  Recent efforts to outlaw circumcision in Germany, replace it with a merely “symbolic” version in Norway, and bar it from certain hospitals in Switzerland, as well as recent statements by politicians in Denmark, Norway and Finland voicing support for outlawing circumcision, fly in the face of religious freedom and expression. 

Haven’t we moved past the dark days where the government dictates how people can express their religious beliefs?  Must we fear a return to a time where Jews must pray in private, judged for our holy customs, and prohibited from practicing Judaism freely?

The German Parliament, along with Chancellor Angela Merkel, must not hesitate to protect the rights of religious minorities.  We commend the Bundestag for its parliamentary resolution urging the government to take up a bill this fall ensuring circumcision remains uninhibited.  We join with Masorti Olami, Masorti Europe, the Rabbinical Assembly of Europe and the Central Council of Jews in Germany in reiterating the importance of a law enshrining the sacred rite of circumcision and ensuring protection for religious minorities in Germany.  As we said in a joint statement with these groups in July, it is a “dangerous practice of trying to legislate belief and curtail freedom of religion.”

We are aware of a New York Times column by Sam Freedman regarding the Conservative Movement's Joint Placement commission comprising the Rabbinical Assembly, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, The Jewish Theological Seminary and the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies. As you well know, for decades, the goal of the Joint Placement Commission, which works by consensus of congregations, rabbis and seminaries, has been to promote our vision of Conservative Judaism by partnering closely with congregations in the difficult process of selecting a religious leader. Professor Richman incorrectly attempts to apply antitrust concepts intended for the business marketplace to a religious movement. This crucial distinction was best characterized by Senator John Sherman the sponsor and namesake of the Sherman Antitrust Act, who stated that churches are not covered under this nation's antitrust laws: "I do not see any reason for putting in temperance societies any more than churches or school-houses or any other kind of moral or educational associations that may be organized. Such an association is not in any sense a combination or arrangement made to interfere with interstate commerce" (21 Cong.Rec. 2658-59 (1890).).

Our congregations, seminaries and the Rabbinical Assembly jointly agree that the rabbis who lead our congregations require the necessary training, background and experience to promote a dedicated, open minded Judaism in a diverse society. Our system, almost identical to that of the Reform and Reconstructionist Movements, and similar to several Protestant denominations that also balance their traditions with changing times, allows a worldwide community of Conservative Jews to grow together while leaving the vast majority of decision making to the congregation itself.

Read the Article

NEW YORK – Recent weeks have seen a multiplicity of shootings in the United States. Dozens have been killed or injured. The Rabbinical Assembly, the international umbrella organization for Conservative rabbis, reiterates its opposition to gun violence. The RA passed resolutions in 1990 and 1995, advocating for strong gun control, as well as last year, in support of federal legislation to limit high capacity firearm magazines – weapons designed to kill mass amounts of people at once. Rabbi David Lerner of Lexington, Mass., founded an initiative, Clergy Against Bullets, several years ago. He has led interfaith groups in advocating against legislation that would limit states’ ability to regulate the carrying of concealed weapons.

Julie Schonfeld, the RA’s executive vice president, released the following statement today clarifying the RA’s perspective on gun control:

The Rabbinical Assembly has been a strong advocate of gun control for decades. Our rabbis are proud to be part of Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence, a national coalition of religious groups whose strength lies in the diversity of its members, who together realize the crucial nature of improving the safety of our communities. In light of several recent tragic shootings, in which dozens of innocent people were killed or injured, we urge lawmakers at federal, state and local levels to renew their attention to this issue. Senseless shootings can be avoided. We must respond to this recent wave of violence with a sense of urgency. Schools, religious institutions and public spaces are supposed to be places where we feel secure and protected, not where Americans fear for their lives.

Our tradition teaches: “Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor” (Leviticus 19:16). As people of faith, the Rabbinical Assembly unequivocally calls upon lawmakers to take all available measures, to ensure the safety of the public to limit the availability of guns and the permissibility of their concealment.

NEW YORK – In response to Sunday’s tragic shooting at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, Wisc., near Milwaukee, Julie Schonfeld released the following statement:

A week ago on Tishah B’av, the Jewish people commemorated the destruction of our holy Temple. Our sages taught us that the destruction occurred because of senseless hatred. Unfortunately, such hatred still exists in our world. The Rabbinical Assembly expresses its horror, sadness and outrage in solidarity with the Sikh community of greater Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and around the world, in the wake of Sunday’s shooting that killed six of its worshipers and wounded several others.

Our tradition teaches that all human beings are created in the image of God and contain within them a spark of the divine. We must all grow to recognize the part of the divine in every human being and work together to end senseless hatred in our world.

NEW YORK – On behalf of the Rabbinical Assembly, the international umbrella organization for Conservative rabbis, Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, the Rabbinical Assembly’s executive vice president, said the following today:

“Jonathan Pollard has served 27 years in prison – an extensive length of time for the crime of spying for a friendly nation. Since 1992, the Rabbinical Assembly has issued four resolutions supporting clemency for Pollard. Together with fellow American Jewish organizations, we signed a letter by Congressmen Eliot Engel and Christopher Smith asking President Obama to commute Pollard’s sentence to time served. As a community of 1,600 Conservative rabbis, we have asked our American rabbis to ask their Congressmen to follow Engel and Smith’s lead and co-sign the letter to the President.”

Masorti Olami, Masorti Europe and the Rabbinical Assembly of Europe join the Central Council of Jews in Germany in condemning the decision of the district Court in Cologne to outlaw circumcision of baby boys.

View the Statement

NEW YORK – The Supreme Court today decided to uphold the Affordable Care Act.  On behalf of the Rabbinical Assembly, the international umbrella organization for Conservative rabbis, Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, the RA’s executive vice president, and Rabbi Gerry Skolnik, RA president, released the following statement in response:

President Obama entered office on a message of hope for all Americans, modeled most clearly in the vision of affordable health care.  Americans without access to affordable health care cannot sustain hope for themselves nor for their families.  The President’s vision is consistent with Jewish tradition, which is unambiguous about the requirement of a just and decent society to provide a basic level of health care.  We are gratified to see that American society, whose values we also cherish, also lives up to this standard.

As an international community of 1,600 Conservative rabbis, the Rabbinical Assembly has been continuously supportive of universal health care.  The 16^th-century compilation of Jewish law, the Shulhan Arukh, states that where doctors reducing fees to care for the poor is not sufficient, the community must provide a fund.  Consistent with this and many other related dicta in Jewish tradition, the Rabbinical Assembly passed resolutions on health care in 2002, 2008 and 2011, in support of the Affordable Care Act of 2010.

All people deserve access to affordable and equitable healthcare coverage, and we join other people of faith in their staunch desire for a U.S health care system that offers health, wholeness and human dignity for all.  Today’s decision brings us significantly forward on that moral path, and the members of the Rabbinical Assembly will continue to promote a system of health care that is inclusive, affordable, accessible and accountable.

The Rabbinical Assembly is outraged by a letter issued on official Israeli government stationery by Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel Shlomo Amar, calling for a rally at his office this coming Tuesday. The language used in the statement is inflammatory and inciting, referring to our members as “terrorists” whose “sole intention is to do harm to the holiness of Torah.”  This letter, issued under his official stamp, is in protest of the order by Israeli Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein to fund a limited number of non-Orthodox rabbis. 

Washington, DC -- President Obama met yesterday with a group of Conservative rabbis and Conservative Movement leaders in the Roosevelt Room of the White House (See list of attendees below).

The wide-ranging discussion included a focus on Israel, Iran, and domestic concerns. The President and his chief of staff Jacob Lew spent an hour answering questions from Conservative leadership from across the country.

“The President shared his sense of personal connection to the State of Israel and his deep knowledge and appreciation of Jewish tradition,” said Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, executive vice president of the Rabbinical Assembly (RA), which is the international umbrella organization for Conservative rabbis. “He especially encouraged us to carry forward Judaism’s message of communal responsibility and the religious mandate to seek the welfare of all people in society.”

During the meeting, rabbis asked questions on subjects including the administration’s position on the environment, immigration, the Middle East Peace Process and civil discourse. 

“The opportunity to speak with candor and depth to the president was a privilege especially at a time when we are usually limited to sound bites and media selectivity,” said Rabbi Jack L. Moline, Director of Public Policy, Rabbinical Assembly.

Dr. Arnold M. Eisen, Chancellor of The Jewish Theological Seminary and one of the world’s foremost experts on American Judaism, also took part in the meeting and appreciated the President’s candidness on the different issues discussed.

"What made the meeting special, I think, was the frankness and directness of the discussion.  The President clearly valued the role of Jewish religious leaders in American society, and repeatedly stressed the importance of Jewish communities as part of the glue that holds our country together, Eisen said. “He urged us to speak out in the name of Judaism, and we did so forthrightly at the meeting."

Rabbi Steven Wernick, CEO of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism: The Association of North American Conservative Congregations, knows just how critical the Conservative Jewish community is in the upcoming election and added, “The meeting was warm and productive. Going into this upcoming election, the role of the Conservative Jewish community is critical; it quite literally constitutes the swing vote. While the Orthodox community can be counted on to vote predominantly Republican and the Reform community largely Democratic, Conservative Judaism – as the central address of contemporary Judaism -- represents the epicenter of our people’s political allegiances.  Jews will be especially critical to the 2012 election.”

The Conservative Movement has a strong commitment to Israel and a long history of being an advocate on public policy.

Attendees:

Rabbi Bruce Dollin
Rabbi Ed Farber
Rabbi Jeffrey A Wohlberg
Rabbi Amy Greenbaum
Rabbi Debra Newman Kamin
Rabbi Daniel Greyber
Rabbi Danielle Upbin
Rabbi David M Ackerman
Rabbi Harold Berman
Dr. Arnold Martin Eisen
Mr. Marc Gary
Rabbi Luis Felipe Goodman
Rabbi Andrea L. Merow
Rabbi Jack L. Moline
Rabbi Danny S. Nevins
Rabbi Julie Schonfeld
Rabbi Steven Curtis Wernick
Mr. Richard Skolnik
Rabbi Eric S Yanoff

This year at the Rabbinical Assembly (RA) Convention, The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) will offer a groundbreaking continuing rabbinic education track. It will be open to 40 Convention registrants on a first-come, first-served basis. The theme for the track is “Making Torah Relevant to ‘Next Gen’: You’re the App for That!”

“Next Gen” refers to Gen Xers and Millennials, generations that have rejected the notion of synagogue membership. Conservative rabbis know traditional sources, honor contemporary scholarship, and seek to make it relevant for spiritually curious generations. While Next Gen often place the quest for personal meaning ahead of synagogue affiliation, their interest in authentic, sophisticated Torah study can become a primary medium for reconnecting them to synagogue community. Rabbis will learn how to take the JTS signature approach to teaching Torah, one that bridges the gap between contemporary scholarship and the quest for personal meaning, and use it to connect with these younger generations.

The new track marks another initiative in Chancellor Arnold M. Eisen’s expanded vision of strengthening JTS’s role as a provider of premier continuing education programs for alumni and Jewish communal professionals. Over the course of the RA Convention, participants in the JTS track will study with Chancellor Eisen, one of the world’s foremost experts on American Judaism; other distinguished JTS faculty; and adjunct experts in adult learning theory and social media. Hayim Herring, who was engaged by Chancellor Eisen to help develop new JTS continuing education initiatives, will also be teaching.

Participants in the JTS convention track will study with Chancellor Eisen, one of the world’s foremost experts on American Judaism. Sessions will be led by Dr. Judith Hauptman, the E. Billi Ivry Professor of Talmud and Rabbinic Culture; Jane Shapiro (an adult education expert and lead educator for the Chancellor’s Mitzvah Initiative); Michael Rosenzweig, CEO of the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia; and Ali Veshi, CNN Anchor and Chief Business Correspondent. Mr. Rosenzweig and Mr. Velshi will be speaking about the use of social media in cultivating and engaging younger audiences, and the impact of social media on their respective fields. Rabbi Hayim Herring, PhD, will also be teaching a session based on his new book, “Tomorrow’s Synagogue Today: Creating Vibrant Centers of Jewish Life.”

Those who have basic familiarity with social media tools will benefit most from the program, as the focus will be on exploring how these tools can be leveraged to engage Next Gen with relevant, meaningful Torah.

• Rabbis of all ages and experience with social media tools are encouraged to participate. 
• We will not be focusing on the technical aspects of social media; rather, we will explore how these tools (and the broader cultural milieu that they are a product of) affect the learning styles of younger adults and the pedagogical approach of rabbis.
• No matter how successful participants may be at engaging congregants, they will be challenged to grow even further by the diverse retreat faculty.  In particular, rabbis will explore adult learning theories and practices in relation to their rabbinate.
• Finally, rabbis will have the opportunity to develop a teaching unit that brings together all of these different pieces.  For this component, they will be grouped with peers who have a similar facility with social media.

The JTS track comprises 10 hours of learning. It is scheduled to begin around 1pm on Sunday and finish at about 2pm on Wednesday. The sessions on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday overlap with breakfast and limmud. Attendance at all sessions is required in order to receive a certificate of completion from JTS. Participants will still be able to attend most plenary sessions and all evening programs.

Participants will be charged a modest $99 materials fee for the JTS track, and those who attend all sessions and successfully implement a follow-up project will receive a certificate of completion from JTS.

Space is limited. Registration is now open. The registration deadline is Friday, March 16 or as soon as all spots are filled.

For more information, please contact Rabbi Ashira Konigsburg at (212) 280-6066 or akonigsburg@rabbinicalassembly.org; or Rabbi Hayim Herring at (612) 859-1650 or hayim@herringconsultingnetwork.com.

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