CCAR Statements

Reform Movement Statement on Israel’s Expansion of the War Against Hamas

Posted on by The CCAR

August 8, 2025

Before his death, Moses implored our people:
וּבָֽחַרְתָּ֙ בַּחַיִּ֔ים לְמַ֥עַן תִּֽחְיֶ֖ה אַתָּ֥ה וְזַרְעֶֽךָ׃
“Choose life, that you and your offspring may live.”
—Deuteronomy 30:19 

Today, as the State of Israel is faced with difficult choices in its long and deadly war against Hamas, we implore Israel to choose life for our hostages, our soldiers, and innocent civilians in Gaza by ending—not extending—this war.

We are deeply distressed that Israel’s security cabinet approved Prime Minister Netanyahu’s plan to extend Israeli control over the Gaza Strip. As Jews who believe in an Israel that aspires to be both safe and ethical, we are galvanized by the position of a growing array of Israeli military, intelligence, and political leaders and experts, as well as the clear majority of Israeli public, who warn that the Israeli government’s plan to further occupy Gaza would be a military, political, and humanitarian calamity. In the past nearly two years, many thousands of people in Israel and Gaza have already been killed, maimed, and displaced. In Israel and the U.S., leading voices such as the Jerusalem Post’s editorial board and New York Times columnist Bret Stephens, who referred to a potential re-occupation as a “colossal mistake,” agree that an expanded occupation of Gaza is not in Israel’s long-term interests. Former Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer and Middle East analyst Aaron David Miller have referred to re-occupation as “a trap” for Israel. Just days ago, more than 500 prominent Israelis—former leaders of the Mossad, Shin Bet, police, IDF, and others—sent a letter calling for an end to the war, not its expansion. Reports indicate the head of the IDF, Eyal Zamir, threatened to resign over plans to re-occupy Gaza at one point. We do not take comfort in the fact that the plan approved last night is limited to action related to Gaza City with its significant population size and where hostages are believed to be held. We fear plans to occupy Gaza City are but the first step in the expansion so many have warned against. 

Instead of striving to bring the war to an end and return our hostages home safely or for proper burial, the war’s expansion will likely be a death sentence for our hostages. It will likely cause more deaths and injury to our IDF soldiers, who are already struggling physically and mentally, and to civilians trapped in Gaza. It will likely mean more economic challenges and disunion within Israel, more division among world Jewry, and more isolation of Israel on the international stage. PM Netanyahu’s assurance that this is only a temporary measure is hard to believe, given the war’s continuation over the past 22 months and the quagmires of previous military occupations by Israel in south Lebanon, and by other nations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam—all of which began with similar assurances—which only resulted in increasingly deadly and deteriorating conditions years later. The Israeli government has yet to offer an exit strategy or plans for “the day after.”

Israel has become, and remains, a powerful nation thanks, in part, to the support of allies around the world. But the length and horrors of this war thus far means that military and other forms of support from longtime allies may be less forthcoming in the future. The current occupation of part of Gaza already risks Israel’s security and international reputation, and longtime allies of Israel are this morning reacting negatively to the cabinet’s approved plan.

There is no question that Hamas bears the responsibility for this war, for the conditions in Gaza right now, for failing to put down its arms, for its refusal to release the hostages, and for resisting improved conditions for its people. However, Israel has the ability and responsibility to prioritize its own people and values by recognizing that now is the time to end this war, bring the hostages home, and create a coalition of Arab nations with the U.S. and other allies to rebuild Gaza and shape a better tomorrow for all.

Union for Reform Judaism   
Shelley Niceley Groff, North American Board Chair (she/her) 
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President (he/him)   

Central Conference of American Rabbis   
Rabbi David A. Lyon, President (he/him)   
Rabbi Hara Person, Chief Executive Officer (she/her)   

American Conference of Cantors   
Cantor Josh Breitzer, President (he/him)
Rachel Roth, Chief Operating Officer (she/ her)

Reform Movement Statement on Starvation in Gaza

Posted on by The CCAR

July 27, 2025

The ongoing crisis in Gaza is a devastating reminder of the immense human cost of war. Nearly two years into Israel’s war against Hamas, Israelis are still waiting for the return of their loved ones held hostage, and innocent Palestinians are caught in a mounting humanitarian catastrophe. Hamas has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to sacrifice the Palestinian people in its pursuit of Israel’s destruction, but Israel must not sacrifice its own moral standing in return. Neither escalating military pressure nor restricting humanitarian aid has brought Israel closer to securing a hostage deal or ending the war. 

While long-delayed and not-yet-certain to be more effective than previous efforts, we are encouraged by Saturday night’s announcement that the Israeli military would revive the practice of dropping aid from airplanes and make it easier for aid convoys, including those from the UN’s World Food Program, to move through Gaza along “designated humanitarian corridors,” and to temporarily cease fighting in Gaza for a humanitarian pause.   

No one should be unaffected by the pervasive hunger experienced by thousands of Gazans. No one should spend the bulk of their time arguing technical definitions between starvation and pervasive hunger. The situation is dire, and it is deadly.  Nor should we accept arguments that because Hamas is the primary reason many Gazans are either starving or on the verge of starving, that the Jewish State is not also culpable in this human disaster. The primary moral response must begin with anguished hearts in the face of such a large-scale human tragedy. 

Our tradition teaches that all people are created b’tzelem Elohim—in the image of God. One consequence of this is the moral priority, which is affirmed throughout the Bible and rabbinic tradition, of feeding the hungry—both for the individual and for the self-governing Jewish community.  

More than a few members of the current Israeli government have publicly called for Israel to decimate the Gaza strip. The most recent was Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu who, on Thursday lauded the Israeli government for “racing ahead for Gaza to be wiped out.” He added: “Thank God, we are wiping out this evil.” Of equal concern are far-right Israeli politicians who advocate for Israel to permanently push most Gazans from much of Gaza and replace them with Jewish settlements. We condemn all such statements. They do not represent Jewish values nor those embodied in the Zionist vision that produced Israel’s Declaration of Independence.  

Despite PM Netanyahu’s calls to ignore these full members of his cabinet, their presence in this government has consistently morally compromised Israel’s actions.  

Starving Gazan civilians neither will bring Israel the “total victory” over Hamas it seeks, nor can it be justified by Jewish values or humanitarian law. It’s hard to imagine that this tragic approach will bring home the 50 remaining hostages, including the 20 whom we pray are still alive.  

It’s imperative that the Government of Israel ensures that the recently announced plans to deliver humanitarian aid succeed as Israel works with international partners to ensure its safe and sustained delivery and do whatever possible to reduce or eliminate the shootings and other injuries sustained at food distribution centers. We applaud Israel’s green light for foreign nations to resume providing humanitarian aid to the Gaza population desperate for food and are confident that they will do all they can to ensure that such aid does not fall into the hands of Hamas.   

As Israel has effective control of 70% of Gaza, with the intent to remain in significant swaths of it, even if only temporarily, it should be directly involved, facilitate and cooperate with the international community, international humanitarian NGOs, and regional friends, to take urgently needed actions, such as these suggested by Israeli Reform rabbi and Member of Knesset Gilad Kariv: 

  • To prevent the alarming number of civilian deaths in and around the food and humanitarian aid distribution sites.
  • Opening a significant number of food distribution centers at various locations across the Gaza Strip. 
  • Large-scale entry of infant formula (especially liquid formula) and ensuring safe delivery to both functioning medical centers and the few remaining international aid facilities. 
  • Establishing secure methods—potentially through cooperation with regional countries—for delivering food supplies to aid organizations and international agencies. 
  • Resuming sufficient water supply to population centers in Gaza, in accordance with international health standards. 
  • Authorizing and assisting in the supply of medications, the establishment of field hospitals and clinics operated by remaining Palestinian medical staff, by foreign governments and by international agencies, especially in areas where hospitals have ceased functioning.  

Finally, while it is imperative that Israel and the U.S. resume diplomacy to bring home all hostages and end this war, denying basic humanitarian aid crosses a moral line. Blocking food, water, medicine, and power—especially for children—is indefensible. Let us not allow our grief to harden into indifference, nor our love for Israel to blind us to the cries of the vulnerable. Let us rise to the moral challenge of this moment.  

Union for Reform Judaism   
Shelley Niceley Groff, North American Board Chair  
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President   

Central Conference of American Rabbis   
Rabbi David A. Lyon, President 
Rabbi Hara Person, Chief Executive Officer    

American Conference of Cantors   
Cantor Josh Breitzer, President 
Rachel Roth, Chief Operating Officer 

Joint Reform Movement Statement on West Bank Settler Violence

Posted on by The CCAR

July 23, 2025

Against the backdrop of so much anguish and crisis in Israel and Gaza, the mounting crisis of settler violence on the West Bank against Palestinian civilians is too often ignored. Albeit involving only a small number of settlers, the violence has intensified, as these settlers kill and injure Palestinians, steal their livestock, burn their olive trees, and destroy their property, terrorizing the Palestinian population in an attempt to clear Judea and Samaria for unfettered Jewish settlement. Since January of this year alone, some 404 incidents of settler violence have been documented, including a growing number of attacks on IDF soldiers and bases.

The Central Conference of American Rabbis, Union for Reform Judaism, and the American Conference of Cantors deplore the growing incidents of unchecked violence inflicted on Palestinians by Jewish settlers in the Occupied West Bank.

Most recently, these incidents have attracted wider attention internationally and particularly in the United States, subsequent to a violent attack by settlers on IDF troops as well as on the murder of an American citizen, Saifullah Musallet, who was visiting relatives in the West Bank village of Sinjil. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has rightly demanded a full investigation.

A thorough investigation must be undertaken—not only of the murder of an American citizen, but also of the growing phenomenon of settler violence overall. Serious measures must be taken against these perpetrators. Too often, when Palestinians call the police and the army during an attack by settlers, both arrive too late to help the victims, if they arrive at all. Similarly, too often police or IDF soldiers are seen in videos or news reports standing by without acting to stop the violence. By contrast, when settlers call for help when Palestinians are simply protecting their own people and property, the army and police come quickly.

Given that the Israeli police force is controlled by Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, and the civil administration of the West Bank is under the command of Finance Minister and Minister in the Defense Department Bezalel Smotrich, both of whom support expansion of West Bank Jewish settlements, none of this comes as a surprise, but it cannot be condoned. This government seems to tolerate and even encourage violence against Palestinians. Frequently, after a Palestinian civilian is attacked or murdered, several Palestinians are arrested, for example for throwing stones in a futile attempt to chase violent Jewish settlers from the Palestinian community, but no arrest is made in the murder itself. Moreover, little to no effort is made to remove illegal settlement outposts from which so many of these attacks emanate. Instead, the Israeli government provides infrastructure and utilities to these illegal outposts.

Torah teaches, “There shall be one law for the citizens and for the stranger who dwells among you” (Exodus 12:49). Allowing terror to be perpetrated by settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank is both immoral as well as a חילול השם (chilul HaShem), desecration of the Divine Name.

The Central Conference of American Rabbis, the Union for Reform Judaism, and the American Conference of Cantors join the demand for a full investigation of the murder of Saifullah Musallet, and call upon the Israeli government to expand that investigation to the examination of all West Bank settler violence and to impose criminal penalties on all who break the law—whatever their religion or nationality. Terrorism and violence cannot be tolerated by the government of Israel—not against Jews nor against Palestinians. Vigilante violence by West Bank settlers must end now.

Rabbi David A. Lyon, President
Rabbi Hara E. Person, Chief Executive
Central Conference of American Rabbis

Shelley Niceley Groff, Chair
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President
Union for Reform Judaism

Cantor Josh Breitzer, President
Rachel Roth, Chief Operating Officer
American Conference of Cantors

Central Conference of American Rabbis Statement on Economic Injustice Legislation

Posted on by The CCAR

July 7, 2025

The Central Conference of American Rabbis’ 1999 Resolution on Budget Priorities begins,

“The Torah teaches that ‘there will never cease to be needy ones in your land, which is why I command you: open your hand to the poor and needy kinsman in your land’ (Deuteronomy 15:11). From the time of the Mishnah, Jewish communities have taken that responsibility both as a command to every individual to give tzedakah and as a command to communities to provide for the poor. The Talmud specifically lists health care, charity funds, and childcare among the ten most critical functions that every community must provide (Sanhedrin 17b).”[i]

This vision of economic justice is a central concern of Torah, an exhortation of the prophets, and a focus of our American Reform rabbinate from its earliest days. Our most ancient texts urge us to care for the poor and needy, and call us to create a society in which all who need can receive help. In this tradition, the Central Conference of American Rabbis is dismayed by recently adopted legislation being referred to as “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

This sweeping legislation will cut millions of Americans off from assistance that combats hunger and disease. Funding cuts will severely limit the ability of states to aid their poorest residents with healthcare, at rural hospitals, in nursing homes for those on Medicaid, and with nutrition programs. These severe budget cuts and many more like them will meanwhile fund tax cuts for America’s highest earners, as well as purchasers of gun silencers, among others.

We learn in תנ״ך (Tanach, Hebrew Scripture), צדקה תציל ממות, “tzedakah (charitable giving intended to combat injustice) saves from death” (Proverbs 10:2). CCAR rabbis implore those who will be receiving tax cuts as a result of this legislation to direct those tax savings to charitable giving that feeds the hungry, provides medical care to the poor, and addresses rural healthcare, among other increasingly pressing needs of the most vulnerable Americans. Though it must be the responsibility of our government to care for those in greatest need, we are grateful for those in our communities whose generosity and compassion will make a difference in the months and years to come. And we call on all members of the CCAR and our communities to make their voices heard in support of the voiceless, to carry out the sacred duty of caring for the needy, and to advocate persistently for what we Americans expect from our legislators.

The promise of America, the teachings of Torah and our sages, and the direction set by our American Reform founders demand that, for the sake of life, none among us should go hungry or lack access to medical care. To do anything less violates the Jewish values that Reform rabbis hold dear.

Rabbi David A. Lyon, President
Rabbi Hara E. Person, Chief Executive
Central Conference of American Rabbis

[i] https://www.ccarnet.org/ccar-resolutions/federal-budget-priorities-1999/.

Central Conference of American Rabbis Statement on the Supreme Court Decision in United States v. Skrmetti

Posted on by The CCAR

June 23, 2025

The Central Conference of American Rabbis is appalled by the Supreme Court’s decision in United States v. Skrmetti, empowering state governments to risk the lives of transgender and nonbinary youth by prohibiting their parents and physicians from providing evidence-based gender-affirming medical care. 

Puberty blockers and other gender-affirming hormone therapies, preceded and accompanied by psychotherapy, are proven safe and effective in the treatment of gender dysphoria.[i] Notably, transgender youth who receive gender-affirming care show improved mental health and lower risks of suicide than transgender and nonbinary youth from whom that care is withheld.[ii]

Reform rabbis stand opposed to the twin scourges of recent years: the Supreme Court’s increasing willingness to permit state governments to interfere in the doctor-patient relationship with respect to sexual and reproductive health care and the war on transgender and nonbinary Americans waged by powerful politicians.

In the 2022 CCAR Statement on Laws that Endanger Transgender Youth, we recalled, “Our rabbinic tradition recognized a wide variety of genders.[iii] Reform rabbis take seriously the basic tenet of Torah, that all humanity is created בצלם אלהים (b’tzelem Elohim),“in God’s image,” (Genesis 1:27). …We likewise affirm that all human beings are created with gender identities, which for some people do not align with the sex assigned to them at birth.” [iv]

CCAR members and members of the communities we serve have children who receive gender-affirming medical care, and still more will require that treatment in the future. Many live in states that already have adopted prohibitions on gender-affirming care for minors like the Tennessee law that was upheld in Skrmetti. CCAR rabbis stand ready to support one another and members of the communities we serve. We are committed to determining how to help one another and our communities abide by the מצוה (mitzvah), “religious obligation,” ובחרת בחיים (uvacharta bachayim), “choose life,” (Deuteronomy 30:19), so that each of our transgender and nonbinary young people may reach adulthood, true to themselves, healthy, safe, and loved for who they are.

Rabbi David A. Lyon, President
Rabbi Hara E. Person, Chief Executive
Central Conference of American Rabbis

[i] Heather Boerner, “What the Science on Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender Kids Really Shows,” Scientific American, https://www.scientificamerican.com/video/what-the-science-on-gender-affirming-care-for-transgender-kids-really-shows/.

[ii] Diana M. Tordoff, et al, “Mental Health Outcomes in Transgender and Nonbinary Youths Receiving Gender-Affirming Care, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35212746/.

[iii] See, for example, Mishnah Torah, Marriage, Chapter 2.

[iv] Central Conference of American Rabbis Statement on Laws that Endanger Transgender Youth, May 5, 2022, https://www.ccarnet.org/central-conference-of-american-rabbis-statement-on-laws-that-endanger-transgender-youth/.

Reform Movement Responds to US-Led Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Infrastructure

Posted on by The CCAR

June 22, 2025

More than four decades of Iranian leaders have expressed their ongoing commitment to attacking the United States, Israel, and the Jewish people, directly and through proxies. From the 1983 bombing of the U.S. embassy in Beirut to the 1994 bombing of the Jewish AMIA center in Buenos Aries; from supporting Hezbollah to arming and funding Hamas and the massacre of October 7, 2023, as well as the Houthis in Yemen, Iran has made a practice of death and destruction. Throughout, the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran has struck fear in hearts around the world. Now, thanks to the decisive actions taken over the last week by Israel and the U.S., the overarching threat of a nuclear Iran has been diminished.  

Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump acted boldly to ensure Iran will not soon have a nuclear weapon. One need not agree with the policies of the current Israeli or U.S. governments to express genuine gratitude for this dramatic intervention. 

At the same time, while Iran’s nuclear weapons infrastructure has been significantly weakened, their nuclear knowledge can never be eliminated. That is why the pursuit of a long-term agreement that ensures Iran’s nuclear program poses no threat is so vital. 

Let us be clear: military action should always be a last resort. Israelis have suffered greatly, losing their lives and homes to Iranian missiles. Innocent Iranian civilians who were already victims of a repressive regime have suffered deeply in the last week. And we fear that, in the coming days, more lives will be lost to reprisals and counter-reprisals. We are greatly concerned about the danger to U.S. citizens and institutions wherever they find themselves, at home or abroad. And U.S. troops stationed in the Middle East are especially at risk and deserve our prayers. We should also harbor no illusions about the threat levels against Jews and Jewish institutions, which were already at alarmingly high levels. Now, Jewish communities worldwide are more vulnerable. 

This should be a moment of gratitude for the bold and courageous military actions of Israel and the U.S. against Iran’s quest for nuclear weapons, but it is not a time for celebration given the challenges and uncertainties before us, the loss of innocent lives, the ongoing fate of the hostages in Gaza, and the urgent humanitarian crisis there. We must not lose focus on securing the release of the hostages, ending the war, and dramatically increasing humanitarian aid to civilians in desperate need. 

Inspired by the prophet Micah we pray for the day “when all will sit under their vine and fig tree and none shall make them afraid.” (Micah 4:4)  

May that day come swiftly and in our time. 

Union for Reform Judaism 
Shelley Niceley Groff (she/her) 
North American Board Chair 
Rabbi Rick Jacobs (he/him) 
President 

Central Conference of American Rabbis 
Rabbi David Lyon (he/him) 
President 
Rabbi Hara Person (she/her) 
Chief Executive Officer  

American Conference of Cantors 
Cantor Seth Warner (he/him) 
President 
Rachel Roth (she/her) 
Chief Operating Officer

Central Conference of American Rabbis Statement of Support for the State and People of Israel

Posted on by The CCAR

June 16, 2025

In these days of hope mingled with worry, the Central Conference of American Rabbis reaffirms its support and concern for the State of Israel and its people.

The CCAR joins peace-loving people everywhere who advocate for Israel’s military and intelligence operation, which aims to destroy or thoroughly incapacitate the nuclear capability of the Iranian regime. This is a war of defense against a regime that has repeatedly expressed and demonstrated its intentions to destroy Israel and the Jewish people, in addition to other targets throughout the West. Iran has provided material support to terrorist groups—Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, among others—that have murdered, kidnapped, wounded, and attacked Israel and Israelis, before, on, and since October 7, 2023.

We urge Israel’s leadership to bring this war to a swift and successful conclusion with the fewest possible casualties among the impacted civilian populations. We send condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives in this war and pray for the healing of the injured. 

CCAR members around the world cherish our family and friends, teachers and rabbinic colleagues, in Israel. Many are now either called up for service in the Israel Defense Force or are rushing to their safe rooms and shelters, terrified by fatal attacks in the center of the country. CCAR members’ hearts, minds, and prayers are with them constantly.

The CCAR extends its support to our MARAM colleagues, CCAR members in Israel, who continue to lead their communities through unprecedented challenges to Israel’s security and democracy, as well as to our IMPJ partners. To them we repeat the biblical blessing of Joshua, חזקו ואמצו, (chizku v’imtzu) “be strong and of good courage.”

Loved ones of CCAR members and members of our communities are in harm’s way in Israel today. We pray, ופרוס עליהם.ן סוכת שלומך (ufros aleihem.n sukkat shlomecha), “Spread over them the shelter of Your peace.”

Rabbi David A. Lyon, President 
Rabbi Hara E. Person, Chief Executive 
Central Conference of American Rabbis

Central Conference of American Rabbis Statement on Military Response to Protests

Posted on by The CCAR

June 12, 2025

The Central Conference of American Rabbis condemns the White House’s deployment of the United States Armed Forces to combat largely peaceful protests in Los Angeles. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution protects “the right of the people peaceably to assemble” and “to petition the Government for redress of grievances”—that is, to the constitutional right of Americans to assemble and protest. Moreover, American law expressly forbids the deployment of our military “for the purpose of executing the laws, except … as expressly authorized by the Constitution or by an act of Congress.”[1] No such military action has been authorized.

Demonstrators have gathered to protest workplace immigration enforcement on a scale unprecedented in American history. The CCAR has a long record of opposing “the punitive enforcement-only approach to illegal residents that would result in deportations without access to a fair process that considers the circumstances of the individual or that co-opts the use of local law enforcement to meet federal … obligations.” Moreover, the CCAR is committed “to advocacy for an immigration law that will not only improve border security and immigration law enforcement, but will also provide for guest workers and for a just and fair path to citizenship for those now in the country without legal documentation.”[2]

Military action against protestors will serve only to enflame demonstrations in Los Angeles and wherever they may spread. Protestors, too, are responsible for keeping the peace. While violence has been minimal, graffiti and more serious vandalism have accompanied these protests. Reform rabbis call on demonstrators to remain peaceful and respectful of all persons and property.

Torah commands, צדק צדק תרדף, (Tzedek, tzedek tirdof), “Justice, justice shall you pursue.”[3] The repetition of the word צדק indicates that justice, the execution of law, must be carried out by just means. Deploying the military to quell protest is not a just method of enforcing immigration law.

The CCAR commends its members in Los Angeles who have raised their voices against both the large-scale workplace immigration enforcement and the deployment of military forces to quell demonstrations. The CCAR pledges support to its members and the communities they serve at this time of crisis.

Reform rabbis call on President Trump to withdraw troops from the streets of Los Angeles and to work with state and local governments to restore calm and peace in one of America’s great cities. We renew our demand that Congress take up comprehensive immigration reform, securing America’s borders while according dignity to every person residing within them.

Rabbi David A. Lyon, President
Rabbi Hara E. Person, Chief Executive
Central Conference of American Rabbis

 

  1. Posse Comitatus Act of 1878. ↑
  2. CCAR Resolution on Immigration Reform, June 2006, https://www.ccarnet.org/ccar-resolutions/immigration-reform/. ↑
  3. Deuteronomy 16:20. ↑

Reform Movement Responds to the Offensive Remarks by MK Galit Distel Toward MK Gilad Kariv and the Pluralistic Jewish Community

Posted on by The CCAR

June 10, 2025

We, the leadership of the Reform Movement—the largest Movement in North American Jewish life—unequivocally condemn the offensive and degrading remarks about Reform Judaism made by MK Galit Distel-Atbaryan in a Knesset committee.

In response to MK Rabbi Gilad Kariv’s statement that his daughters lay tefillin—a sacred and time-honored ritual—MK Distel-Atbaryan compared the act to a bar mitzvah for a dog. These comments are not merely a breach of basic decency and parliamentary norms; they are a direct affront to millions of Jews in Israel and around the world who strive to lead meaningful, moral, and egalitarian Jewish lives.

MK Distel-Atbaryan ended with the hate-filled words:

“Please remove this ‘enlightened Reformist’, as the Jews [in the room] would like to continue the discussion.”

These words reflect a profound ignorance of Reform Judaism—and of Judaism as a whole. Such rhetoric amplifies the dangerous lie that Reform Jews are not truly Jewish, a falsehood that has, in the past, led to verbal harassment, social exclusion, and even physical violence against Jews practicing their faith in progressive or non-Orthodox ways.

We call on MK Distel-Atbaryan to retract her statements and issue a public apology—not only to MK Rabbi Kariv and his daughters, but to all Jews who affirm that there is more than one authentic way to be Jewish.

We urge all Jewish organizations worldwide to publicly denounce these remarks and reaffirm a fundamental truth: the Jewish people are one people, enriched by many voices, traditions, and pathways to Jewish life.

We call upon the President of the State of Israel, Mr. Isaac Herzog, in his role as a symbol of national unity and shared responsibility, to clearly and unequivocally state that no one in Israel has a monopoly on Judaism and that hate speech, especially from elected officials, has no place in a democratic and inclusive Jewish state.

Union for Reform Judaism
Shelley Niceley Groff (she/her), North American Board Chair
Rabbi Rick Jacobs (he/him), President
Daryl Messinger (she/her), Chair North American Board, ARZA
Rabbi Josh Weinberg (he/him), VP for Israel and Reform Zionism

Central Conference of American Rabbis
Rabbi David Lyon (he/him), President
Rabbi Hara Person (she/her), Chief Executive Officer

American Conference of Cantors
Cantor Seth Warner (he/him), President
Rachel Roth (she/her), Chief Operating Officer

Central Conference of American Rabbis Grieves the Antisemitic Murders of Yaron Lischinsky, ז״ל, and Sarah Milgrim, ז״ל

Posted on by The CCAR

May 23, 2025

The Central Conference of American Rabbis is horrified and heartbroken by the murders of two employees of the Israeli Embassy to the United States. Sarah Milgrim, ז״ל, and Yaron Lischinsky, ז״ל, died על קידוש השם (al kiddush ha-Shem), “for the sanctification of the Divine Name,” the traditional Jewish idiom for those who are murdered because they are Jews.

The murders of these two extraordinary young adults, on the verge of becoming engaged to be married, is an inestimable loss for their families, their friends and communities, for the State of Israel, and for the Jewish people. Lischinsky and Milgrim were murdered as they were leaving an American Jewish Committee event for young diplomats at Washington, DC’s Capital Jewish Museum, where, according to AJC, they “heard from members of the Multifaith Alliance and IsrAID on humanitarian diplomacy and how a coalition of organizations—from the region and for the region—are working together in response to humanitarian crises” in Israel and Palestine.

The murderer shouted, “Free Palestine” and told police, “I did it for Gaza,” making clear his intent to strike mortal fear in the hearts of the vast majority of American Jews regardless of their views on Zionism. This horrific crime is a harsh reminder that extremists on the left, as well as those on the right, perpetrate violent antisemitism.

We learn in Proverbs, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”[1] Our Talmudic sages explain: “Actually, a person’s tongue is more powerful than his sword. A sword can kill somebody who is nearby; a tongue can cause the death of one who is far away.”[2] This murder can be traced to anti-Israel activism that has too often veered into antisemitism and has incited violence by deploying slogans such as “Globalize the Intifada.”

Reform rabbis grieve with the families and friends of Milgrim and Lischinsky, including members of communities served by CCAR rabbis, and all those who strive with us for peace. המקום ינחם אותם ואותן (HaMakom yinachim otam v’otan), “May they be comforted among all who mourn among our Jewish people and all the world.”

Rabbi David A. Lyon, President
Rabbi Hara E. Person, Chief Executive
Central Conference of American Rabbis

  1. Proverbs 18:21. ↑
  2. Babylonian Talmud, Arachin 15b. ↑
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