November 27, 2024

Reform Movement leaders are encouraged by the ceasefire in Lebanon, announced yesterday by Israel yesterday after more than a year of deadly rocket attacks by Hezbollah, which caused much of Northern Israel to be evacuated. The war in Lebanon has also caused the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Lebanese civilians. Though this is far from a “peace agreement,” President Biden expressed his hope that this will be an important step toward a permanent cessation of hostilities, which is a hope we deeply share. We are grateful to President Biden and his team for their tireless efforts to bring together the parties to reach this agreement. However, our hope is tempered by the knowledge that Hezbollah has ignored previous agreements, and that the UN has been unable or unwilling to enforce agreements requiring Hezbollah’s forces to remain beyond the Litani River and disarm, which would offer a modicum of security to Israelis living throughout the North.   

Now, we continue to pray and work for a negotiated ceasefire between Hamas and Israel that results in freedom for the 101 remaining hostages and vital humanitarian aid reaching civilians who are suffering in Gaza.   

Just this past Shabbat, we read the Genesis narrative recounting the burial of the patriarch Abraham, where estranged brothers Isaac and Ishmael stood together as they buried their father.  There must come a time when the estranged children of Abraham will find a way to share this war-torn land. That time will not dawn soon, but leaders and all people of courage must find ways to ensure that such a future will remain a possibility.  

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

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

Central Conference of American Rabbis 
Rabbi Erica Asch (she/her), President
Rabbi Hara E. Person (she/her), Chief Executive

November 25, 2024

The Central Conference of American Rabbis grieves the death of Rabbi Jonathan Stein, on Shabbat, November 22, 2024. Rabbi Stein led the CCAR with distinction as its president from 2011 to 2013. Rabbi Stein was revered throughout the Reform Jewish world, particularly at the three congregations he served: Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation, Congregation Beth Israel in San Diego, and Congregation Shaaray Tefila in New York City.

Rabbi Stein led the CCAR at a time of significant transition in the Reform Movement. He advocated strongly and successfully for Reform Jewish values, for integrity, for rabbinic leadership, and for each of our legacy institutions. He took advantage of living and serving in New York at the time of his CCAR presidency to provide regular counsel and support to the presidents of the Union for Reform Judaism and the Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, just as he did for the chief executive of the CCAR.

Prior to his service as president, Rabbi Stein served as the editor of the CCAR Journal: The Reform Jewish Quarterly and as co-chair of the CCAR’s Ad-Hoc Committee on Human Sexuality. He was a noted scholar and was widely published. He consistently advocated for uncompromising support for the State of Israel.

Rabbi Stein was treasured by a close circle of friends in the rabbinate. He was cherished as a mentor, colleague, and friend to so many.

The Central Conference of American Rabbis extends deepest sympathies to Susan, Jonathan’s devoted wife of fifty-five years; to their daughters, Rachel and Jessica; to their grandchildren; and to all of his congregational families and his legions of friends, within and beyond the rabbinate.

The memory of Rabbi Jonathan Stein is a blessing.

Rabbi Erica Asch, President
Rabbi Hara Person, Chief Executive
Rabbi Steven A. Fox, Chief Executive Emeritus
Central Conference of American Rabbis

November 20, 2024

The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism sent the following letter to Congress urging opposition to H.R. 9495, which would grant the Secretary of the Treasury unilateral authority to revoke the tax-exempt status of nonprofits:

Dear Member of Congress,

On behalf of the Reform Jewish movement, including the Union for Reform Judaism encompassing 1.8 million Reform Jews in more than 800 synagogues nationwide, and the Central Conference of American Rabbis including 2,000 rabbis, I write to share our strong opposition to H.R. 9495, the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act.

Though this bill purports to make the nation safer, in fact, it endows the Treasury Secretary with overly broad power that threatens constitutional rights. By allowing the Secretary unilateral authority to designate an American non-profit a “terrorist supporting organization” and to revoke its tax-exempt status, the bill opens the door to potential abuse and politicization of what should be impartial policy decisions.

As the largest denomination in American Jewish life, we appreciate any and all genuine efforts to address rising antisemitism nationwide and to combat terrorism worldwide. However, the provisions of H.R. 9495 that are purportedly meant to address instances where non-profits are supporting terror appear to be a solution in search of a problem. Should an instance occur where a non-profit is thought to be engaging in such unlawful behavior, there is already in place a deliberative and thorough process to review such concerns under Article 18 Section 2339 of the U.S. Code, before applying the appropriate remedy. This current process is less susceptible to political interference or the chilling effect on speech and activity than H.R. 9495 is likely to have should a Treasury Secretary be endowed with virtually unfettered power to remove an organization’s non-profit status.

H.R. 9495 poses a threat to core American values. We urge you to oppose this harmful legislation and vote against it when it comes to the floor.

Sincerely,

Barbara Weinstein
Director, Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism
Religious Action Center

November 4, 2024

The Central Conference of American Rabbis rejects deplorable and false claims of widespread voter fraud in the United States, unjustly and dangerously casting doubt that the results of our upcoming presidential election can be trusted. These fabricated assertions empower state officials who would unscrupulously purge eligible voters from the rolls and suppress turnout in marginalized communities.

Though democratic republics like ours were unknown in Talmudic times, “Rabbi Yitzchak taught: One may appoint a leader over a community only after consulting that community.”^[1] Through much of its history, America has fallen short in defining the community—that is, the voters—who must choose our leaders. The Electoral College is a vestige of our founders’ belief that only white, landholding men were qualified to choose the President of the United States. Gradually the right to vote was expanded to Black men in 1870, women in 1920, Native Americans in 1924, and those aged eighteen to twenty in 1971. In every generation, those who would seek to exclude Americans from participating in elections have found ways to accomplish their undemocratic aims.

Recent efforts to combat election fraud have been, at best, a solution in search of a problem, and more often, our own generation’s method of dissuading legitimate but marginalized voters from going to the polls. Lorraine C. Minnite, a Rutgers University professor and author of The Myth of Voter Fraud, observes, “Fraud committed by voters is exceedingly rare. But allegations of voter fraud are ubiquitous. They are almost always leveled by opponents when reformers seek to make it easier to vote, not just at election times. The specter of voter fraud is used to scare people and justify rules that make it harder to vote for that segment of the population that already votes the least—the poor, new citizen voters, young people and, most importantly, racial minorities.”^[2]

As the 2024 election approaches, Americans are assaulted by repeated claims of large-scale voting by undocumented immigrants. However, the Bipartisan Policy Center reports: “The Heritage Foundation’s analysis…found only 24 instances of noncitizens voting between 2003 and 2023…. Illegal voting, including by noncitizens, is routinely investigated and prosecuted by the appropriate authorities, and there is no evidence that noncitizen voting has ever been significant enough to impact an election’s outcome.”^[3]

The Central Conference of American Rabbis calls on federal, state, and local election officials to reject forcefully all unjustified demands that they take extraordinary steps to combat all-but-nonexistent voter fraud. Instead, Reform rabbis call on elected officials to fight voter suppression. We are proud that our Reform rabbis have joined the Religious Action Center’s Every Voice, Every Vote campaign, to uphold the integrity of our elections by ensuring every voice is heard and every vote is counted. The CCAR renews its call to vouchsafe and expand voting rights by vigorously enforcing the Voting Rights Act, fully implementing the Help America Vote Act, adopting the Freedom to Vote Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and granting statehood to the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Rabbi Erica Asch, President
Rabbi Hara E. Person, Chief Executive
Central Conference of American Rabbis

1. Babylonian Talmud, B’rachot 55a. ↑
2. Tom McLaughlin, “Is Voter Fraud a Danger or a Myth?” Rutgers, October 19, 2020, https://www.rutgers.edu/news/voter-fraud-danger-or-myth. ↑
3. Theresa Cardinal Brown, Theo Menon, Feyisayo Oyolola, “Four Things to Know about Noncitizen Voting,” Bipartisan Policy Center, March 13, 2024, https://bipartisanpolicy.org/blog/four-things-to-know-about-noncitizen-voting/. ↑

October 22, 2024

The Central Conference of American Rabbis grieves the death of its revered past president, legal scholar, and cherished rabbi, Dr. Walter Jacob, z”l, who died peacefully at home on Sunday afternoon, October 20, 2024. 

Rabbi Jacob was his generation’s preeminent scholar of הלכה, the Jewish legal tradition. As Chair of the CCAR Responsa Committee over the course of several decades—and later, as the founder of the Solomon B. Freehof Institute of Progressive Halakhah—Rabbi Jacob served as a critical bridge between the halachic world and the Reform Jewish community. He authored hundreds of תשובות (Responsa), many of which continue to guide Reform Jewish practice today. He raised up disciples and worked collaboratively with members of the committee he chaired, seeking broad input and striving to bring each member’s view into the final product.  

Rabbi Jacob led the CCAR as president from 1991 to 1993, during a time of transition when longtime Executive Vice-President, Rabbi Joe Glaser, z”l, retired. When CCAR faced challenges during his presidency, Rabbi Jacob provided calm, thoughtful leadership. Even at moments of crisis, he provided a steady rudder and was never rattled. He led gently, encouraging younger colleagues in CCAR leadership, and empowering others in areas where he lacked expertise.  

Rabbi Jacob served Rodef Shalom Congregation in Pittsburgh from the time of his ordination in 1955 until his death—first as assistant rabbi to Rabbi Freehof, then as senior rabbi from 1966 to 1997, and ultimately as rabbi emeritus and senior scholar. Walter Jacob was much more than a scholar to his congregants: he also placed a priority on pastoral care. When he was President of the CCAR and much in demand as a scholarly lecturer, he might be home for only a day between trips, but he would spend that day visiting hospitals and homes to comfort congregants who faced illness and bereavement.  

Rabbi Jacob was a generous mentor to the younger rabbis who served with him at Rodef Shalom. He always supported them and was happy for them to introduce programs and services. He appreciated their innovation and helped them become better rabbis.   

After assuming emeritus status at Rodef Shalom, Rabbi Jacob continued to focus his attention on his scholarship. He also played a central role in the recreation of progressive Judaism in continental Europe—above all, in Germany, his birthplace and the birthplace of Reform Judaism. He spent his entire life creating anew and giving of himself. 

Rabbi Jacob was preceded in death by Irene, his beloved wife of fifty-four years, and by their children, Claire, Kenneth, and Daniel. The CCAR expresses its profound condolences to his surviving extended family members and to his synagogue family of nearly seventy years. 

Rabbi Erica Asch, President 
Rabbi Hara E. Person, Chief Executive 
Rabbi Steven A. Fox, Chief Executive Emeritus 
Central Conference of American Rabbis