CCAR in the News

CCAR Press Releases

• November 2021:
  • CCAR Press Announces Release of ‘The Social Justice Torah Commentary’ 
• August 2021:
  • CCAR Press Releases New Interactive Meditation and Reflection App Based on ‘Opening Your Heart With Psalm 27’
  • CCAR Press Announces Release of ‘Because My Soul Longs for You: Integrating Theology into Our Lives’
• June 2021: Central Conference of American Rabbis Urges Reform Jewish Institutions to Institute Parental Leave
• June 2021: ‘Inscribed: Encounters with the Ten Commandments’ Wins 2021 Independent Publisher Book Award
• May 2021: Central Conference of American Rabbis Announces the Heartland Fellowship—a $1.4 Million Investment to Hire Reform Rabbis in Smaller, Challenged Jewish Communities in the United States
• April 2021: Rabbi Lewis Kamrass Named New President of Central Conference of American Rabbis at 2021 Annual Convention
  

 

CCAR in the News

2022

• Rabbi Hara Person in USA Today: What is Tu BiShvat? Everything to Know About the Jewish Holiday That Celebrates Nature

2021

• Rabbi Barry H. Block, oped in JTA: My Jewish Ancestors Owned Slaves. That’s Why I’m a Rabbi for Racial Justice
• Rabbi Barry H. Block, opEd in The Times of Israel: Social Justice Should Not be Controversial
• Rabbi Lewis Kamrass in eJewishPhilanthropy.com: Quietly Eyeing the Exit Door or Seeking Renewal
• Kirkus Reviews: The Social Justice Torah Commentary
• Rabbi Hara Person in The Times of Israel: The Pandemic and the Binding of Isaac: Finding Healing from Brokenness
• Jewish Boston: Psalm 27 Goes Digital
• The Detroit Jewish News: Rabbi Marla Hornsten: The CCAR Convention from My PJs
• Forbes: Tobi Kahn’s Visual Seder
• Parade: Looking for a Haggadah That Fits Your Family? These Are the 11 Best, Most Versatile Passover Haggadahs Available Online
• Patheos: 8 Haggadahs to Use for Passover 2021
• Rabbis Hara Person and Lewis Kamrass in eJewishPhilanthropy: Rabbis Will Need the Support of Their Communities to Heal Post-Pandemic
• Hadassah Magazine: Haggadot and Passover Books to Move You—Emotionally and Physically
• Jewish Boston: And Then: New Haggadah Captures Ancient and Contemporary Aspects of Passover
• JTA: From ‘Seinfeld’ to WWII Morocco, These New Haggadah Options Will Spice Up Your Passover Seder
• Jewish Book Council: Passover 5781/2021 Hag­gadah Roundup
• Rabbi Hara Person in USA Today: Why Joe Biden’s Faith-Based ‘Equity’ Agenda is Getting Pushback From Religious conservatives
• Jewish Standard: Cut-Ups With a Serious Purpose: Paper Midrash Combines Jewish Art and Thought
• The Mussar Torah Commentary named a 2020 Nation­al Jew­ish Book Award finalist

 

2020

• Sojourners: Biden is a Pro-Choice Catholic. Will He Expand Reproductive Health Care?
• ABC News: US Jews Plan Smaller Hanukkah Celebrations Amid Virus
• Rabbi Hara Person, opEd in The Times of Israel: Biden’s Win a Victory for Americans of Faith
• The Jewish News: New App Enhances Prayer During Pandemic
• Tablet Magazine: The Other Side of the Pandemic: Synagogues Tackle the Mental Health Issues That COVID-19 Has Exacerbated
• Jewish Journal: Digital Platform Blends Technology and Spirituality for Easy Online Services
• Rabbi Hara Person, Forward: We Still Have Time to Resist Amy Coney Barrett’s Confirmation — and We Must
• Rabbi Hara Person in JTA: How Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went From the Notorious RBG to Ruth the Tzaddik
• Rabbi Hara Person on CBS New York: Synagogues Live Stream Rosh Hashanah Services As Families Plan Smaller Gatherings Due To Coronavirus
• Rabbi Hara Person, opEd in eJewishPhilanthropy: Jewish Organizations Must Address the Pandemic Parenting Gender Gap
• Rabbi Hara Person, Ms. Magazine: Why Progressive Faith Leaders Must Defend Reproductive Rights
• JTA: What It’s Like to Start a Job as a Rabbi Mid-Pandemic
• Rabbi Hara Person, opEd in The Times of Israel: Jewish Support for Abortion Is Being Drowned Out. We Can Change That
• JTA: 800 Rabbis and Cantors Sign Statement Supporting Peaceful Protest Against Racism
• Rabbi Hara Person opEd in the Forward: What Will the Rabbinate Look Like After COVID?
• The Forward: High Holidays 2020: Rabbis Start to Think Outside the Synagogue
• Rabbi Hara Person on The David Suissa Podcast: “Can Family Stories Nourish Us During Pandemic Times?”
• The New York Times: The Passover Rules Bend, if Just for One Pandemic
• Rabbi Hara Person, opEd in The Times of Israel: Jewish Resilience: Creating, Transforming & Connecting in a Time of Distance
• Rabbi Hara Person on the TLV 1 Tel Aviv Review Podcast: More Jewish, Less Democratic?
• Newsweek: The Liberation of Auschwitz Took Place 75 Years Ago. Today, America is Witnessing the ‘Revival’ of Anti-semitism

2019

• The New York Times: Trump’s Order to Combat Anti-Semitism Divides Its Audience: American Jews
• Rabbi Hara Person, opEd in Time Magazine: My Mom Warned Me About Anti-Semitism. I Didn’t Fully Understand Until Last Year’s Synagogue Shooting
• Rabbi Hara Person, opEd in The Times of Israel: Atoning in a time of hatred and division
• AL.com: Rabbis gather in Alabama Bear Witness to Racial and Reproductive Rights Injustices
• Alabama News Network: Rabbis Tour Selma During Racial Injustice Summit
• The Jerusalem Report: Shattering The Stained Glass Ceiling
• Jewish Journal: CCAR Files Brief in Support of LGBTQ Rights
• Rabbi Hara Person, opEd in The Times of Israel: The Immorality of anti-LGBTQ Discrimination
• Rabbi Hara Person, opEd in Ms. Magazine: It’s Time to Give Working Moms the Gift of Economic Equality
• Rabbi Hara Person, opEd in Religion Dispatches: The Moral Outrage of Comparing Abortion to the Holocaust
• Rabbi Hara Person, opEd in the Forward: The Reform Movement Is Struggling With Gender Equity, Says First Female Leader Of CCAR
• Interfaith Alliance: More Than 20 Religious, Faith-Based Organizations Call on Congress to Stop Weaponizing Anti-Semitism for Political Purposes
• Ms. Magazine opEd by Rabbi Hara Person: The Injustice of Unequal Pay
• Cincinnati Public Radio: Reform Rabbis Come Back To Where It All Began: Cincinnati
• Cleveland Jewish News: CCAR to meet in Cincinnati March 31-April 3
• Atlanta Jewish Times: Temple Sinai’s Ron Segal to Lead Nation’s Reform Rabbis

 

2018

• Lilith Magazine: 7 Jewish Feminist Highlights of 2018
• The Times of Israel: Chanukah and Antisemitism: Lessons for Our Time
• Deseret News: Run, Hide, Fight: A Utah Jewish Synagogue Trains to Face an Active Shooter after the Deadliest Assault on Jews in U.S. history
• Vox: Why Hanukkah’s Message of Jewish Resilience Matters So Much After Pittsburgh
• JTA: The Reform Movement’s Rabbinical Group Appoints its First Female Leader
• Cleveland Jewish News: The Reform Movement’s Rabbinical Group Appoints its First Female Leader
• The Times of Israel: The Reform Movement’s Rabbinical Group Appoints its First Female Leader
• The Forward: Reform Movement’s Rabbinical Group Appoints First Female Leader 
• JTA: How to Understand the Kavanaugh Allegations, According to Rabbis
• Rabbi Hara Person, OpEd in The Times of Israel: Sukkot: A Season of Empathy
• Rabbi Hara Person, OpEd in the Forward: What Jews Should Watch For In The Kavanaugh Confirmation Hearings
• JTA: Why an Orthodox Rabbi Chose to Publish a Book with a Reform Publisher
• Jewish News of Greater Phoenix: Valley Rabbi Publishes Book on Pirkei Avot in the 21st Century
• The Times of Israel: Beware of ‘Biblical’ Policies by Rabbi Hara Person
• The Forward: The Invisible Ones Among Us, by Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz
• My Jewish Learning: Hashkiveinu: Seeking Comfort and Protection Through the Night, by Rabbi Hara Person
• OpEd from Rabbi Hara Person and Rabbi Steven Fox: Israel Has to Stop Naming Things After Trump
• Rabbi Hara Person, opEd in PopSugar: The Problem With Mother’s Day
• The Advocate: Inclusiveness Is an Asset to Major LGBT-Affirming Churches and Synagogues
• Rabbi Steve Fox, opEd in The Jerusalem Post: Jewish American Identity
• Rabbi Hara Person, opEd in The Times of Israel: The Political Is Personal
• Rabbi Steve Fox, opEd in JTA: We Need a Rabbinic Resistance to the Religious Right
• The Times of Israel: Pence’s Kotel Visit Insulted Women Everywhere
• Jewish Exponent: Female Rabbis Contend Sexual Harassment Persists
• Rabbi Hara Person, opEd in the Forward: 2018 Manifesto for The Woke Jewish Woman

 

2017

• Rabbi Hara Person, opEd in JTA: When Women Rabbis Say ‘#MeToo,’ Communities Must Pay Attention
• Jerusalem Post: Reform Jews Express Concern Over Jerusalem Announcement
• Rabbi Hara Person, opEd in The Forward: Why Women’s Torah Commentary Matters Today More Than Ever Before
• Rabbi Hara Person, opEd in Motto: President Trump’s Birth Control Mandate Is an Attack on Religious Liberty
• The New York Times: Rabbis Protest Trump’s Comments by Boycotting Conference Call
• JTA: Three Jewish movements opt out of High Holidays call with Trump, citing ‘xenophobia’
• The Forward: Jewish Denominations Pull Out Of Trump’s High Holiday Call — Call On Him To ‘Repent’
• Politico: Rabbis ditch High Holy Days call with Trump
• New York Magazine: Rabbis Cancel High Holy Days Call With Trump Over Charlottesville Response
• Haaretz: Citing Lack of Moral Leadership, Jewish Movements Nix Traditional Phone Call With Trump
• Newsweek: Rabbis won’t call Trump for Jewish High Holidays because of his Charlottesville response
• Mother Jones: Rabbis Pull Out of Call With Trump in Wake of Charlottesville
• The Washington Post: Rabbis forgo annual high holidays call with the president over Trump’s Charlottesville response
• Huffington Post: Jewish Groups Cancel High Holidays Call With Trump Over Charlottesville Comments
• USA Today: Rabbis cancel high holy days call with President Trump over Charlottesville response
• The Independent: Top Rabbis cancel annual call with Trump over his Charlottesville response
• Bloomberg: Trump Calls for Unity After Attacking Media
• The Hill: Rabbis cancel annual call with Trump over Charlottesville response
• Washington Examiner: American rabbi group cancels annual call with Trump over Charlottesville statement
• Time: Rabbis Drop Out of Jewish Holiday Conference Call With President Trump
• ABC News: Rabbis cancel annual call with Trump over his Charlottesville response 
• Baltimore Jewish Times: Reform Movement condemns President Trump’s recent decision to ban transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. Military
• The Jewish Week: Liberals Threaten Israel Giving In Wake Of Cabinet Moves
• eJewish Philanthropy: The Season of Transition
• Jewish News of Northern California: This Berkeley Poet is Equally at Home with Her Paintbrushes
• Pittsburg Jewish Chronicle: Online conversion programs create a ‘virtual chavurah,’ but can it be a real community?
• CCAR joins Over 100 National Faith Leaders Join Texas Clergy in Opposition to Anti-LGBTQ Bills
• Atlanta Jewish Times: Reform Rabbis Find Civil Rights Inspiration
• Atlanta Jewish Times: Reform Rabbis Hear Call to Justice
• The Times of Israel: David Stern Becomes Third-Generation President of Reform Rabbinical Group
• Religion News Service: In ‘turbulent times,’ 500 rabbis look for ways to resist and cope
• The Forward: David Stern Becomes Third-Generation President of Reform Rabbinical Group
• JTA: David Stern Becomes Third-Generation President of Reform Rabbinical Group
• U.S. News: What President Donald Trump Needs to do to Denounce anti-Semitism
• Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Rabbis Meet in Atlanta as Nation Grapples with Growing anti-Semitism
• ProPublica: In an Angry and Fearful Nation, an Outbreak of Anti-Semitism
• Religion News Service: Nearly 2000 Clergy, Faith Leaders Sign Amicus Brief In Support of Transgender Protections
• Cleveland Jewish News: CCAR Responds to Philadelphia Cemetery Damage
• JTA: Betsy DeVos narrowly confirmed as education secretary in historic vote
• The Forward: Reform Rabbis Slam Betsy DeVos for ‘Christian’ Education Plan
• LA Times: How Trump’s policies and rhetoric are forging alliances between U.S. Jews and Muslims
• Tablet Magazine: Jewish Groups Across the Spectrum Unite in Condemnation of Trump’s Refugee Ban
• Jerusalem Post: American Jewish Movements Unite to Warn Trump Against Religious Tests
• The Forward: Donald Trump is on The Warpath to Standing Rock, and Jews Must Battle Him

 

2016

• Heritage FL Jewish News: Woman Director of Rabbinic Placement
• Rabbi Steve Fox, opEd in The Jewish Week: Did We Vote for That?
• The New York Times: Hanukkah Event at a Trump Hotel Highlights a Rift Among Jews
• CCAR Director of Rabbinic Placement Announcement
• The Times of Israel: Comment on Steve Bannon
• Mother Jones: Many Jewish Groups Are Staying Quiet on Steve Bannon
• The Jewish Week: The Few, The Proud: Jews Stand With Standing Rock
• WMAZ: New Jersey rabbi monitoring polling center in Macon
• Macon Telegraph: Rabbi, NAACP volunteers monitoring polls in Macon
• Lilith Magazine: Forty Years from Now: Perspectives of Women in the Rabbinate
• Jewish Journal: Women Rabbis: Progress Made, but Challenges Remain
• The Oklahoman: Oklahoma City Jewish Congregation Debuts New Prayer Book for High Holy Day
• Cleveland Jewish News: Priesand Turns Over New Page
• AZ Jewish Post: New, Inclusive Prayer Book Wins Local Fans
• eJewish Philanthropy: The Importance of Parsonage
• Jewish Journal: The Female Rabbi Exchange, Part 1: On How Women Rabbis Have Changed Judaism
• The Times of Israel: From Holocaust to Helpers
• The Jewish News of Northern California: Interim Rabbis Help Stay The Course for Congregations in Transition
• Crescent City Jewish News: First Female Rabbi Sally Priesand Figures Prominently In New Book
• Crescent City Jewish News: CCAR’s ‘Sacred Calling’ Details 40 years of Women Rabbis
• The Jewish News of Northern California: You’ve Come a Long Way, Rabbi: 40 Years of Women in the Pulpit
• Amherst Magazine: A New Way to Pray
• JTA: The Big Book of Women Rabbis Tells a Grand Story
• New Jersey Jersey News: Women In the Rabbinate
• Lilith Magazine: Transference and the Female Rabbi
• Jewish Community Voice: Why a Small Word Change is a Big Deal for Reform Women Rabbis
• eJewish Philanthropy: How Far We’ve Come – and How Much Farther We Still Need to Go
• Jewish Journal: After Orlando: Heartbroken, But With Resolve – Rabbi Denise Eger
• The Forward: Reform Women Rabbis Celebrate Getting Exact Same Title as Men — After 44 Years
• JTA: Why a small word change is a big deal for Reform women rabbis
• The Washington Post: ‘I not only envisioned it. I fought for it’: The first female rabbi isn’t done yet
• eJewish Philanthropy: Making the First 100 Days Count: Rabbinic Transition
• The Jerusalem Post: ADL Calls on Jewish Organization to Redirect Trump Donations to Fight Hate
• Heritage Florida Jewish News: Reform Rabbinic Leadership Meets with Netanyahu
• The New York Times: American Reform Rabbis Warn of Alienation From Israel
• ABC News: American Reform Rabbis Warn of Alienation From Israel
• The Jerusalem Post: Old guard needs to accept growing role of Reform Jews
• The Times of Israel: Reform rabbis celebrate mixed Western Wall worship with prayers at future site
• The Jerusalem Post: American Reform leaders see Kotel deal as foundation for further gains
• JTA: Netanyahu meets with US Reform leaders in wake of Western Wall decision
• The Forward: Reform Programs Aims To Spark ‘Dialogue Not Debate’ on Israel
• JTA: Haredi Lawmaker in Israel compares Reform movement to Mentally Ill Person
• Haaretz: More than 150 Reform Rabbis Hold Mixed­gender Service at New Western Wall Prayer Space
• The Jerusalem Post: Reform Movement holds first official prayer service at Western Wall
• The Jerusalem Post: Reform Movement representatives describe ‘quiet revolution’ to Knesset committee
• Haaretz: Reform Jewish Leaders Thank Netanyahu for Western Wall Prayer Decision
• The Times of Israel: Netanyahu, Reform Jewish leaders meet in Jerusalem
• Haaretz: U.S. Reform rabbinical leader: Netanyahu must represent all Jews, not just Orthodox
• Haaretz: U.S. Reform Rabbis Blast Israeli Tourism Minister Over Assimilation Remarks
• The Jerusalem Post: Minister Refuses to Walk Back Comments about Reform Jews
• Haaretz: U.S. Jewish Groups Back Obama’s Gun Control Initiatives
• The Jerusalem Post: U.S. Jewish Groups Back Obama’s Gun Control Initiatives
• The Forward: Gabby Giffords and Jewish Groups Back Barack Obama Push On Guns
• ReformJudaism: The Top 10 Reform Jewish Moments of 2015

2015

• Lilith Magazine: 7 Jewish Feminist Highlights of 2015
• Rabbis Steve Fox and Karen Fox Op-Ed, Jewish Journal: An American Immigrant Family’s Responsibility
• The Jewish Chronicle: We Are All God’s Children
• Jewish Standard: A New Prayerbook for a New Year
• Rabbi Steve Fox, opEd, Huffington Post: Why I Helped Carry a Torah From Selma to Washington
• J Weekly: Time for an upgrade: Innovation meets tradition in new Reform machzor
• Georgia Voice: LGBT-inclusive Jewish prayer book adopted by Atlanta synagogues
• Jewish Journal: Think you can’t observe Yom Kippur? Not so fast
• Fox 5 News, Washington D.C.: Interview with Rabbi Steve Fox at America’s Journey for Justice
• The Bay Area Reporter: Reform rabbis adopt LGBT-friendly prayer book
• Atlanta Jewish Times: New Reform Prayer Book Arrives for Holidays
• Minneapolis Star Tribune: New Jewish prayer book for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
• Heritage Florida Jewish News: The Reform movement’s new holiday prayer book is radically inclusive
• The Jewish Week: Reform Machzor Enlarges The Tent
• Rabbi Hara Person, opEd in The Forward: The Choose-Your-Own-Adventure High Holidays Prayer Book
• JTA: The Reform movement’s new holiday prayer book is radically inclusive
• The Times of Israel: Politics from the pulpit on the menu for this Jewish New Year
• Huffington Post: The Equality Act Would Provide Comprehensive LGBT Civil Rights. It’s About Time. By Steve Fox and Hara Person
• Boston Herald: Revamped Prayer Book Offers Modern Take For Reform Jews
• Jewish Journal: Standing on holy ground, By Rabbi Denise Eger
• Haaretz: Reform Movement Unveils New Gay-friendly High Holy Days Prayer Book
• Philadelphia Inquirer: First openly gay president of Reform Judaism rabbi group to be installed
• Jewish Exponent: Reform Rabbis Group Inducts First Gay President at Philly Meeting
• JTA: For Reform, new gay-friendly High Holidays prayer book keeps up inclusivity trend
• The Washington Post: Revised Jewish prayer book speaks to gay equality, women and doubt

 

2014 and older

• Huffington Post: 36 Rabbis Shave for the Brave’ to Fight Childhood Cancer
• New Jersey Jewish News: New prayerbook helps kids ‘wrestle’ with holy images
• The New York Jewish Week: Liberals Taking Historic Change In Stride: While fight for benefits continues, sense of normalcy about gay nuptials
• CCAR Donates Over 400 Prayerbooks to Storm-Ravaged Synagogues
• Cleveland.com: Shaker Heights Rabbi Elected CCAR President
• JTA: Reform female rabbis are paid less than male counterparts, study finds
• JTA: iPad App for Reform Prayer Book is Launched
• New Jersey Jewish News: Interfaith Clergy Exploring Israel Leadership Trip
• The Jewish Week: Rabbi Peter Knobel on Moral Leadership