Statements

Central Conference of American Rabbis Statement on the Iranian Uprising

Posted on by The CCAR

January 15, 2026

The Central Conference of American Rabbis lifts the collective Reform Jewish voice in support of the brave people who are risking their lives to protest the terrorist regime that governs Iran. We grieve the deaths of all whom the regime has brutally murdered, in response to the current uprising and before it, in Iran and around the world, and stand in awe of those who continue to oppose the regime.

Reform rabbis have been deeply concerned about the Iranian regime’s sponsorship of terror and its efforts to develop nuclear weapons, with the explicit attempt of destroying our beloved State of Israel and murdering our people there.[i] For decades, the Iranian regime has threatened the stability of its region and the world, even as Iranian people have been deprived of personal freedoms and are increasingly impoverished by the regime’s corruption and diversion of public funds to terrorism and the development of nuclear weapons.

Centuries before democracy was common, our rabbinic sages decreed that a ruler may only lead a people with their consent.[ii] The Iranian regime has forfeited its moral authority to rule the nation and has now lost the popular support required to remain in power. Their reach goes well beyond its own boundaries to impose its terror in the Middle East and the western hemisphere. For the sake of a greater peace that begins in Iran, it is time for the people of Iran to be sovereign.

The Central Conference of American Rabbis calls upon the governments of the United States and Canada, together with their allies, to continue and to strengthen sanctions that cripple the Iranian regime and to take all appropriate steps to support the myriads protesting their cruel government.

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

[i] “The Threat from Iran,” Resolution adopted by the 117th Annual Convention of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, June, 2006, Threat from Iran, The – Central Conference of American Rabbis.

[ii] Babylonian Talmud, B’rachot 55a.

CCAR statements are grounded in the history of CCAR resolutions and platforms. We strive to represent the overall voice of the CCAR leadership and the Reform rabbinate on critical issues of the day. The CCAR is a diverse community of rabbis, and we recognize the multiplicity of viewpoints that exist within our membership. We encourage those of differing perspectives to engage in respectful dialogue. It is our hope that these statements provide the Reform community with deeper understanding of important issues that impact our lives as Jews and as global citizens.

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Central Conference of American Rabbis Statement on Threat to Transgender Youth

Posted on by The CCAR

January 6, 2026

The Central Conference of American Rabbis is appalled by the Trump Administration’s proposal to withhold all federal funds from hospitals that provide lifesaving gender affirming care to transgender youth. The withheld funds would include Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement for all patient care, effectively closing hospitals that would continue to provide evidence-based medicine to transgender youth.

The claim that gender affirming medical care is not grounded in science is false. Multiple studies have demonstrated that gender affirming care is safe[i]—and more importantly, it saves the lives of youth experiencing gender dysphoria, who are at a heightened risk of suicide if untreated.[ii] If the proposed regulation were to go into effect, medical care across the United States would be withheld from minors experiencing gender dysphoria on the basis of ideology rather than evidence.

Jewish health care providers and Jewish-supported hospitals are bound by a religious obligation, grounded in our sacred texts, to provide gender affirming care to minors as an act of פיקוח נפש (pikuach nefesh), “saving life.” The obligation to provide health care is clear in the sacred texts of our tradition.[iii] Moreover, “To ignore the cries of trans children who beg their doctors to help them materialize their identity would be a crime akin to murder, no different from denying care to a patient with the flu or Crohn’s Disease.”[iv] The same may be true of health-care providers of other faiths. The proposal would therefore impinge upon Americans’ First Amendment right to free exercise of religion.

Some CCAR rabbis have transgender children who are accessing or may need to access gender affirming care. Virtually every community served by CCAR rabbis includes children whose lives have been saved by gender affirming care and others whose lives would be threatened if the proposed rule were to go into effect. Reform rabbis pledge our support to one another, to each other’s children, and to the young people in our communities.

In the strongest terms, the Central Conference of American Rabbis urges the Trump Administration to withdraw this proposal, even as we call upon Congress and the courts to invalidate it should it go into effect.

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

[i] Stephanie L. Budge, et al, “Gender Affirming Care Is Evidence Based for Transgender and Gender-Diverse Youth, Journal of Adolescent Health, Volume 75, Issue 6, December 2024, https://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(24)00439-7/fulltext.

[ii]Diana M. Tordoff, et al, “Mental Health Outcomes in Transgender and Nonbinary Youths Receiving Gender-Affirming Care,” National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information, NIH, July 1, 2022, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35212746/.

[iii] See, for example, Babylonian Talmud, Bava Kama 85a.

[iv] Beit Yosef, Yoreh Dei-ah 336:2, cited in Daniel Block, “The Halachic Mandate for Gender Affirming Care: Examining the Potential Efficacy of Religious Liberty Claims Made by Jewish Health Care Providers,” Brandeis University Law Journal, Fall 2022, Volume 10, Issue 1, 125.

CCAR statements are grounded in the history of CCAR resolutions and platforms. We strive to represent the overall voice of the CCAR leadership and the Reform rabbinate on critical issues of the day. The CCAR is a diverse community of rabbis, and we recognize the multiplicity of viewpoints that exist within our membership. We encourage those of differing perspectives to engage in respectful dialogue. It is our hope that these statements provide the Reform community with deeper understanding of important issues that impact our lives as Jews and as global citizens.

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Central Conference of American Rabbis Statement on the Antisemitic Mass Murder in Australia

Posted on by The CCAR

December 15, 2025

The Central Conference of American Rabbis condemns in the strongest terms what Australian authorities have determined to be a targeted antisemitic terror attack on Jewish Australians celebrating Chanukah at Bondi Beach in Sydney. We grieve with the families and communities of those who were murdered. We pray for the healing of the injured. We send support and strength to our Australian colleagues. And we give thanks for the heroic bystander, Ahmed al Ahmed, who disarmed one of the terrorists, risking his life to save Jewish lives. He may be counted among חסידי אומות העולם (chasidei umot ha-olam), the world’s righteous.

This deadliest terrorism directed at the Jewish people since October 7, like too many violent attacks before it, reminds us that antisemitic hate speech—whether ostensibly about Israel, from a White Christian Nationalist perspective, or any other form of bigotry—is deadly dangerous to Jewish bodies. The proliferation of antisemitic hate speech has again led to mass murder of Jews, a phenomenon well known to our rabbinic forebears. In their Talmudic discussion of Psalms 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue,” our sages observed: “Actually, a person’s tongue is more powerful than their sword. A sword can kill somebody who is nearby; a tongue can cause the death of someone who is far away.”[i]

We are commanded to publicize the Chanukah miracle by placing the chanukiyah in the window.[ii] At times of danger, though, Maimonides permitted us to place the Chanukah lights inside the home.[iii] Some Jews will be and feel unsafe to place their Chanukah menorahs in the window this year. All Jewish communities will take security precautions. Still, CCAR rabbis and the communities we serve—in Australia, in North America, in Israel, and around the world—will follow Hillel’s example by increasing the light of holiness throughout the festival,[iv] proclaiming the prophetic faith of Zachariah that might and power, terrorists and their weapons, will ultimately be defeated by the Divine spark in humanity.

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

[i]Babylonian Talmud, Arachin 15b.

[ii] Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 21b.

[iii] Rabbi Moses Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, M’gilat Esther v’Chanukah 4:8.

[iv] Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 21b.

CCAR statements are grounded in the history of CCAR resolutions and platforms. We strive to represent the overall voice of the CCAR leadership and the Reform rabbinate on critical issues of the day. The CCAR is a diverse community of rabbis, and we recognize the multiplicity of viewpoints that exist within our membership. We encourage those of differing perspectives to engage in respectful dialogue. It is our hope that these statements provide the Reform community with deeper understanding of important issues that impact our lives as Jews and as global citizens.

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Reform Movement Joint Statement on Increased West Bank Settler Violence

Posted on by The CCAR

November 13, 2025

Amidst a sharp increase in settler violence in the West Bank, it is past time for decisive, public, and consistent action from the Israeli government and from allies committed to ending attacks that violate Palestinians’ human rights and endanger the prospects for peaceful coexistence.

We join our Israeli Reform Movement (IMPJ) and the Council of Reform Rabbis in Israel (MARAM) in expressing deep shock and concern over the violent attack on the Rabbis for Human Rights delegation. The group included activists, and religious and spiritual leaders from Israel and the United States who came to assist Palestinians with the olive harvest in the West Bank.

A drone operated by extremist settlers struck and injured Reform Rabbi Dana Sharon, who required medical treatment. Following the initial attack, more armed settlers—some wearing uniforms—arrived on the scene, firing rifles into the air and further endangering those present.

Such actions must be stopped. Palestinian families and communities must be protected, and the perpetrators of settler violence must be held accountable through prompt investigations, timely prosecutions, and appropriate punishment.

“We will not be silent in the face of this outrage and will continue to speak out for the Jewish and democratic values upon which the relationship between Israel and the Jewish world is based.” —MK Rabbi Gilad Kariv Adv, Chair Knesset Committee on Aliyah, Absorption and Diaspora

We also call on the U.S. and other friends of Israel—both in the region and globally—to urge Israel to act decisively at this critical moment. The path chosen now will help determine whether the possibility of a two-state solution can be preserved. The West Bank Violence Prevention Act, introduced by Rep. Jerry Nadler with the support of 100 House co-sponsors, would impose sanctions on those responsible for such attacks. The legislation represents one important step the U.S. can and should take to address these injustices.

In recent weeks, ever-larger groups of settlers in the West Bank have attacked Palestinian olive groves, businesses, and homes with horrific violence and seeming impunity. These assaults devastate individuals, destroy livelihoods, and desecrate the land itself.

Rabbis, journalists, and others present to bear witness and assist with the olive harvest have also been assaulted. In some cases, even IDF soldiers have been the victims of settler violence. Yet too often, Israeli authorities charged with upholding the law respond ineffectually—or not at all. Justice for victims is rare, and accountability for perpetrators is equally rare. Given the influence of ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, outspoken advocates for expanding West Bank settlements, this failure of justice is especially tragic.

When government officials claim these attacks are carried out by a small group of extremists whose actions tarnish the reputation of the broader settler community, we ask: if the group is truly small, why has the violence grown in both frequency and severity in recent months?

We reaffirm our July statement condemning settler violence against Palestinians—violence that is immoral and a desecration of God’s name. We again call upon the IDF and Israeli police to take immediate and effective measures to locate the perpetrators and bring them to justice, in the spirit of last week’s Torah portion:

“And they shall keep the way of the Eternal, by doing what is just and right.” 
וְשָֽׁמְרוּ֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ יְהֹוָ֔ה לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת צְדָקָ֖ה וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט 
(Genesis 18:19)

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 A. Lyon (he/him), President
Rabbi Hara Person (she/her), Chief Executive Officer

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

CCAR statements are grounded in the history of CCAR resolutions and platforms. We strive to represent the overall voice of the CCAR leadership and the Reform rabbinate on critical issues of the day. The CCAR is a diverse community of rabbis, and we recognize the multiplicity of viewpoints that exist within our membership. We encourage those of differing perspectives to engage in respectful dialogue. It is our hope that these statements provide the Reform community with deeper understanding of important issues that impact our lives as Jews and as global citizens.

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Reform Movement Joint Statement on the Release of the Remaining Israeli Hostages

Posted on by The CCAR

October 13, 2025

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם מַתִּיר אֲסוּרִים:  

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who frees the captives.

After reciting this prayer daily for more than 738 days, our brothers and sisters who were held in unimaginable conditions by Hamas are now free and have reunited with the loved ones who prayed and fought without ceasing for this day. We share the tears, joy, and profound relief felt by Jews in North America, in Israel, and around the world. With gratitude to all who labored and negotiated their freedom, for all who took to the streets day after day in Israel and around the world, we give thanks for this long-awaited redemption of captives, a supreme mitzvah in our tradition.  

While there must be accountability for those in leadership if we are to prevent this nightmare from reoccurring, for today, we will put aside the gnawing question of why this day did not come sooner.

We are grateful to President Trump and his administration for bringing together this complex plan to end the war, the first part of which we experienced today. We express our appreciation as well to Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who exerted pressure on Hamas to accept this agreement, which also outlines a viable plan for the “day after” in Gaza.  

We are in awe of the hostage families who, morning, noon and night, fought for the release of their loved ones and of the Israeli patriots who took to the streets demanding courageous action from their leaders.  

We love our Israeli Reform Movement that has never stopped advocating and fighting for the hostages, including leading an inspiring Havdalah in Hostage Square every single Saturday night.

We pray that the innocent Palestinian civilians who have suffered mightily from Hamas’ brutality and the crossfire of this deadly war will finally experience safety, consistent flow of vitally needed humanitarian aid, civilian leadership committed to finding a path to peace. 

The path to peace is still long and still to be traveled.  We pray that courageous leaders will press forward on the path to a Palestinian State as outlined in the American plan. However remote it may feel, a two-state solution in some configuration must remain the worthy, long-term goal for Israelis and Palestinians as they contemplate a future with safety, dignity, and hope for all. 

Healing the bodies and spirits of the former hostages, their families, the people of Israel, and the innocent Gazans caught in the conflict will take time, resources, and love. We hold in our hearts the memory of those who did not return, and we embrace the bereaved in their grief. Let this day strengthen our resolve to secure Israel’s safety while advancing a future rooted in dignity, pluralism, and peace for all who live in the land. Today, we exhale the prayer we have carried for so long—shehecheyanu—we thank the “Redeemer of Israel” for allowing us to reach this holy moment and we commit to turning relief into renewal.

As we move into Simchat Torah, on the eve of the Hebrew two-year anniversary of that terrible tragedy, we will be able to rejoice with those who have returned and keep praying and hoping until the last hostage is home.  

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 A. Lyon (he/him), President
Rabbi Hara Person (she/her), Chief Executive Officer    

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

CCAR statements are grounded in the history of CCAR resolutions and platforms. We strive to represent the overall voice of the CCAR leadership and the Reform rabbinate on critical issues of the day. The CCAR is a diverse community of rabbis, and we recognize the multiplicity of viewpoints that exist within our membership. We encourage those of differing perspectives to engage in respectful dialogue. It is our hope that these statements provide the Reform community with deeper understanding of important issues that impact our lives as Jews and as global citizens.

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Reform Movement Joint Statement on Hostage and Ceasefire Plan

Posted on by The CCAR

October 9, 2025

After two years of seemingly endless war, we welcome the news that an end is finally in sight. While not a full peace agreement, it is the first and necessary step toward stopping the death and suffering as the hostages come home, the IDF pulls back, long-serving reservists return to their families, and innocent Gazan civilians caught in the crossfire can finally experience a modicum of safety and receive a consistent flow of vitally needed humanitarian aid. The pain and grief of this war will not soon heal, but seeing our hostages finally embraced by their families will fill our aching hearts, as will the sight of bereaved families who will finally have some measure of closure and comfort upon receiving the remains of their loved ones who did not live to see this day.

We are grateful to President Trump and his administration for bringing together this complex plan to end the war. We express our appreciation as well to Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who exerted pressure on Hamas to accept this agreement, which also outlines a viable plan for the “day after” in Gaza. We support the Israeli government in its [reported] agreement to release 250 of some of the most notorious prisoners—many of whom are serving multiple life sentences—and 1,700 Palestinians detained during the course of the war as compensation for the hostages’ freedom, a steep price that is necessary to save lives and end the suffering of our brave and nearly broken hostages.

That this plan will be enacted in stages leaves open the possibility that something could derail it at any time, and we implore the Trump administration and its international allies to continue exerting pressure on all sides to abide by the terms of the plan, which are set to follow the release of the hostages. Even getting to this point seemed unimaginable a few weeks ago, so we pray that the forward momentum will continue.

While a Palestinian State—as outlined in the Trump plan—feels remote at this point, a two-state solution in some configuration must remain the worthy, long-term goal for Israelis and Palestinians as they contemplate a future with safety, dignity, and hope for all.

The Jewish people are in the midst of our observance of Sukkot, our biblical harvest festival. As our people in Israel and around the world sit in our fragile booths, we keenly feel the vulnerability and uncertainty of Jewish life. Our simple harvest booths teach us that we cannot find ultimate security in military might alone, and we believe that the expansion and engagement of the Abraham Accords in building a viable and secure Gaza holds enormous potential to create economic, political, and strategic alliances that could change the region for good.

The prophet Micah dreamt of a time when all will one day “sit under their vines and fig trees, and none shall make them afraid.” (Micah 4:4) While we imagine he doubted that his prophecy would be realized in his lifespan, he also recognized that people could not live without hope. Despite the remaining details that need to be worked out, we are buoyed by the thought that this blood-soaked patch of land might know a better tomorrow, in which none will fear the other. We will never stop working for that secure future.

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 A. Lyon (he/him), President
Rabbi Hara Person (she/her), Chief Executive Officer   

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

Association of Reform Jewish Educators  
Stacy Rosenthal, RJE (she/her), President 
Rabbi Stacy Rigler, RJE (she/her), Executive Director 

Association of Reform Zionists of America   
Daryl Messinger (she/her), Chair  
Rabbi Josh Weinberg (he/him), Director  

Women of Reform Judaism   
Karen Sim (she/her), President 
Rabbi Liz P. G. Hirsch (she/her), CEO

Women’s Rabbinic Network  
Rabbi Lisa Delson (she/her), Co-President  
Rabbi Simone Schicker (she/her), Co-President
Rabbi Mary Zamore (she/her), Executive Director 

Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
Heidi Segal, Chair, Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism
Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner (he/him, Director, RAC and Sr. Vice President URJ 

CCAR statements are grounded in the history of CCAR resolutions and platforms. We strive to represent the overall voice of the CCAR leadership and the Reform rabbinate on critical issues of the day. The CCAR is a diverse community of rabbis, and we recognize the multiplicity of viewpoints that exist within our membership. We encourage those of differing perspectives to engage in respectful dialogue. It is our hope that these statements provide the Reform community with deeper understanding of important issues that impact our lives as Jews and as global citizens.

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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)

CCAR statements are grounded in the history of CCAR resolutions and platforms. We strive to represent the overall voice of the CCAR leadership and the Reform rabbinate on critical issues of the day. The CCAR is a diverse community of rabbis, and we recognize the multiplicity of viewpoints that exist within our membership. We encourage those of differing perspectives to engage in respectful dialogue. It is our hope that these statements provide the Reform community with deeper understanding of important issues that impact our lives as Jews and as global citizens.

Back to CCAR Statements

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

CCAR statements are grounded in the history of CCAR resolutions and platforms. We strive to represent the overall voice of the CCAR leadership and the Reform rabbinate on critical issues of the day. The CCAR is a diverse community of rabbis, and we recognize the multiplicity of viewpoints that exist within our membership. We encourage those of differing perspectives to engage in respectful dialogue. It is our hope that these statements provide the Reform community with deeper understanding of important issues that impact our lives as Jews and as global citizens.

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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/.

CCAR statements are grounded in the history of CCAR resolutions and platforms. We strive to represent the overall voice of the CCAR leadership and the Reform rabbinate on critical issues of the day. The CCAR is a diverse community of rabbis, and we recognize the multiplicity of viewpoints that exist within our membership. We encourage those of differing perspectives to engage in respectful dialogue. It is our hope that these statements provide the Reform community with deeper understanding of important issues that impact our lives as Jews and as global citizens.

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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

CCAR statements are grounded in the history of CCAR resolutions and platforms. We strive to represent the overall voice of the CCAR leadership and the Reform rabbinate on critical issues of the day. The CCAR is a diverse community of rabbis, and we recognize the multiplicity of viewpoints that exist within our membership. We encourage those of differing perspectives to engage in respectful dialogue. It is our hope that these statements provide the Reform community with deeper understanding of important issues that impact our lives as Jews and as global citizens.

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