A STRONG, DEMOCRATIC & PLURALISTIC ISRAEL
The URJ believes deeply in the notion of K'lal Yisrael, the unity of the Jewish people. Today, the two strongest Jewish communities in the world are in Israel and in North America. As the largest Jewish movement in North America, we aim to celebrate and promote our Jewish identity at home while embracing our love for Zion and the solidarity among all Jews. Toward this end, our outstanding experiential Israel engagement programs for teens ignite a spark for lifelong connection to Israel. We pray and advocate for an Israel whose citizens and neighbors will live in peace and security. This past year, we fought to gain an equal place for Reform Judaism in Israel by challenging the Orthodox hold on religious – and often public – life within Israel.
Advocacy & Leadership
Israel engagement takes place in every aspect of the URJ’s work. Unlike in the U.S. and Canada, the Israeli Orthodox Jewish rabbinate has a legal hold over how people worship, so we promote religious and democratic pluralism in Israel, even as we also for the right for the Reform Movement and other non-Orthodox Jewish movements to be recognized in Israel.
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When world-class Israeli novelist and activist David Grossman received the Eisendrath Bearer of Light Award at the 2017 Biennial, the Reform Movement’s highest award, he challenged us directly to live our values as we show our love for Israel. Grossman emphasized that although only Israeli citizens can decide their future, the free flow of opinions, the mutual expectation of hope, nor the option for Israelis to learn and practice Judaism in ways different than those the Orthodox Jewish rabbinate imposes on Israelis can be limited. He challenged the URJ to renew and invigorate our Reform Movement by fighting for Israel and by “being present” and active within Israel to bring our Reform values to the struggle for the country's future. And, that is precisely what we are doing. Grossman’s own children celebrated their b’nei mitzvah at the Reform Congregation Kehillat Kamatz in Mevesseret Zion, outside of Jerusalem.
"As I stand here in front of you and together with you, I must ask you, what is your vision about our home today and the home that you wish to see in Israel in the future? What values and norms do you think should define it and what role do you wish for yourself to play in it and are you satisfied in the place you have in the Jewish national home?"
— Israeli novelist and activist David Grossman
Our Israeli Partners: IMPJ & IRAC
The URJ is part of Reform Judaism's global movement. From our struggle for equal access to the Kotel, one of Jewry’s holiest sites, to the right to conversion and inclusion of Reform and Progressive rabbis in government panels that make religious decisions affecting the Jewish people in Israel, we increasingly are active together in demanding change. The Reform Movement’s IMPJ, the Israel Movement for Progressive and Reform Judaism, and its social justice arm, IRAC or the Israel Religious Action Center, champions these causes, fights for a nation that celebrates shared society, battles racism, and promotes a more just future.
North American Board Trip to Israel
In March 2017, members of the URJ North American Board of Trustees traveled to Israel where they saw the power of the growing Reform Movement up close and enjoyed Shabbat services at member congregations. They also participated in high-level political meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Heller High
In 2017 Heller High School in Israel (formerly NFTY-EIE High School in Israel) fully embraced its new name and moved with strength into a new chapter. Heller High proudly bears the name of Isaac (z"l) and Helaine Heller whose generous gift now provides substantial scholarship opportunities for students. Coupled with reinvigorated scholastic offerings under Principal Loren Sykes, Heller High experienced its largest semester in years, demonstrating renewed interest in, and momentum for, one of the Reform Movement’s most valuable Israel programs for youth.
“Never before have I felt so connected to the Jewish homeland. This trip has given me a foundation for the rest of my life and friends and connections with people that I will never forget.”
— Glory, Glen Cove, NY
Fall 2017 Heller High Participant
"I have no words to describe how grateful and appreciative I am for the scholarship I received. Because of it, I was able to have an experience that will impact the rest of my life."
— Kate M., Suffolk, VA
Fall 2017 Heller High Participant
NFTY in Israel
NFTY in Israel offers teens opportunities to hike, climb, discover, and explore with new friends from across the continent, returning home with endless personal accomplishments, meaningful memories, and a lifelong connection to Judaism. In 2017, nearly 500 teens participated in our programs, with registration increasing by 9% year-over-year. We saw particular growth in specialty trips and Mitzvah Corps Israel and celebrated the inaugural summer of Six Points Sci-Tech Israel.
Making this growth possible were strategic enhancements that brought bringing more lay leaders and congregational partners into our planning; began to build a culture of philanthropy around teen Israel travel; and aimed to offer an affordable experience that remained the best program in the market.
"In the week we spent in Europe on top of the month in Israel, we as a group were able to put the entire experience of the Jewish people into perspective, from Moses wandering in the desert to the concentration camps in Poland."
— Jeremy Rubin, URJ Greene Family Camp
"There is nothing like facing challenges, experimenting with new things, and pushing boundaries with your best friends."