News

RRC Student, Tillman Scholar Reflects on Meaning of Service

May 21, 2023

My time in the military was busy and transformative. Amidst the stress of active duty life, I found myself having conversations while on watch, or in the chameleon chapel where I connected with people on a personal level. I learned over time that people craved the chance to talk and safely express themselves.

I wanted to foster the environment where my shipmates could feel safe to talk, and through those moments is where I realize

Waist up photo of Rabbi Kami Knapp-Schechter wearing a tallit.

You Should Know…Rabbi Kami Knapp Schechter

May 19, 2023

Rabbis are usually the ones stewarding congregants through life cycle events, such as births, deaths, coming of age and marriage, but what happens when a rabbi goes through those same monumental life moments?

Congregation Or Shalom Rabbi Kami Knapp Schechter, who just turned 40, is returning to her synagogue on May 22 after maternity leave, having given birth to twins three months ago.

Protesters at a rally hold a Jews 4 Black Lives matter banner.

‘Race, Religion and American Jews’: A Wide-Ranging Project Reaches Beyond the Academy, Inviting Conversation

May 3, 2023

The results of the Center for Jewish Ethics project — a trove of video lectures, curricula and lesson plans — are now freely available at Jewsandrace.com. The materials offer profound insight into the range, depth and complexity of the moral, historical and practical questions that race and racism pose to Jews and Judaism.

New Grants Keep RRC ‘Boldly Relevant’

May 2, 2023

Two recent grants will help Reconstructing Judaism advance its strategic priorities of pursuing racial justice, investing in rabbinic education and strengthening Jewish communities.

The Wabash Center, which funds higher education in religion and theological studies, awarded $30,000 in new funding to Reconstructing Judaism. With this fiscal support, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College — part of Reconstructing Judaism — will partner with the Inside Out Wisdom and Action Project on integrating the project’s “Dismantling Racism From the Inside Out” curriculum with faculty members.

You Should Know… Rabbinical Student Stephanie Breitsman, Inspector of Torah Scrolls

March 9, 2023

The rabbi in training at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Wyncote just felt “anxious around Torah,” she said. Like the people at synagogue who are afraid to volunteer to lift the Torah during services, she was worried she would drop it and offend God … or something like that.

Reconstructionist Jews call for reparations, embark on racial justice pilgrimages

February 1, 2023

On the cusp of Black History Month, and as the nation continues to mourn for Tyre Nichols, the 29-year-old Black man who died after a severe beating by five Black now-former police officers, one small Jewish movement is taking a stand.

You Should Know …. Rabbi Alex Weissman

January 22, 2023

Rabbi Alex Weissman remembers walking into the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Wyncote for the first time. It was November 2010, and he was a 27-year-old Tufts University graduate who had held a few jobs with community and service-minded organizations, like the Center for HIV/AIDS Educational Studies & Training in New York City.

glasses in front of a computer screen with code

‘What It Means to Be Human in an Algorithmized World’

July 11, 2022

Legal scholar, philosopher and policy analyst Nathalie Smuha spends a lot of time thinking, writing and advising about artificial intelligence. Namely, Smuha believes that society’s increasing reliance on algorithms presents pressing legal and moral questions — and governments, corporations and citizens are not paying enough attention.

Former Journalist Finds Calling Later in Life — as a Rabbi

June 13, 2022

This article was originally published in the Jewish Exponent on June 8, 2022.

Watch & Listen: Let Silence be Praise for God

June 1, 2022

Reconstructionist Judaism offers a spiritual and communal home to all who seek connection and meaning. And the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College trains diverse and dynamic rabbis who make Jewish experiences accessible to all.Take, for example, Rabbi Adam Cerino Jones. Growing up in an interfaith home, he did not see a place for himself in any Jewish community until a Hillel rabbi convinced him that not only could he lead an authentically Jewish life, but he could also be a rabbi.

RRC Student, Tillman Scholar Reflects on Meaning of Service

You Should Know…Rabbi Kami Knapp Schechter

‘Race, Religion and American Jews’: A Wide-Ranging Project Reaches Beyond the Academy, Inviting Conversation

New Grants Keep RRC ‘Boldly Relevant’

You Should Know… Rabbinical Student Stephanie Breitsman, Inspector of Torah Scrolls

Reconstructionist Jews call for reparations, embark on racial justice pilgrimages

You Should Know …. Rabbi Alex Weissman

‘What It Means to Be Human in an Algorithmized World’

Former Journalist Finds Calling Later in Life — as a Rabbi

Watch & Listen: Let Silence be Praise for God

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