Jewish Ethics, #MeToo, and Crowd-Sourced Responsa

In 5778, the hashtags #TimesUp #MeToo #GamAni sparked a broad communal conversation about abuses of power on the part of individuals and institutions, within and beyond the Jewish community. The year brought revelations of misconduct among celebrities and government officials, and in Jewish schools, organizations, and synagogues. Now, powerful people who abuse their power are being held accountable, and this is a development that is welcome and long overdue. That doesn’t mean it is easy.

Rabbi Adler (’18) Appointed at Belle Mead Synagogue

Congregation Kehilat Shalom, a Reconstructionist congregation in Belle Mead, has appointed Rabbi Jacob Best Adler, a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. As a student, Adler co-wrote “The Hamilton Haggadah” with a classmate. The two rewrote Lin-Manuel Miranda’s famous songs to tell the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. The project went viral the week before Passover in 2016, and received national media coverage.

The Reconstructionist Network

Serving as central organization of the Reconstructionist movement

Training the next generation of groundbreaking rabbis

Modeling respectful conversations on pressing Jewish issues

Curating original, Jewish rituals, and convening Jewish creatives

The Reconstructionist Network