REFORM JUDAISM
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Official Publication of the Union for Reform Judaism
Rebooting Reform on Campus
Fall 2013, Vol. 42, No. 1
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On-Line Home Page: reformjudaismmag.org with RJpedia article search by subject Reform Judaism (ISSN 0482-0819) is published quarterly (fall, winter, spring, summer) by the Union for Reform Judaism. Circulation Offices: 633 Third Ave, New York, NY 10017. © Copyright 2013 by the Union for Reform Judaism. Periodical postage paid at New York, New York and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Reform Juda ism, 633 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Members of Union congregations receive Reform Judaism as a service of the Union for Reform Judaism. Subscription rate: One year: $12 each; Canada $18 each; Foreign $24 each. Two years: $22 each; Canada $34 each; Foreign $46 each. Contact us for bulk pricing. The opinions of authors whose works are published in Reform Judaism are their own and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the Union. REFORM JUDAISM is a registered trademark of the Union for Reform Judaism. Canada Publications Mail Agreement No. 40032276. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to PO Box 875, Stn A, Windsor ON N9A 6P2 Statement of Purpose Reform Judaism is the official voice of the Union for Reform Judaism, linking the institutions and affiliates of Reform Judaism with every Reform Jew. Received quarterly by nearly 300,000 member households (members of nearly 900 congregations) as a benefit of their synagogue’s Union affiliation, RJ strives to convey the creativity, diversity, and dynamism of Reform Judaism. RJ covers developments within our movement while interpreting world events and Jewish tradition from a Reform perspective.
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high percentage of Jews attend college, where their intellectual horizons are broadened, social ties forged, career directions discovered, and spiritual identities nurtured—or neglected. Most adults reflect back on those years as crucial in defining who they are today. That is why the choice of a college looms as one of the biggest decisions a young person will make. Academic excellence, campus life, size, and cost factor into the search. Reform Judaism magazine’s outstanding RJ Insider’s Guide to College Life, now in its eighth year, emphasizes Jewish criteria, such as the number or percentage of Jewish students, Jewish studies courses, and Reform worship opportunities (see pages 36–38). How well Jewish college students are served on campus depends to a large extent on the rabbis with whom they interact. Who are they? According to a Senior Jewish Educator, seven out of ten rabbis on college campuses are Orthodox; of those, four are ultra-Orthodox. And these rabbis—many of whom are independently sponsored, not Hillel staff—are not only serving Orthodox Jews but seeking to engage our young people in traditional Jewish practice. It is distressing that Reform Judaism, the largest Jewish religious stream, is so underrepresented. And even where there is a Reform presence, its prayer and learning offerings are often anemic. For these and other reasons, even some of our most knowledgeable and engaged Reform youth on campus develop a Jewish inferiority complex. We’ve got to do better! Last year, the Brown University-Rhode Island School of Design Hillel invited me to lead High Holy Day services (and I will do so again this year). I met many previously unengaged students who were very open to Reform Jewish life as long it was rich in meaning, relevance, and spiritual depth. Much to its credit, Hillel has adopted a new model, reaching outside its walls to involve Jewish students wherever they are, and has partnered with the URJ to engage students from Reform backgrounds. At Rutgers and USC, among other campuses, we are testing this model to connect with and nourish Reform students seeking a dynamic Jewish community committed to inclusion, learning, spiritual practice, and social justice. College is one of our best opportunities to introduce young adults to serious Jewish thinking and living. We cannot afford to be absent. This will require significant investment in human and financial resources, as well as clear thinking and imagination. To reboot Reform on campus, we can do no less.
Rabbi Rick Jacobs President, Union for Reform Judaism ➢Your thoughts and ideas are welcomed. Contact Rabbi Jacobs: urjpresident@urj.org and/or send a letter-to-the-editor: rjmagazine@urj.org. reform judaism
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