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The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), formerly known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC), is an organization which supports Reform Jewish congregations in North America. The current President is Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, and the Chairman of the Board is Robert M. Heller.
This organization was founded in 1873, in Cincinnati, Ohio, by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, originally as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. At the time it consisted of 34 congregations. As of 2005 some 900 synagogues are now associated with it.
In 2003, at the Biennial convention, the General Assembly officially changed the name of the movement to the Union for Reform Judaism. The former name had reflected Wise's expectation that the whole of American Jewry would eventually affiliate with the Reform movement. It also lacked recognition of URJ-affiliated congregations outside of the United States. The organization is often referred to simply as "the Union."
In 1875, the Union created the Hebrew Union College (HUC), the Reform movement serminary to train rabbis and later cantors and other Jewish professionals. Rabbis in URJ member synagogues are members of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR).
Youth
The URJ Youth Division funds and organizes two youth wings, NFTY and Kesher, for High School and College students, respectively. The Youth Division also runs international travel programs to Israel and Europe and administers the URJ Camping system.
Political Outreach
The political and legislative outreach of the URJ is performed by the Religious Action Center (RAC), operated in conjunction with CCAR. The RAC advocates policy positions based upon religious values, and is generally associated with political progressivism.
Camps
The URJ owns and operates 12 summer camps in the United States and Canada. An additional camp is currently under construction in Washington, and a further four are operated by URJ-affiliated synagogues (Camp Charles Pearlstein, Wilshire Boulevard Temple Camps, Maurice B. Shwayder Camp, and Camp Teko).
Camps owned by the URJ are:
- URJ Kutz Camp, Warwick, New York
- URJ Joseph Eisner Camp, Great Barrington, Massachusetts
- URJ Camp George, Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada
- URJ Camp Harlam, Kunkletown, Pennsylvania
- URJ Camp Coleman, Cleveland, Georgia
- URJ Crane Lake Camp, West Stockbridge, Massachusetts
- URJ Camp Newman, Santa Rosa, California
- URJ Camp Swig, Saratoga, California
- URJ Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI), Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
- URJ Myron S. Goldman Union Camp-Institute (GUCI), Zionsville, Indiana
- URJ Henry S. Jacobs Camp, Utica, Mississippi
- URJ Greene Family Camp, Bruceville, Texas
- URJ Camp Kalsman (opening summer 2007), Snohomish County, Washington
Alumni
See http://www.urjcampalumni.org/External links
"Union for Reform Judaism"