WUPJ News

The World Union for Progressive Judaism strongly opposes the plan of Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (KKL-JNF) to expand Jewish settlements by purchasing private land in the West Bank, within and beyond existing settlements. WUPJ has long opposed the proliferation of settlements.

As part of this year’s Connections, Facing our Jewish Future Together, we’re launching an International Shabbat Pulpit Exchange to match congregations from two different regions of our movement for Shabbat services or activities. 

The European Union’s raison d’etre is to promote tolerance and protection to minorities. The European Union of Progressive Judaism recently opened an office in Brussels because it believed that the Union was taking strong action to fight anti-Semitism and promote Jewish life in Europe. Unfortunately, the European Court of Justice has upheld a ban on kosher and hallal slaughter in Belgium. This ruling represents a dangerous denial of religious freedom. It contradicts the European Union’s commitment to protecting fundamental human rights. We will continue to work with others to press the European Union to live up to its commitments.

Pope Francis, the Head of the Catholic Church, sent a handwritten, personal message to Rabbi Sergio Bergman as a gesture of friendship and aimed at reaching across religions to connect everyone with his moving prayer for all of humankind – of every religion – to bask in brighter days ahead.

In December 2020 the South African Jewish Museum will open an exhibition on the history and role of Progressive (or Reform) Jews in South Africa. The exhibition has been developed by the SA Jewish Museum in conjunction with Irwin Manoim and is based on his forthcoming book Mavericks inside the Tent: The Progressive Jewish Movement in South Africa and its impact on the wider community.

The World Union joins together with the Israel Reform Movement (IMPJ), the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ, North America), and ARZENU-the International Federation of Reform Zionist Movements, to express our opposition to the appointment, which would go against the values of this institution, its important role in Israel and the world, and would be contrary to the central message at the heart of Holocaust memory and research into the worst disaster in the history of the Jewish people.

(Potsdam, Germany) – The Abraham Geiger College in the north gate building of the New Palace will be a European center for Jewish theology at the University of Potsdam. “Our synagogue will be finished in March or April,” says Walter Homolka, Rector of the Abraham-Geiger-Kolleg, the training center for Jewish rabbis and cantors at the […]

For several months now, in response to the distress of the COVID pandemic in an area already distressed, Beit Emanuel Progressive Shul and Temple Israel Hillbrow have been handing out sandwiches and fruit to those in need in Hillbrow. Every Thursday morning, Rabbi Sa’ar Shaked heads to Hillbrow in the Beit Emanuel shul-mobile, filled with […]

When lockdown began in March 2020, RSY-Netzer was quick to launch an online platform for their chanichimot to engage with while stuck at home. Remote Synagogue Youth provided a few hours a day for chanichimot to engage with a variety of activities run by RSY-Netzer chanichimot (leaders).

Yom Kippur is literally the day of atonement. Since the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, not only have the casts of the people of Israel been eliminated – we no longer have priests – but sacrifices have also been extinguished.