URJ’s New Leader Should Focus on Judaism, Not Politics

Rabbi Richard Jacobs, who has been tapped to be the next leader of the Union for Reform Judaism, is calling for a “new path” for the movement (“Once a Critic, New Leader of Reform Judaism Promises Change,” April 1).

One change that would be particularly welcome would be to eliminate the URJ’s funding of the movement’s most pernicious component: the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in Washington. The URJ has used our synagogue dues for many years to fund the RAC, which has a specific political (ultra-liberal) bias; it is absolutely wrong to use mandated contributions to our religious organization to promote specific political viewpoints largely without our knowledge or our agreement.

The RAC will exist without the support of URJ; the new and improved URJ must focus on Jewish, not political, concerns and issues.

JOHN FEIBEL
Cincinnati, Ohio

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