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Rape, Abortion and Judaism
One of the paramount values of Jewish tradition is the embrace of life. The rabbis read a verse in Torah that says, “You shall keep My laws and My rules, so that by doing them a person shall live,”...
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Piling On
There has been a great deal of ‘piling on’ in recent days following Missouri Rep. Todd Akin’s statement about “legitimate rape” and his assertion that in such cases women don’t get pregnant because...
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VAWA’s 18th Birthday
Eighteen is a special number in the Jewish tradition. It is associated with chai, with life. Today marks the 18th anniversary—the chai anniversary—of the Violence Against Women Act, a piece of...
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The 30th Annual International Day of Peace
There are a lot of holidays to think about this time of year: Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, International Hobbit Day (no, but really, happy birthday Bilbo and Frodo). It would be a mistake,...
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Servicewomen Deserve More
More than 400,000 women serve in the Armed Forces, and receive their health insurance from the Department of Defense’s Military Health System. But the health insurance available to servicewomen...
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Act Now! Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Think of four women you know. They can be anyone – friends, sisters, classmates, colleagues. Got it? Great. Now think – if the women you chose were four average American women, statistics predict that...
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Military Women Deserve Equal Health Care
Today, as we celebrate the valor and sacrifices made by our veterans both at home and abroad, I cannot help but stop to think about those members of our military who are “less equal” than others. More...
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No Plan B for Plan B
“Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples shall be separated from your bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger” -Genesis 25:23 In...
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Validity of Vayishlach?
This week’s Torah portion is often summarized as “the one where Jacob and Esau meet and reunite and Jacob’s name is changed to Israel and then at the end Rachel dies.” While none of this is incorrect,...
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Violence Against Women Act – Act Now!
In many ways, we have made a lot of progress on women’s rights and equality this year. We elected more women to Congress than ever before in our history, we defeated a Florida ballot amendment that...
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Canadian Court Rules on Niqab in Trials
They call them the “December dilemmas:” that time of year when religious expression appears most visually in the forefront, when kids ask difficult questions, when patience is tested by an ill-placed...
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An Assault on Women
The coming of a new year offers a clean slate. In both the Jewish new year and the secular one, we reflect on the past 12 months and vow to do better in the future. The new year promises a new chance...
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VAWA and the Super Bowl
Like many in the “broader Maryland” area, I watched and celebrated the Ravens’ Super Bowl victory this past weekend. I ate my requisite snacks, groaned at some commercials, and kvelled at Beyonce’s...
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Senate Passes VAWA
In response to this week’s Senate passage of the Violence Against Women Act, Barbara Weinstein, Associate Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, issued the following statement: Ten...
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Reform Movement Reacts to SOTU Address
Earlier this week, Reform Movement leaders outlined their hopes and priorities for President Obama’s State of the Union address. President Obama spoke about almost all the issues our leadership...
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Every Number Has a Face: What Friday’s Sequester Really Means
On Purim we read about Esther And how Haman’s plot didn’t best her But this year there’s more Evil plotting in store As we worry about the sequester. –Rabbi Joe Black 3 days until sequestration....
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SaVE Our University Women
This past weekend, I spent a few days visiting my alma mater. As I walked around campus, I saw familiar places and faces – I ate at my old favorite restaurants and caught up with friends. What I...
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VAWA Passes House of Representatives
Earlier today, the House of Representatives passed a comparable version of the Senate’s Violence Against Women Act. In response to the bipartisan passage of this inclusive bill, Barbara Weinstein,...
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This Week at the RAC…
To paraphrase the Grateful Dead, what a long strange week it’s been. As you know, I grew up in Montreal and learned about the virtues of universal health care, Anne of Green Gables, and poutine (if...
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Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Achievements of the Past, Challenges Going...
Although the federal budget crisis and the government shutdown have been taking up a great deal of attention in the past few weeks, October 1st also marked the beginning of Domestic Violence Awareness...
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