Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

The Religious Action Center (RAC) is the political and legislative outreach arm of

Reform Judaism Reform Judaism, also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a major Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, the superiority of its ethical aspects to its ceremonial ones, and belief in a continuous sear ...

in the United States. The Religious Action Center is operated under the auspices of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism, a joint body of the

Central Conference of American Rabbis The Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), founded in 1889 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the principal organization of Reform rabbis in the United States and Canada. The CCAR is the largest and oldest rabbinical organization in the worl ...

and the

Union for Reform Judaism The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) until 2003, founded in 1873 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the congregational arm of Reform Judaism in North America. The other two arms establishe ...

. It was founded in 1961. Consistent with the political and social concerns of Reform Judaism, the Religious Action Center played a key role in important political events of the

American civil rights movement The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement throughout the United ...

, the struggles of Soviet Jewry, as well as the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Darfur. It hosted several meetings at which the groundwork for the various pieces of legislation, including the

Civil Rights Acts Civil Rights Act may refer to several acts of the United States Congress, including: * Civil Rights Act of 1866, extending the rights of emancipated slaves by stating that any person born in the United States regardless of race is an American cit ...

and

Voting Rights Act The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson during the height of the civil rights m ...

s, were laid. It also shielded civil rights marchers who were attacked by District of Columbia police. Aside from its

community organizing Community organizing is a process where people who live in proximity to each other or share some common problem come together into an organization that acts in their shared self-interest. Unlike those who promote more-consensual community bu ...

and direct advocacy work, the Religious Action Center has also been a hub of

social justice Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals ...

programming for the Reform Jewish community. The L'Taken

seminar A seminar is a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some parti ...

series has given thousands of young Jews the opportunity to visit Washington, D.C., and learn about

public policy Public policy is an institutionalized proposal or a decided set of elements like laws, regulations, guidelines, and actions to solve or address relevant and real-world problems, guided by a conception and often implemented by programs. Public ...

and Jewish values. The Religious Action Center also hosted a

Passover seder The Passover Seder (; he, סדר פסח , 'Passover order/arrangement'; yi, סדר ) is a ritual feast at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. It is conducted throughout the world on the eve of the 15th day of

Dalai_Lama Dalai_Lama_(,_;__)_is_a_title_given_by_the__Tibetan_people_to_the_foremost_spiritual_leader_of_the_Gelug_or_"Yellow_Hat"_school_of__Tibetan_Buddhism,_the_newest_and_most_dominant_of_the_four_major_schools_of_Tibetan_Buddhism._The_14th_and_current_D_...

_in_the_late_1990s.__As_part_of_the_weekend,_students_celebrate_Havdalah_at_the_Jefferson_Memorial. David_Saperstein_(rabbi).html" ;"title="14th_Dalai_Lama.html" "title="isan in the Hebrew ...

for the

_in_the_late_1990s.__As_part_of_the_weekend,_students_celebrate_Havdalah_at_the_Jefferson_Memorial. David_Saperstein_(rabbi)">Rabbi_David_Saperstein_served_at_Religious_Action_Center_from_1974_to_2015,_as_director_and_chief_legal_counsel._In_that_role_he_was_recognized_by_Newsweek_Magazine_in_2009_as_"the_most_influential_rabbi_in_the_country"._On_July_28,_2014,_President_of_the_United_States.html" "title="14th Dalai Lama">Dalai Lama Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current D ...

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External links