Just Congregations

You may know that Just Congregations is a relatively new happening at Beth Emet and we are excited to be a part of this effort activated by the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ, the umbrella organization of Reform Judaism and the home of Just Congregations.)  The purpose of Just Congregations is redemption:   

the sacred transformation of

the world as it is - parched by oppression -

into the world as we know it should be -

overflowing with justice.

Just Congregations is based on the community organizing model that posits that meeting individually with people and hearing their stories about what concerns them is a powerful way to connect them to social justice work and into the life of the community.  Just Congregations wants to engage Reform Jewish synagogues to act powerfully and successfully across lines of faith, class, and race to address the root causes of economic and social injustice. Click here for Frequently Asked Questions on Just Congregations from the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ).

Just Congregations’  goals are to foster a synagogue culture that integrates social justice into congregational life, ensuring that the pursuit of justice is at the center of congregational life alongside learning and worship. It advocates that synagogues join with neighbouring religious congregations of all faiths, recognizing and developing their capacity to be agents of effective social change for the common good.  To that end Beth Emet has also become a member of United Power for Action and Justice, an organization whose 50  members from the Chicago area are  churches, synagogues, mosques and community organizations. Click here for information on United Power,  its accomplishments and frequently asked questions. 

Just Congregations is developing at synagogues in the area like Temple Sinai in Chicago and Congregation BJBE in Deerfield as well as others in the Chicago metropolitan area and throughout the country. Its success has been in finding out what individual members care about most; “what keeps them awake at night.” These synagogues have taken the lead to do something about their concerns, and we want to model those efforts at Beth Emet , too.

We are pleased that you have taken the time to visit our site to learn more about  this very important initiative. Check out our Charter that was endorsed at the end of 2010.  Be sure to use the links at the top of this page to navigate our site.