Resources for Clergy, Educators and Congregational Leaders

ARZA’s resource guidebook, Our Israel: A Reform Response, originally prepared in response to the 2006 war in Lebanon, includes many materials still relevant today. While we recognize that the situation in Gaza is unique, we also believe that American Reform Jews will be grappling with many of the same issues that arose during the summer of 2006. ARZA provides access to the best materials from the guidebook for current use within your congregation. We hope you will find them helpful as you guide your congregants, your students, your friends, and your own minds and souls through these troubled times.

You will find these topics addressed in Our Israel: A Reform Response (click on the links below)

For Everyone:

• A Leader’s Guide with ideas for programming, speakers, etc.
• Jewish Principles for Respectful Discussion
• Things You Can Do to Support Israel
• Kaddish for Israel’s Fallen Soldiers and a Prayer for Times of War

For Rabbis and Cantors:

• A Worship Supplement, with musical selections, prayers, poems and thematic talking points

For Clergy, Educators and Lay Leaders:

Adult Learning Sessions about

• Hope/Hopelessness
• Moral Equivalencies
• Good vs. Evil and the Sanctity of Human Life
• Israel: People, Land and State
• Double Standard or Higher Standard
• Proportionality and Context

For Religious School Educators

• Our Tradition, the Arts, and the Written Word Information on Teaching Israel, Talking to Our Children about the Conflict in Israel, with Responses Through
• An Assembly Program for Students: HaTikvah Shelanu – Our Hope

Click here to download the entire Our Israel: A Reform Response resource guidebook

In the days and weeks to come, ARZA will be sending out and posting additional resources relating to the specifics of the current Gaza crisis.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!