Heads of Reform movement head west

Rabbi Rick Jacobs

As he prepared to embark on his first trip to western Canada as president of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), Rabbi Rick Jacobs said he hoped to convey to the Reform synagogues he’d be visiting in Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton that the movement sees its core work as strengthening congregations. 

“I want to help them thrive and adapt to the new realities of the 21st century, to the opportunities [for our synagogues] to engage people outside our walls and practice a kind of audacious hospitality,” he explained.

Last weekend, the New York-based Rabbi Jacobs, along with Paul Leszner, the Toronto-based president of the Canadian Council for Reform Judaism (CCRJ) – which represents 26 Reform congregations across Canada – took a whirlwind trip to visit Vancouver’s Temple Sholom, Calgary’s Temple B’nai Tikvah and Edmonton’s Temple Beth Ora. 

In addition to building bridges across the network of Reform congregations in North America – the roughly 900 member synagogues represented by the URJ – the trip was timed to let Rabbi Jacobs and Leszner help the shuls mark their respective milestone anniversaries: Temple Sholom, with 680 families, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, while both the 340-family B’nai Tikvah and Temple Beth Ora and its 200 members are commemorating their 36th years. 

“[This visit] is a chance for me to see the vitality and unique work being done in our various congregations and to increase our impact,” Rabbi Jacobs said, adding, “In Canada, the Reform movement is not as large as in the U.S., but I want these shuls to feel part of the North American Reform Jewish community and to see what’s growing throughout the movement.”

To that end, Rabbi Jacobs, who planned to speak at all three congregations, said he would be emphasizing to the shuls that the movement is deeply involved in tikkun olam and “standing for profound, prophetic social justice values.” 

Further, he wanted to stress that it’s extremely committed to Israel and to showing Jews worldwide “the uniqueness and strength of Reform Judaism past, present and future.”

Leszner, who noted this trip was the fourth or fifth Canadian tour he’s helped arrange for Rabbi Jacobs, said that having the head of the movement visit is “a very large deal.”

“I don’t want to refer to him as the pope, but he has a huge impact,” Leszner joked. “He leads all of us in the movement in terms of the standards, codes and vision for Reform Judaism on things like Israel and progressive Judaism.”

He outlined their itinerary, which included a meeting with the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, dinner and services at Beth Sholom, Shabbat services at Temple B’nai Tikvah and a meeting with the shul board and dinner, Havdalah and a 36th-anniversary celebration at Beth Ora, as well as a meeting with its board. 

The purpose of the board meetings, Leszner said, was for he and Rabbi Jacobs to address things the synagogues are concerned about, such as the future of Jewish leadership, sustaining membership numbers, synagogue economics, how to attract millennials and how to respectfully deal with interfaith marriages.

“[The latter] is a popular topic right now,” Leszner said. “[Reform rabbis officiating at] interfaith weddings isn’t done here in the GTA, but it’s happening throughout the United States. So the question we’re looking at is how to address this with the proper respect.”

The boards will have the chance, too, to seek advice from Rabbi Jacobs and Leszner on issues particular to their congregations. 

Rabbi Jacobs said he sees the Reform movement in Canada as being somewhat more traditional, in terms of religious observance, than its U.S. counterpart, and he noted the Canadian Reform movement’s strong connection to Israel. 

Despite the shuls in Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton being relatively small and more removed from larger Jewish centres, Rabbi Jacobs said he sees a real sense of strength and unity among them.

“We don’t measure congregations by the number of households they have, but by their vibrancy and commitment to their activities.”