My relationship with WRJ began with a business card. It was June 2018, and the URJ Board of Trustees was convening in Austin, TX, for their annual Board meeting. As a recent graduate and former student leader at the University of Texas Hillel, I was asked to lead Shabbat morning services for the URJ Board before joining Board members for lunch and a discussion on how to best engage college students in the Reform Movement.

There has never been an Asian American Jewish in-person Passover Seder. Until this year.

Despite the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, LUNAR: The Jewish-Asian Film Project was able to produce a multifaceted Asian Jewish Passover, free of charge..

In 2014, I founded Tkiya to create participatory music experiences that meet families where they are - physically, psychologically, and spiritually – and find their unique connection to Jewish culture and community. One thing I’ve always been proud of is Tkiya’s reputation for making Judaism welcoming, accessible, and inclusive. However, it wasn’t until a few years ago that we started to learn how to articulate and incorporate JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) in a more intentional way. This year, we received a grant from WRJ to deepen this work through our Wee Jam for Justice program. The learnings that we’ve had through this experience have had an incredible impact on Tkiya and the communities that we serve in such a short time.

I became a YES Fund scholarship recipient during my studies at Leo Baeck College (LBC) in London from 2014 to 2019. I am deeply appreciative and endlessly grateful for your ongoing support of young rabbis like me. Your partnership goes far beyond providing financial help – your sacred work puts fundamental Jewish principles into action – the principles of community, learning, and mutual responsibility.

With the generous support of Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ), the Avodah Jewish Service Corps. launched its first Jews of Color (JOC) Bayit in August for the 2021-2022 service year. The JOC Bayit is a ground-breaking new experience designed, built, and run by Jews of Color for Jews of Color.

From the inception of NFTY: The Reform Jewish Youth Movement, Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ) has been helping to support Jewish life for teens in the Reform Movement. From local synagogue youth programs to regional and North American NFTY programming, WRJ’s YES Fund has helped NFTY sustain its efforts and continue to grow.

Noga Pnina Hevron-Pereh grew up in a traditional, non-religious home. Today, thanks to WRJ’s support for IMPJ’s Bat Mitzvah program, she has become deeply involved in her local Reform Jewish community and aspires to become a rabbi. This is her story.