Union for Reform Judaism – To create new resources and develop facilitator trainings for Talk for a Change, an initiative that empowers educators to facilitate constructive dialogue on Israel, antisemitism, and belonging.

What inspired you to develop this project?  

Right after October 7th, people were either yelling at each other or shutting down. So we began to think about programs we’d run in the past that had gone well, and that were based on establishing community agreements for being in dialogue and respecting one another’s humanity, like: using “I” statements, assuming good intent, listening– really listening, to hear someone else and not just yourself. We started thinking about how this platform helped to build a foundation to have dialogue across differences.

We see Talk for a Change as a way to use those methods I mention above, to bring people together across differences and ideology around the war in Israel and Gaza. When we created it, we took it to our program staff and asked them to help us consider, “what is happening right now with Jews of color?” As a Jew of color myself, I realized that we are a segment of the community that is left out of this conversation. We began with a five-part series for Jews of color in March of 2024, which included an all-JOC women’s panel during Women’s History Month. That was the Talk for a Change kick-off. 

Then, I ran a series that focused on a broad range of issues from justice, to learning and belonging. For reference, my framework was how impactful the Talk for a Change program could be at elevating voices that haven’t been heard from. The entire URJ organization has been using this framework in one way or another, and we’ve developed resources to support people leading conversations. 

Could you tell us about a resource or facilitation technique that you hope to develop for Talk for a Change that you’re really excited about?

The URJ will be running a program for presidents of Reform congregations where we will introduce Talk for a Change. The idea is that congregation presidents will implement the program with their synagogue board leadership. We’re trying to give them practical tools that they can use in their congregations, and we’re going to be following up and learning from each of the communities.

What type of impact do you hope that Talk for a Change can have on the American Jewish community?

I hope it will help us do three things: First, to spread the understanding that there is not just one way to be Jewish! Talk for a Change will set the foundation for people to understand that we come to Judaism from all different backgrounds and we need to try and connect across our differences. Second: Shared humanity. Everyone is dealing with something that is challenging and some people are dealing with multiple different things that intersect and create new challenges. Talk for a Change will help people see the humanity in others. Third, our hope is that this program will build a stronger community. If we are actually talking to one another and learning about each other’s fears and successes, we will be stronger together. We need to be patient with the pedagogy and each other and not expect instant results. This takes time.