Union of American Hebrew Congregations
| Union for Reform Judaism | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Abbreviation | URJ |
| Theology | Reform Judaism |
| President | Rabbi Richard Jacobs |
| CCAR President | Rabbi Denise Eger |
| Associations | World Union for Progressive Judaism |
| Region | United States and Canada |
| Headquarters | 633 Third Avenue, New York City |
| Founder | Isaac Mayer Wise |
| Origin | July 8, 1873 Melodeon Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Congregations | 873 |
| Members | ~880,000 affiliates 600,000–1,150,000 identifying |
| Official website | www |
The Union for Reform Judaism (until 2003: Union of American Hebrew Congregations), is the congregational arm of Reform Judaism in North America, founded in 1873 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise. It is served by the Central Conference of American Rabbis. The current president is Rabbi Richard Jacobs. The URJ has an estimated constituency of some 880,000 registered adults in 873 congregations. It claims to represent 2.2 million, as over a third of adult U.S. Jews, including many who are not synagogue members, state affinity with Reform, making it the largest denomination among them. The UAHC was a founding member of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, of which the URJ is the largest constituent by far.
The URJ is the most populous organization in the world to espouse Reform Judaism (also known as Liberal or Progressive). Like the other regional variants, it shares several basic tenets: a belief in a theistic, personal God; continuous revelation, under the influence of which all scripture were written by divinely inspired humans through the ages and all the People Israel may form their own, new religious insights today, not necessarily in conformity with those gained in the past; a distinction between the moral and ethical heart of Judaism in contrast with the instrumental ritual and practice, which serve to express the former and may be altered or renewed to better fulfill this function, though they still occupy an important role in religious life; universal mission of the Jews to spread God's message among all peoples, and a future coming of a Messianic Age of peace, but without a personal Messiah or restoration of the sacrificial cult in Jerusalem; and rejection of bodily Resurrection of the Dead while affirming, at most, an Immortality of the Soul. The movement also upholds the autonomy of the individual as the final arbiter on matters of his own religiosity, yet while this notion endures a growing stress is laid on participation in communal life and observance, especially since the 1999 Pittsburgh Statement of Principles.
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Wikipedia