(Los Angeles, CA — September 7, 2023) — Rabbis United, (RU) a new a division of StandWithUs, has a Rosh Hashanah message for people of all ages. As a coalition of spiritual leaders from all the denominations of Judaism, the message conveys a deep sense of connection to the State of Israel and a clear responsibility to stand firmly against antisemitism.
There are hundreds of rabbis who have already joined Rabbis United since its inception in 2021. The members of the Rabbis United Advisory Board include Rabbi Jeffrey Abraham (Conservative); Rabbi Aaron Braun (Open Orthodox); Rabbi Pini Dunner (Orthodox); Rabbi Steven Rosenberg (Contemporary Progressive); Rabbi Cantor Alison Wissot (Reform); Rabbi Adam Wright (Reform); and RU Executive Director, Rabbi Matt Abelson. Rabbis United has taken out a series of ads in Jewish newspapers nationwide to share their message widely.
Rabbis United was created as a way to reach increasing numbers of synagogue congregants. Non-partisan and non-political, RU is dedicated to supporting Jewish clergy who love Israel and want to work together to combat rising anti-Jewish bigotry which, according to ADL, has reached its highest level since the 1930’s. Rabbis United supports its colleagues by offering educational conferences, resources, campaigns and other relevant opportunities throughout the year that can be brought to synagogues and communities around the US and Canada. RU has grown rapidly since its inception and on January 30, 2023, RU held its inaugural conference in Los Angeles . The first conference hosted more than 35 Rabbis who spent the day learning from expert speakers and brainstorming about new ways to bring Israel and the fight against antisemitism to their congregations.
Roz Rothstein, co-Founder and CEO of StandWithUs and a daughter of two Holocaust survivors, stated: “I am so proud that StandWithUs is partnering with growing numbers of committed Rabbis as they raise their collective, proud voices for Israel and against antisemitism. It has been a dream to support Rabbis of all denominations as they unite to become a stronger force for the Jewish people. And the most significant side effect is that the voices of the Rabbis will be heard and internalized by our children, teens, and young adults.”
Rabbis United and its Board affirm that they are proud of their heritage and have the following beliefs:
The Board of RU also affirms that Anti-Zionism is antisemitism and that uniting and fighting back against antisemitism, regardless of where it manifests, is an imperative.
StandWithUs’ motto is “Education is the Road to Peace.” RU similarly believes that dialogue and debate can help our communities learn and grow. Their goal is to provide facts, context and nuance, while correcting misinformation.
Rabbi Matthew Abelson, Executive Director of Rabbis United shared that he is “Delighted that Rabbis United has grown so quickly in such a short space of time, clearly an indication of the need among Jewish clergy for a safe space to unify and learn how to address complex topics and bring Israel more fully into the synagogues and the communities they love. We look forward to raising greater awareness for and attracting more Rabbis to RU through our statement and throughout the year with more programming and outreach. Information about our 2024 Winter Conference will be soon forthcoming!”
Learn more about Rabbis United at: https://rabbisunited.com/
StandWithUs is an international, non-partisan education organization that works on six continents to inspire and educate people of all ages about Israel, as well as challenge misinformation and fight against antisemitism. Through university fellowships, high school internships, middle school curricula, conferences, materials, social media and missions to Israel, StandWithUs supports people around the world who want to educate their peers, schools and communities about Israel. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Los Angeles, the organization has chapters and programs throughout the U.S., Israel, the UK, Canada, South Africa, Brazil, Australia and the Netherlands.
