Open letter: Reform Jewish leader Rick Jacobs must resign amid 'rapid decline'

An open letter by Union for Reform Judaism members called for the resignation of URJ president Rabbi Rick Jacobs on Thursday, citing a rapid decline in Reform Jewish institutions under his leadership.

“It is time for Rabbi Rick Jacobs to step down for a new generation of leadership to bring the Reform Movement into its next era of growth and impact,” said the open letter, which had 30 signatories as of Sunday. “It is proposed that a group of self-identifying Reform Jews with diverse backgrounds, socioeconomic status, and ages be engaged in the process to replace Rabbi Jacobs with inspiring professionals who understand our community.”

Several sources within the Reform movement spoke to The Jerusalem Post about internal discussions about Jacobs’ leadership, and confirmed that criticism and disquiet had been growing.

URJ Board Chair Shelley Niceley Groff told the Post on Monday night that the board had confidence in Jacobs’s leadership.

“Under Rabbi Jacobs’s steadfast leadership, we are working across the URJ – and the Reform Movement at large – to implement a vision that will strengthen us for the future,” said Groff. “There are many passionate voices within our movement, and we appreciate feedback from those who share our commitment to the URJ and Reform Judaism. As the Jewish tradition teaches, much can be learned from dissenting voices which the Talmud records alongside the majority views. We are always willing to be in dialogue directly with those who wish to work in partnership to the benefit of the Reform Movement.”

The open letter drafters, who say they are URJ employees, board members, rabbis, synagogue leaders, movement volunteers and youth group leaders, said that they needed a visionary leader who would strategically reshape the union and address the major challenges it faced.

“Reform Jews deserve leadership that refuses to accept failure, confronting the trend of closing and merging congregations head-on,” said the letter. “We deserve leaders who focus on building relationships, not just when it’s time to ask for annual dues.”

The letter sounded the alarm about how reform institutions were in a state of decline under Jacobs’s leadership to the point of “risking eventual irrelevance within the North American Jewish landscape.”

“Reform synagogues are disaffiliating, merging, and reducing their dues, reflecting a growing discontent with the lack of support and innovation,” said the letter. “Consequently, our institutions are closing or downsizing programs, losing staff, and suffering severe financial losses.”

Reform Judaism needed to have a mission statement articulating its core values, said the letter, which included support for the existence of Israel and a means to intellectually connect to the land and grapple with the complex realities of its conflicts.

Since the October 7 massacre, Reform leaders and members have called for greater integration or appreciation of Zionism and Israel into its institutions and doctrines. Even before the conflict, Stephen Wise Free Synagogue senior Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch initiated a June 2023 conference on reinvigorating the movement because he feared they were “losing the soul of the Reform Movement” that included a “process of distancing from Israel.” Support for Israel’s military operation in the movement has fluctuated, with Reform Jewish solidarity with Israel dropping from 72% to 59% in November.

The Thursday open letter demanded greater financial transparency with the union, with independent audits to show how synagogue dues were being used.

Further demands called for a more professional camping system, a reenergized youth movement, and more cooperation with other Jewish organizations.

“With a resurgence in interest in Jewish life since October 7, Reform Jews will not allow the Reform Movement to wither away slowly into the annals of history,” read the open letter. “It does not have to be a relic of the past; it is a movement for the future of liberal progressive Judaism in the United States, Canada, and Israel. Reform Jews deserve leadership that believes in this vision, and we deserve it now.”