Central Conference of American Rabbis

10/08/2026

Coming soon from CCAR Press: ‘Lighting a Memorial Candle: For Yahrzeit and Yizkor’

This Z-fold, laminated pamphlet provides a ritual for lighting a memorial candle for deceased loved ones. It is designed for use by both clergy and laypeople, at home or in a synagogue, for yahrzeit or Yizkor. The pamphlet includes biblical and contemporary readings, Mourner’s Kaddish, and a guide to customs.

• Pre-order at https://ccar.co/memorialcandle.

10/07/2026

We commemorate the third anniversary of the massacre of October 7, 2023—the date on which Israel was invaded and its people were brutally attacked and kidnapped. We mourn the deaths. We grieve with the traumatized, and we hold in our hearts our family in friends in Israel and the MARAM rabbis caring for their communities.

We honor the memory of all who were lost, all whose injuries—inside and out—have yet to heal, and all who have suffered so grievously the horrors of war so that all who dwell in this sacred land can live their lives in dignity, freedom, safety, and in peace.

As Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin attests, for Jews in Israel and around the world, October 7 changed us, and so we try together to make sense of this difficult new world as we pray for lasting peace.

10/06/2026

NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER: ‘On the Bread Trail: Jewish Baking Around the World’ by Rabbi Deborah R. Prinz

In this sequel to ‘On the Chocolate Trail,’ Rabbi Deborah R. Prinz explores the values that inform Jewish baking, the cherished seasonal and holiday breads that adorn our tables, and the everyday breads that accompany us throughout our lives.

‘On the Bread Trail’ features global recipes, historical insights, and delicious inspiration. From babka to berches, challah to lachuch, this book celebrates the heritage, resilience, and the stories that emerge from Jewish kitchens around the world.

• CCAR Press will be publishing 'On the Bread Trail' in December.
• Pre-order at https://ccar.co/onthebreadtrail.

10/05/2026

This October 7 will be the third anniversary of the worst attack on Jewish people since the Shoah. We pray for lasting peace for all who live in Israel, love Israel, and all those whose lives have been torn apart by war.

"On October 7, we remember the evil, the horror, the terror, the atrocities. We remember the valor of those who stood their posts, who returned to the battlefield to shepherd more to safety, who gave their lives defending Israel.

We remember the hundreds taken hostage: men, women, the elderly, and little children.

October 7 is a day for memory and a day for grief.

We pledge to honor the memory of all who were lost, all whose injuries—inside and out—have yet to heal, and all who have suffered so grievously the horrors of war, by building the land and the State of Israel into a Sukkat Shalom, so that all who dwell in that sacred land can live their lives in dignity, in freedom, in safety, and in peace.”

—Rabbi Dan Levin, CCAR Board Member and Senior Rabbi, Temple Beth El of Boca Raton

Here, we share "Prayer for the State of Israel," by Rabbi Erica Asch, CCAR Immediate Past President and Spiritual Leader of Temple Beth El-Augusta.

10/05/2026

NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER: ‘Open Letters: On Life, Loss, Faith, and the Human Condition,’ by Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD

For over fifty years as an Hebrew Union College professor and author, Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD, has been a beloved mentor, theologian, liturgist, and voice of profound spiritual insight.

Responding to war, pandemic, and personal loss, Rabbi Hoffman’s “open letters” meld Jewish tradition with insights from literature, science, and the humanities, seeking abiding wisdom to comfort and guide us. The book invites readers into a deeply personal dialogue on what it means to be human in our time, exploring how religion generally, and Judaism specifically, offers hope at moments of crisis.

• CCAR Press will be publishing 'Open Letters' in December.

• Pre-order at https://ccar.co/openletters.

10/02/2026

Shabbat shalom, and wishing you a wonderful festival of Sh’mini Atzeret and Simchat Torah! In this auspicious year, all three holy days fall on the same day, concluding our series of fall holidays. Each holiday allows us to experience the vitality of creation: On Sh’mini Atzeret, we pray for rain—for a year of sustenance and nourishment. On Simchat Torah, we celebrate the cycle of Torah that we conclude and begin again, remembering that creation is ever-renewing. On this Shabbat, Sh’mini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah, may we be sustained by rest and delight, and renewed by rains and Torah.

10/01/2026

Join Laasok: The Liberal Beit Midrash for the weekly study group "Haftarah: Judaism’s Prophetic Voice." Starting on Wednesday, October 7, Rabbi Barbara AB Symons, editor of the CCAR Press book ‘Prophetic Voices: Renewing and Reimagining Haftarah,’ will lead us in exploring the prophetic texts of our tradition, examining what each haftarah was meant to do—and ask what voices today might stand beside Torah, demand to be heard, and compel us to act.

Register at https://laasok.org/studygroups/

09/30/2026

𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗮𝗯𝗯𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗝𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝘀𝗿𝗮𝗲𝗹

The Central Conference of American Rabbis is appalled by a series of violent attacks on Reform congregations in Israel and on worshipers. Four of these attacks took place at Kehilat Kol HaNeshama in Jerusalem and a fifth at Congregation Darchei Noam in Ramat HaSharon. At Kol HaNeshama, hooligans smashed a window, damaged a work of art, tore down the Pride flag hanging in the sanctuary, threw eggs at worshipers arriving for Rosh HaShanah prayers, and attacked the synagogue again on Yom Kippur. At Darchei Noam, a heavy stone was hurled through a window.

In each instance, reports were made to police. Though several arrests have been made at this point, no member of the governing coalition, the Israel Police, or the Jerusalem government has condemned this extremist violence targeting Reform congregations and worshipers.

CCAR rabbis who are members of MARAM, the Council of Reform Rabbis in Israel, valiantly led their congregations to take steps to protect their congregations while continuing to attend the synagogue for Shabbat and Holy Day worship. In the words of Rabbi David Sperber, a member of Kehilat Kol HaNeshama, “Rabbi Oded Mazor and Rabbi Debi Shoua-Haim asked us to keep an open eye—but also to be careful not to suspect without cause anyone who comes to know us and support us. That is precisely the Judaism we are guarding: resolute against violence, with an open gate for every person.”

Reform rabbis worldwide demand that the Israeli government speak out against violence and task the Israel Police to protect Reform congregations, rabbis, and worshipers. So too, the mayor of Jerusalem must publicly condemn such behavior perpetrated upon inhabitants of his city. Anti-Reform incitement flows from the highest levels of Israel’s government, creating a structure of permission for the violence that must stop now.

• Link: https://www.ccarnet.org/central-conference-of-american-rabbis-statement-on-attacks-on-reform-jews-in-israel/

09/30/2026

As we start the new Torah cycle, take a creative journey through the Jewish year with ‘Loaves of Torah: Exploring the Jewish Year through Challah’ by Rabbi Vanessa M. Harper. The book pairs gorgeous color photographs with insightful commentary, in-depth questions for reflection and discussion, and beautiful kavanot.

• Learn more at https://ccar.co/loavesoftorah.

Braided and spiral loaves of challah have long been a delicious centerpiece of the Jewish table, but with a few extra twists, the beloved Shabbat bread can b...

09/29/2026

Coming in November: ‘Mishkan T’filah: Siddur for Shabbat Evening.’

This twentieth-anniversary edition features updated translations, new songs, additional readings and liturgical texts, and a refreshed layout. With Kabbalat Shabbat, Arvit, and a Torah service, the siddur will rejuvenate Shabbat worship.

• Pre-order at https://ccar.co/mtse.