From Census to Possibilities: Exploring Implications of the Census

Rabbi Rick Jacobs is president of the Union for Reform Judaism, the most powerful force in North American Jewish life. The URJ leads the largest and most diverse Jewish movement in North America, reaching more than 1.5 million people through nearly 850 congregations, 15 overnight camps, the Reform teen youth Movement NFTY, and the Religious Action Center in Washington DC. For nearly 150 years, the URJ has been at the forefront in promoting an open, progressive Judaism.  

The URJ’s programs and communities inspire more and more people—from children to seniors—to explore what it means to be Jewish, pursue justice around the world, and forge stronger ties to Israel.  

A longtime and devoted creative change agent, Rabbi Jacobs spent 20 years as a visionary spiritual leader at Westchester Reform Temple (WRT) in Scarsdale, New York. Before that, during his tenure as the rabbi of the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue, he created the first homeless shelter in a New York City synagogue.  

He’s a tireless advocate for an Israel that is secure, Jewish, democratic, and pluralistic, with a vibrant Reform Jewish community. Rabbi Jacobs has studied for two decades at Jerusalem's Shalom Hartman Institute, where he is a senior rabbinic fellow.  

Rabbi Jacobs is regularly featured in media outlets such as the New York Times, The Washington Post, Ha’aretz, The Forward, NPR, and CNN, among others.  

Rabbi Jacobs and his wife Susan K. Freedman have three children Aaron, David, and Sarah. 

Rabbi Caryn Aviv serves as Rabbinic and Program Director at Judaism Your Way.  Caryn loves to create and facilitate transformative Jewish experiences that spark joy and meaning for Jews and loved ones.  Prior to becoming a rabbi, Caryn earned a PhD in sociology from Loyola University Chicago in 2002.  She was a faculty member in Jewish Studies and sociology at University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Denver from 2003-2013.  Caryn loves spending time with her family, hiking in the Rockies, singing with Denver Women's Chorus, organizing for justice, and making art. 

Sarah Alevsky has been directing various Judaic after-school programs for the past 16 years, including Chabad Hebrew School of the West Side, and Kivun, which served the Harlem Hebrew families. She is also on the steering committee of Ckids, the youth engagement arm of Merkos/Chabad. 

Through her involvement with curriculum design, she has helped shape the learning at Chabad Hebrew Schools. She lives in NYC with her family.