MRJ’S Affiliate Member Benefits

The Men of Reform Judaism (MRJ) was founded in 1923 as the National Federation of Temple Brotherhoods (NFTB) by the Union of American Hebrew Congregations and changed to its present name in 2007.
Today, MRJ is an independent affiliate of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), and as such has representation on the URJ Board of Trustees, various Movement-wide Commissions, and its national lay and professional leaders work closely with other arms of the Reform Movement.
MRJ s affiliate members are brotherhoods, men's clubs and other organized men’s groups in URJ congregations throughout North America. In today’s world, leading men in an organized fashion, offering diverse programs that will resonant with and engage all of the men of a congregation,, motivating other men to assume leadership responsibility, and supporting a congregation generally in fulfilling its mission, are all challenging tasks. MRJ supports the leadership of its affiliate members by offering tools, resources, and programmatic materials to meet these challenges. MRJ offers… 

• Affiliate Leadership Resource Material: MRJ serves as a programmatic resource clearinghouse for the leadership of its affiliates by developing and distributing resource material and guides on how to lead a successful men’s group. Current MRJ resources include: 
  • Step by step directions on how to organize men, whether in a traditional brotherhood or men’s club, or as a havurah, study group, or other relevant organizational structure;
  • Leadership and board development handbooks;
  • PowerPoint’s on motivating volunteers, recruiting and retaining members, effective programming for diversified audiences, successful fundraising, etc.
   
• Innovative Men’s Programming Modules: MRJ is the premier creator and distributor of programs that specifically address the needs of men within the Reform Movement. Collectively called MRJ’s Achim Corp Projects, these programs have been designed by MRJ to give men ‘space’: an opportunity to re-discover how Judaism can speak to them as adult men, and in their contemporary roles as fathers, sons, husbands, partners, etc. Additionally, and of equal importance, these programs provide men with opportunities to experience the warmth and power of fellowship. Current MRJ Achim Corps Projects include:
• MRJ’s BenAbbaZeyde Programs
• Men and Shabbat Educational Modules
• Men and High Holidays Educational Modules
• Men and Passover Educational Modules
• Men and Exploration of Contemporary Issues Educational Modules (e.g. fatherhood, work, spirituality)
• MRJ Men’s Seder Program 
• MRJ’s Health Modules  
  • Stress Program
  • Heart Disease Program
  • Prostate Cancer Program