Yolanda Savage-Narva, MSEd. (she/her) will join the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) as Director for Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, a new leadership position.

The URJ’s Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) work, partly supported by a generous grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation largely focuses on addressing racial justice and equity in all its forms, and also addresses homophobia, transphobia, ableism, classism, sexism, and other forms of oppression.

In this role, Savage-Narva will lead, develop, and expand organizational and movement-wide inclusion efforts for the URJ, which leads the largest, most diverse movement in Jewish life.

Savage-Narva’s extensive experience leading racial equity and justice work in faith-based organizations includes serving as Vice Chair of the RAC’s Commission on Social Action, Co-Chair of the RAC’s Racial Justice Task Force, and in advisory roles for the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and Repair the World.

Prior to joining the URJ, Savage-Narva was Executive Director of Operation Understanding DC, a nonprofit whose mission is to create a generation of leaders to promote respect, understanding, and cooperation while fighting to eradicate racism, antisemitism, and all forms of discrimination. She has participated in the URJ’s JewV’Nation Fellowship and in the Schusterman Fellowship.

Savage-Narva will begin to work with the URJ in this new capacity in December.