About RPB
We’re here to serve those who serve our community
Working for a religious organization is a labor of love. Those who work tirelessly to support their communities and give so much of yourselves deserve a retirement plan that’s as dedicated as you are. That’s why, more than 75 years ago, the Reform Movement created the Reform Pension Board (RPB).
Today, RPB provides retirement and insurance plans tailored to the financial needs—and shared values—of modern Reform Movement employees. As one of the Reform Movement’s cornerstone institutions, we work to enhance your financial security and help you plan for and achieve the lifestyle you want throughout your life. Our investment strategy and selection of high-quality funds are guided by today’s best practices in retirement planning.
Video: Learn About RPB
Benefit from a custom experience
RPB understands that those working for Reform Movement organizations have unique financial needs. We know that synagogues need to attract and retain the best and the brightest to ensure the future of the Reform Movement. That’s why we’re proud to offer some services and resources that other retirement plan providers can’t.
- Uniquely personal service. Not only do we understand the work of our participants and their employers, but we also get to know many of you on an individual level. We take great pride in being able to provide personalized support in a number of ways, including one-on-one customer service handled by our own New York-based team.
- Investing approach aligned with Jewish values. Jewish values guide everything we do, from our Jewish Values Investing Policy to our socially responsible investment option, the Reform Jewish Values Fund, for those who want to “do good while doing well.”
- Tailored investment choices. We offer investment funds for every level of risk tolerance, experience, and desired involvement.
- Non-qualified deferred compensation plan (“Rabbi Trust”). This plan allows employers to contribute more than the annual IRS contribution limit to their employees’ retirement accounts.
- Parsonage. Rabbis with a housing allowance have unique tax situations in retirement. Because distributions from RPB 403(b) accounts qualify for a parsonage tax exclusion, retired clergy can use allowable housing expenses to limit their taxable income.
- Collaboration with financial advisors. We partner with our plan participants’ financial representatives to aid in their financial planning.
- Annual retirement seminar. Our annual retirement planning seminar—which features in-depth sessions with industry experts—helps you stay on track for the retirement you want.
- Portability. If you start working for a new eligible employer, your RPB account stays with you; there’s no additional administrative work for you. Your new employer will be responsible for paying the retirement contributions.
- A plan that is always working in participants’ best interest. We have no shareholders to please or revenue goals to meet. Our primary goal is to provide high-quality, low-cost retirement and insurance benefits to empower our plan participants to retire with dignity—which aids employers in attracting strong leaders and allows the Reform Movement to thrive.
Evolving to meet our community’s needs.
RPB was originally formed to serve rabbis. Today, we provide services to employees working in many different roles at URJ affiliated congregations and other Reform Movement organizations.
Our history
The Reform Pension Board was founded in 1944 as the Rabbinical Pension Board. As the Reform Movement grew through the second half of the 20th century, RPB grew alongside it—we renamed ourselves, widened our mission, and increased our offerings. We look forward to continuing to serve Reform Movement employees in the future.
1917 - Philanthropist Jacob R. Schiff seeded $100,000 to grow a pension fund—which would eventually become RPB—for rabbis whose retirement was traditionally paid for by their congregations.
1944 - RPB is founded with the goal of helping rabbis and their spouses live a dignified retirement by splitting retirement costs across all congregations where the rabbis served over the course of their careers. The original Plan consisted of individual retirement income policies for rabbis.
1960 - RPB revises the Plan from individual policies to a group-oriented life insurance and pension plan.
1967 - The Union of American Hebrew Congregations (now the URJ) Biennial in Montreal adopts the basic form and structure of the Reform Pension Plan which still endures. This includes the currently recommended contribution amount of 18% of the participant’s compensation—15% to be contributed by the congregation and 3% to come from the participant’s salary.
1998 - Rabbinical Pension Board is renamed to the Reform Pension Board.
2001 - RPB introduces an investment choice program which gave participants the option to allocate their assets between RPB’s equity and bond funds.
2014 - RPB adopts its Jewish Values Investing Policy.
2018 - The Reform Jewish Values Stock Fund is created to allow our participants to invest in a fund dedicated to Jewish values. RPB also introduces congregational investing in the RJV Stock Fund.
2022 - RPB expands eligibility to any employee of a U.S. URJ synagogue that works 18 hours or more a week.
We’re working hard for you.
Meet the leadership and staff of RPB working to help you meet your financial goals for retirement.