What are the Differences

[kiwimac]

Between Reform and Reconstuctionist Judiasm? What resources would you recommend for someone wanting to study these two paths? Do you have stories you would be willing to share about why you are a Reconstructionist or Reform Jew?

Kiwimac

 

[Deut 13:1]

Between Reform and Reconstuctionist Judiasm?

What is reform Judaism? www.jr.org

Throughout history, Jews have remained firmly rooted in Jewish tradition, even as we learned much from our encounters with other cultures. Nevertheless, since its earliest days, Reform Judaism has asserted that a Judaism frozen in time is an heirloom, not a living fountain. The great contribution of Reform Judaism is that it has enabled the Jewish people to introduce innovation while preserving tradition, to embrace diversity while asserting commonality, to affirm beliefs without rejecting those who doubt, and to bring faith to sacred texts without sacrificing critical scholarship.
Reform Judaism affirms the central tenets of Judaism - God, Torah and Israel - even as it acknowledges the diversity of Reform Jewish beliefs and practices. We believe that all human beings are created in the image of God, and that we are God’s partners in improving the world. Tikkun olam — repairing the world — is a hallmark of Reform Judaism as we strive to bring peace, freedom, and justice to all people.
Reform Jews accept the Torah as the foundation of Jewish life containing God’s ongoing revelation to our people and the record of our people’s ongoing relationship with God. We see the Torah as God inspired, a living document that enables us to confront the timeless and timely challenges of our everyday lives.
In addition to our belief that Judaism must change and adapt to the needs of the day to survive and our firm commitment to Tikkun Olam, the following principles distinguish Reform Jews from other streams of Judaism in North America.

• <LI class=body>Reform Jews are committed to the principle of inclusion, not exclusion. Since 1978 the Reform Movement has been reaching out to Jews-by-choice and interfaith families, encouraging them to embrace Judaism. Reform Jews consider children to be Jewish if they are the child of a Jewish father or mother, so long as the child is raised as a Jew.
  <LI class=body>Reform Jews are committed to the absolute equality of women in all areas of Jewish life. We were the first movement to ordain women rabbis, invest women cantors, and elect women presidents of our synagogues.
• Reform Jews are also committed to the full participation of gays and lesbians in synagogue life as well as society at large.

What is a reconstructionalist Jew? www.jrf.org

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, helvetica, sans serif]Reconstructionist Judaism is a progressive, contemporary approach to Jewish life which integrates a deep respect for traditional Judaism with the insights and ideas of contemporary social, intellectual and spiritual life.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, helvetica, sans serif]Judaism as the Culture of the Jewish People[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana, Arial, helvetica, sans serif]For Reconstructionists, Judaism is more than Jewish religion; Judaism is the entire cultural legacy of the Jewish people. Religion is central; Jewish spiritual insights and religious teachings give meaning and purpose to our lives. Yet our creativity as expressed through art, music and drama, languages and literature, and our relationship with the land of Israel itself are also integral parts of Jewish culture. Each of these aspects provides a gateway into the Jewish experience that can enrich and inspire us.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, helvetica, sans serif]Community as Cornerstone[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, helvetica, sans serif]While deeply connected to the historical experience of the Jewish people, we find a profound sense of belonging in our contemporary communities as well. This connection often leads to increased ritual observance and experimentation with the ritual rhythms of Jewish life. We find meaning in rediscovering the richness of traditional ritual and creating new observances which respond to our contemporary communal and personal cycles.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, helvetica, sans serif]Reconstructionist communities are characterized by their respect for such core values as democratic process, pluralism, and accessibility. In this way, they create participatory, inclusive, egalitarian communities committed to exploring Jewish life with dedication, warmth and enthusiasm.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, helvetica, sans serif]Patterns of Practice[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, helvetica, sans serif]"Torah" means "teaching." In Jewish tradition, talmud Torah, the study of Torah, is a life-long obligation and opportunity. Reconstructionists are committed to a serious engagement with the texts and teachings, as well as the art, literature and music of tradition. But we are not passive recipients; we are instead challenged to enter the conversation of the generations and to hear voices other than our own, but to add our own voices as well.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, helvetica, sans serif]Reconstructionist Judaism is respectful of traditional Jewish observances but also open to new interpretations and forms of religious expression. As Rabbi Mordecai M. Kaplan (1881-1983), the founder of Reconstructionism, taught, tradition has "a vote, but not a veto." Reconstructionists share a commitment to making Judaism their own by finding in it joy, meaning, and ideas they can believe. Unlike Orthodox and Conservative Judaism, Reconstructionism does not view inherited Jewish law (halahah) as binding. We continue to turn to Jewish law for guidance, if not always for governance. We recognize that in the contemporary world, individuals and communities make their own choices with regard to religious practice and ritual observance.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, helvetica, sans serif]But where Reform Judaism emphasizes individual autonomy, Reconstructionism emphasizes the importance of religious community in shaping individual patterns of observance. Belonging to a community leads us to take the patterns of observance within that community seriously; our choices do not exist independently, but are made in response to our community as part of our participating in it. Reconstructionism thus retains a warmly traditional (and fully egalitarian) approach to Jewish religious practice.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, helvetica, sans serif]Spiritual Seeking[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, helvetica, sans serif]Reconstructionists hold diverse ideas about God, but we share an emphasis on Godliness --those hopes, beliefs, and values within us that impel us to work for a better world, that give us strength and solace in times of need, that challenge us to grow, and that deepen our joy in moments of celebration.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, helvetica, sans serif]Reconstructionist prayerbooks speak of God beyond the gender concepts of male/female, and beyond the traditional metaphor of "king of the universe." For example, in our prayerbooks God is addressed as, among other things, "The Healer," "The Teacher," "The Comforter," and "The Presence." We are engaged in the spiritual adventure of discovering the many attributes of the one God.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, helvetica, sans serif]Ethics and Values[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, helvetica, sans serif]Reconstructionist communities emphasize acts of social justice alongside prayer and study as an essential part of their spiritual practice. Reconstructionist Judaism affirms that religion can and must be a powerful force for promoting communal discussion about ethics and values. The Torah tradition itself is a deep and wide resource for this project. Yet we know that generations of Jews have sharpened and distilled the ethical insights of Judaism as a result of their encounter with other cultures and traditions, and so it is in our time.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, helvetica, sans serif]The Reconstructionist Movement[/FONT]​

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, helvetica, sans serif]The Reconstructionist movement has three components:[/FONT]​

• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, helvetica, sans serif]a synagogue arm -- the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation (JRF) [/FONT]​
• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, helvetica, sans serif]a rabbinical college -- the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC)[/FONT]​
• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, helvetica, sans serif]an association of rabbis -- the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association (RRA)[/FONT]​

What resources would you recommend for someone wanting to study these two paths?

Reading their website is a good place to start. If you need more help then that, you can click on the, "What is a reform Jew" section or the "Is Reconstructionist Judaism For You?". Once you've read about both, try to locate one near your location, call the people that run them, and ask if you can set-up a meeting to talk to them.

 

[Deut 13:1]

Just to add something:

The various "movements" of Judaism (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionalist) all agree that there are 613 mitzvot from G-d. Mitzvot is commonally translated as "commandments". Howver it's important to note that because G-d wishes us to follow them, most Jews consider them to be a blessing rather then a burden. The different "movements" disagree on how to interpret and observe each commandmant. But you would be hard pressed to find Jews who don't think of them as a great gift from HaShem.

 

[dauer]

Deut,

what you say is a little misleading. Reconstructionists, for example, may agree that there are 613 mitzvot, but they would not says, "God gave these to us." They would say that they are a part of the unique contribution of the Jewish civilization, and they would translate mitzvot as "folkways" which is basically making them equivalent to minhagim (customs for those following along.) And the way in which Reform typically deals with mitzvot also renders them into minhagim.

You've also got, in both Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism, as well as Conservative Judaism, a full acceptance of modern approaches to Torah such as literary analysis, comparative mythology, etc. When all is said and done, it is a bit misleading to simply say as you have and leave it at that.

Dauer

 

[Deut 13:1]

Deut,

what you say is a little misleading. Reconstructionists, for example, may agree that there are 613 mitzvot, but they would not says, "God gave these to us." They would say that they are a part of the unique contribution of the Jewish civilization, and they would translate mitzvot as "folkways" which is basically making them equivalent to minhagim (customs for those following along.) And the way in which Reform typically deals with mitzvot also renders them into minhagim.

You've also got, in both Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism, as well as Conservative Judaism, a full acceptance of modern approaches to Torah such as literary analysis, comparative mythology, etc. When all is said and done, it is a bit misleading to simply say as you have and leave it at that.

Dauer

No what I'm saying is that Reform and Reconstructionalist acknowledge that there are 613 mitzvots, with a bunch not being aplicable w/out the Beis HaMikdash, and then different interpretations of the others. For example, kashrut, reform would say it was meant for the people back then, not today, but they would still acknowledge it. And saying reconstructionist judaism doesn't take a literal approach to thou shall not murder is ludacris. They take that literal. So if anything, you're being misleading trying to make huge distinctions between yourself and the orthodox rather then looking for ways to bring them together.

 

[dauer]

Deut,

No what I'm saying is that Reform and Reconstructionalist acknowledge that there are 613 mitzvots, with a bunch not being aplicable w/out the Beis HaMikdash, and then different interpretations of the others.

All I said is that your above statement is misleading, which it is. By leaving out principles of significant importance to Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism, you give a misleading view of what Reform and Reconstructionist Jews actually believe. What you've just said is also misleading, because it could lead someone to think that Reform and Reconstructionist Jews are waiting for the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash, which they aren't.

For example, kashrut, reform would say it was meant for the people back then, not today, but they would still acknowledge it.

That's not always true. You don't know as much about Reform as you think. Some of the Reform movement thinks it's important for the individual to explore the dietery laws and decide for themselves what is best for them.

And saying reconstructionist judaism doesn't take a literal approach to thou shall not murder is ludacris.

I don't even know where that's coming from.

So if anything, you're being misleading trying to make huge distinctions between yourself and the orthodox rather then looking for ways to bring them together.

On the contrary, I am very much for bringing Jews together, but I don't think that the way to do that is by confusing those things that distinguish each other and talking as if we're some sort of monolithic entity. We need to recognize our distinctions and work with them. We're a religion of interpretation and long before the Haskalah Jews were disagreeing with each other. Would you want to argue that the Rambam and the Ari were really both saying almost exactly same thing? Would you argue that the mitnagdim and the hasidim really didn't have any disagreement, because we are just one big colorless blur? Besides, I'm not Reconstructionist or Reform so what I say in clarification about their beliefs and practices should not immediately reflect upon my own.

What we are doing right now is something, disagreeing like this, is something beautiful and holy that our people have always done. Let's beautify this mitzvah to the fullest, eh?

Dauer