NoraSariah
Active Member
What are the basic beliefs and practices of Reform Judaism? How does it differ in comparison to Orthodox Judaism?
Last edited:
-
Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:- Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
- Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
- Access to private conversations with other members.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!
Basic Beliefs
- Thread starter NoraSariah
- Start date
Caladan
Agnostic Pantheist
Did you mean Judaism in general or Reform Judaism specifically?
I'm asking since you seem to be asking about Judaism the religion, but you posted your thread in the Reform DIR of the Judaism forum.
NoraSariah
Active Member
Caladan
Agnostic Pantheist
OK, I wasn't sure. I believe we have a reform member(s), so good luck with your inquiry. Personally, I'm culturally Jewish, but religiously neutral, or secular. I'll be happy to help you in other Judaism related threads.Oops. I thought I said Reform Judaism. Silly me.
NoraSariah
Active Member
Bump.
Levite
Higher and Higher
Well, I will try to answer, since you seem very eager for one, but I will preface it by saying that I am not Reform (though I am married to a Reform rabbi, and am also the son of a Reform rabbi, so I know a little about Reform Judaism-- aside, of course, from having studied it in rabbinical school), and therefore please take what I say with a grain of salt, and I look forward to the correction of any Reform Jew who chooses to answer after me.
The primary differences between Reform Judaism and Orthodox Judaism are first of all, that Orthodoxy sees Torah (at the very least in the limited sense of the Pentateuch, and most often in wider senses also) as being of divine origin. While not all Orthodox Jews believe that the Torah was literally dictated word for word by God to Moses, all would definitely generally ascribe authorship to God, and consider it revelatory text. Reform Jews tend to see Torah as a work of human beings, which is sacred because it embodies the foundational attempt of the Jews to reach out to God, to touch the numinous and channel that touch into a system for making people and society holier. There is much more diversity of theology in the Reform movement, so not all Reform Jews believe quite what I have just said, but may have numerous variations of the idea, or other ideas altogether.
Second of all, Reform Judaism defines itself as a non-halachic movement. In Orthodoxy, halachah (Jewish Law) is understood as law: it is considered to be binding upon all Jews, and cannot be disregarded, but must be dealt with as law, within the framework of methodologies that the tradition provides. However, in Reform thought, halachah is considered to be the core collection of traditional interpretations and practices which should be used whenever possible, but may be altered or discarded and replaced as necessitated by the changes and novellae of evolving modernity. In Orthodoxy, such alteration or reinterpretation of the law is solely the province of rabbis trained in such matters; in Reform Judaism, every person is considered their own decisor of practice and theology-- though the (rather seldom-achieved) ideal is that every person should be sufficiently educated in traditional text and thought for their decisions to be informed.
There are innumerable more technical and/or effective cultural differences, but many if not most are the products in one way or another of the above two differences.
I am a member of a Reform Temple, but was not raised as such, so my viewpoint is also limited.
The one point I will add is that Reform will encompass a much wider spectrum of belief and practice than any other branch of Judaism. Variation between individuals and between congregations can be immense, yet they are all legitimate applications of the ideals of Reform.
While standing on one foot: YMMV
Rakhel
Well-Known Member
LOL If she weren't from Texas, I would have asked the same question. However, since she is from Texas, I will assume she means American reform.
RabbiO
הרב יונה בן זכריה
This is long, but you might find it helpful. It is from the most recent statement of Reform principles adapted by the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the Reform movement's rabbinical organization. As the premable notes - This "Statement of Principles" affirms the central tenets of Judaism - God, Torah and Israel - even as it acknowledges the diversity of Reform Jewish beliefs and practices. It also invites all Reform Jews to engage in a dialogue with the sources of our tradition, responding out of our knowledge, our experience and our faith. Thus we hope to transform our lives through (kedushah), holiness.
We affirm the reality and oneness of God, even as we may differ in our understanding of the Divine presence.
We affirm that the Jewish people is bound to God by an eternal (b'rit), covenant, as reflected in our varied understandings of Creation, Revelation and Redemption
.
We affirm that every human being is created (b'tzelem Elohim), in the image of God, and that therefore every human life is sacred.
We regard with reverence all of God's creation and recognize our human responsibility for its preservation and protection.
We encounter God's presence in moments of awe and wonder, in acts of justice and compassion, in loving relationships and in the experiences of everyday life.
We respond to God daily: through public and private prayer, through study and through the performance of other (mitzvot), sacred obligations -- (bein adam la Makom), to God, and (bein adam la-chaveiro), to other human beings.
We strive for a faith that fortifies us through the vicissitudes of our lives -- illness and healing, transgression and repentance, bereavement and consolation, despair and hope
.
We continue to have faith that, in spite of the unspeakable evils committed against our people and the sufferings endured by others, the partnership of God and humanity will ultimately prevail.
We trust in our tradition's promise that, although God created us as finite beings, the spirit within us is eternal.
We affirm that Torah is the foundation of Jewish life.
We cherish the truths revealed in Torah, God's ongoing revelation to our people and the record of our people's ongoing relationship with God.
We affirm that Torah is a manifestation of (ahavat olam), God's eternal love for the Jewish people and for all humanity.
We affirm the importance of studying Hebrew, the language of Torah and Jewish liturgy, that we may draw closer to our people's sacred texts.
We are called by Torah to lifelong study in the home, in the synagogue and in every place where Jews gather to learn and teach. Through Torah study we are called to (mitzvot), the means by which we make our lives holy.
We are committed to the ongoing study of the whole array of (mitzvot) and to the fulfillment of those that address us as individuals and as a community. Some of these (mitzvot), sacred obligations, have long been observed by Reform Jews; others, both ancient and modern, demand renewed attention as the result of the unique context of our own times
.
We bring Torah into the world when we seek to sanctify the times and places of our lives through regular home and congregational observance. Shabbat calls us to bring the highest moral values to our daily labor and to culminate the workweek with (kedushah), holiness, (menuchah), rest and (oneg), joy. The High Holy Days call us to account for our deeds. The Festivals enable us to celebrate with joy our people's religious journey in the context of the changing seasons. The days of remembrance remind us of the tragedies and the triumphs that have shaped our people's historical experience both in ancient and modern times. And we mark the milestones of our personal journeys with traditional and creative rites that reveal the holiness in each stage of life.
We bring Torah into the world when we strive to fulfill the highest ethical mandates in our relationships with others and with all of God's creation. Partners with God in ( tikkun olam), repairing the world, we are called to help bring nearer the messianic age. We seek dialogue and joint action with people of other faiths in the hope that together we can bring peace, freedom and justice to our world. We are obligated to pursue (tzedek), justice and righteousness, and to narrow the gap between the affluent and the poor, to act against discrimination and oppression, to pursue peace, to welcome the stranger, to protect the earth's biodiversity and natural resources, and to redeem those in physical, economic and spiritual bondage. In so doing, we reaffirm social action and social justice as a central prophetic focus of traditional Reform Jewish belief and practice. We affirm the (mitzvah) of (tzedakah), setting aside portions of our earnings and our time to provide for those in need. These acts bring us closer to fulfilling the prophetic call to translate the words of Torah into the works of our hands.
We are Israel, a people aspiring to holiness, singled out through our ancient covenant and our unique history among the nations to be witnesses to God's presence. We are linked by that covenant and that history to all Jews in every age and place.
We are committed to the (mitzvah) of (ahavat Yisrael), love for the Jewish people, and to (k'lal Yisrael), the entirety of the community of Israel. Recognizing that (kol Yisrael arevim zeh ba-zeh), all Jews are responsible for one another, we reach out to all Jews across ideological and geographical boundaries.
We are an inclusive community, opening doors to Jewish life to people of all ages, to varied kinds of families, to all regardless of their sexual orientation, to (gerim), those who have converted to Judaism, and to all individuals and families, including the intermarried, who strive to create a Jewish home
.
We believe that we must not only open doors for those ready to enter our faith, but also to actively encourage those who are seeking a spiritual home to find it in Judaism.
We are committed to strengthening the people Israel by supporting individuals and families in the creation of homes rich in Jewish learning and observance.
We are committed to strengthening the people Israel by making the synagogue central to Jewish communal life, so that it may elevate the spiritual, intellectual and cultural quality of our lives.
We are committed to (Medinat Yisrael), the State of Israel, and rejoice in its accomplishments. We affirm the unique qualities of living in (Eretz Yisrael), the land of Israel, and encourage (aliyah), immigration to Israel.
We affirm that both Israeli and Diaspora Jewry should remain vibrant and interdependent communities. As we urge Jews who reside outside Israel to learn Hebrew as a living language and to make periodic visits to Israel in order to study and to deepen their relationship to the Land and its people, so do we affirm that Israeli Jews have much to learn from the religious life of Diaspora Jewish communities
.
"God
We affirm the reality and oneness of God, even as we may differ in our understanding of the Divine presence.
We affirm that the Jewish people is bound to God by an eternal (b'rit), covenant, as reflected in our varied understandings of Creation, Revelation and Redemption
.
We affirm that every human being is created (b'tzelem Elohim), in the image of God, and that therefore every human life is sacred.
We regard with reverence all of God's creation and recognize our human responsibility for its preservation and protection.
We encounter God's presence in moments of awe and wonder, in acts of justice and compassion, in loving relationships and in the experiences of everyday life.
We respond to God daily: through public and private prayer, through study and through the performance of other (mitzvot), sacred obligations -- (bein adam la Makom), to God, and (bein adam la-chaveiro), to other human beings.
We strive for a faith that fortifies us through the vicissitudes of our lives -- illness and healing, transgression and repentance, bereavement and consolation, despair and hope
.
We continue to have faith that, in spite of the unspeakable evils committed against our people and the sufferings endured by others, the partnership of God and humanity will ultimately prevail.
We trust in our tradition's promise that, although God created us as finite beings, the spirit within us is eternal.
Torah
We affirm that Torah is the foundation of Jewish life.
We cherish the truths revealed in Torah, God's ongoing revelation to our people and the record of our people's ongoing relationship with God.
We affirm that Torah is a manifestation of (ahavat olam), God's eternal love for the Jewish people and for all humanity.
We affirm the importance of studying Hebrew, the language of Torah and Jewish liturgy, that we may draw closer to our people's sacred texts.
We are called by Torah to lifelong study in the home, in the synagogue and in every place where Jews gather to learn and teach. Through Torah study we are called to (mitzvot), the means by which we make our lives holy.
We are committed to the ongoing study of the whole array of (mitzvot) and to the fulfillment of those that address us as individuals and as a community. Some of these (mitzvot), sacred obligations, have long been observed by Reform Jews; others, both ancient and modern, demand renewed attention as the result of the unique context of our own times
.
We bring Torah into the world when we seek to sanctify the times and places of our lives through regular home and congregational observance. Shabbat calls us to bring the highest moral values to our daily labor and to culminate the workweek with (kedushah), holiness, (menuchah), rest and (oneg), joy. The High Holy Days call us to account for our deeds. The Festivals enable us to celebrate with joy our people's religious journey in the context of the changing seasons. The days of remembrance remind us of the tragedies and the triumphs that have shaped our people's historical experience both in ancient and modern times. And we mark the milestones of our personal journeys with traditional and creative rites that reveal the holiness in each stage of life.
We bring Torah into the world when we strive to fulfill the highest ethical mandates in our relationships with others and with all of God's creation. Partners with God in ( tikkun olam), repairing the world, we are called to help bring nearer the messianic age. We seek dialogue and joint action with people of other faiths in the hope that together we can bring peace, freedom and justice to our world. We are obligated to pursue (tzedek), justice and righteousness, and to narrow the gap between the affluent and the poor, to act against discrimination and oppression, to pursue peace, to welcome the stranger, to protect the earth's biodiversity and natural resources, and to redeem those in physical, economic and spiritual bondage. In so doing, we reaffirm social action and social justice as a central prophetic focus of traditional Reform Jewish belief and practice. We affirm the (mitzvah) of (tzedakah), setting aside portions of our earnings and our time to provide for those in need. These acts bring us closer to fulfilling the prophetic call to translate the words of Torah into the works of our hands.
Israel
We are Israel, a people aspiring to holiness, singled out through our ancient covenant and our unique history among the nations to be witnesses to God's presence. We are linked by that covenant and that history to all Jews in every age and place.
We are committed to the (mitzvah) of (ahavat Yisrael), love for the Jewish people, and to (k'lal Yisrael), the entirety of the community of Israel. Recognizing that (kol Yisrael arevim zeh ba-zeh), all Jews are responsible for one another, we reach out to all Jews across ideological and geographical boundaries.
We are an inclusive community, opening doors to Jewish life to people of all ages, to varied kinds of families, to all regardless of their sexual orientation, to (gerim), those who have converted to Judaism, and to all individuals and families, including the intermarried, who strive to create a Jewish home
.
We believe that we must not only open doors for those ready to enter our faith, but also to actively encourage those who are seeking a spiritual home to find it in Judaism.
We are committed to strengthening the people Israel by supporting individuals and families in the creation of homes rich in Jewish learning and observance.
We are committed to strengthening the people Israel by making the synagogue central to Jewish communal life, so that it may elevate the spiritual, intellectual and cultural quality of our lives.
We are committed to (Medinat Yisrael), the State of Israel, and rejoice in its accomplishments. We affirm the unique qualities of living in (Eretz Yisrael), the land of Israel, and encourage (aliyah), immigration to Israel.
We affirm that both Israeli and Diaspora Jewry should remain vibrant and interdependent communities. As we urge Jews who reside outside Israel to learn Hebrew as a living language and to make periodic visits to Israel in order to study and to deepen their relationship to the Land and its people, so do we affirm that Israeli Jews have much to learn from the religious life of Diaspora Jewish communities
.
Avi1001
reform Jew humanist liberal feminist entrepreneur
Hi Rabbio,
Thanks for posting. This is a great introduction to Reform. I do not see anything here that I do not agree with.
I think there are some omissions. Nothing about homosexuality and gay marriage. Not enough about intermarriage. Nothing about Reform beliefs about revelation. Nothing about alternative interpretation of Halacha.
I also think they should adopt M. Kaplan's views on chosenness and miracles.
There should be some Renewal ideas. Perhaps deconstruction/reconstruction.
Bottom line, it is not "reform" enough.
Can you think of other things that could be added ?
Thanks for posting. This is a great introduction to Reform. I do not see anything here that I do not agree with.
I think there are some omissions. Nothing about homosexuality and gay marriage. Not enough about intermarriage. Nothing about Reform beliefs about revelation. Nothing about alternative interpretation of Halacha.
I also think they should adopt M. Kaplan's views on chosenness and miracles.
There should be some Renewal ideas. Perhaps deconstruction/reconstruction.
Bottom line, it is not "reform" enough.
Can you think of other things that could be added ?
Last edited:
RabbiO
הרב יונה בן זכריה
M -Hello Avi, rabbio, and others-- I'm new here. [Actually I'm old here since I'm 68.
I haven't done a head count, but I suspect we're pretty close to being able to have a minyan in exile.
I actually joined up a few years ago, but never posted until last week. I'm glad to see you. I was getting a little worried.
B'shalom,
Peter
metis
aged ecumenical anthropologist
Glad to see you too, Peter. Besides the "issue" over at IFF, my wife's older brother passed away suddenly Sunday before last, so we had to scamper downstate for a week. Very emotional to say the least.
BTW, I'm gonna p.m. you to explain the former.
Shalom, and I'm so glad we've run across each other again.
Shalom,
Vern
BTW, I'm gonna p.m. you to explain the former.
Shalom, and I'm so glad we've run across each other again.
Shalom,
Vern
Avi1001
reform Jew humanist liberal feminist entrepreneur
Hello Avi, rabbio, and others-- I'm new here. [Actually I'm old here since I'm 68.
I Metis, and welcome. I look forward to your insightful posts. Nice to see you again.
Avi1001
reform Jew humanist liberal feminist entrepreneur
Avi1001
reform Jew humanist liberal feminist entrepreneur
Condolances to you and your family.
Rakhel
Well-Known Member
There are a few more than 3 here.
Avi1001
reform Jew humanist liberal feminist entrepreneur
Hi Rakhel, true, but only 3 "in exile"
.By the way, what do you mean by "S(l)ayton's Granddaughter in your title ?
Last edited: