Difference between revisions of "Reform Judaism" - New World Encyclopedia
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== Reform Judaism in North America == | == Reform Judaism in North America == | ||
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| − | [[Reform Judaism (North America)|Reform Judaism]] is one of the two North American denominations affiliated with the [[Progressive Movement]]. It is the largest [[Jewish denominations|denomination]] of [[American Jew]]s today | + | [[Reform Judaism (North America)|Reform Judaism]] is one of the two North American denominations affiliated with the [[Progressive Movement]]. It is the largest [[Jewish denominations|denomination]] of [[American Jew]]s today. |
== Reform Judaism in Britain == | == Reform Judaism in Britain == | ||
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Reform Judaism refers to the spectrum of beliefs, practices and organizational infrastructure associated with Reform Judaism in North America and in the United Kingdom.[1]
"Reform Judaism" refers to a "particular position on the contemporary Jewish religious spectrum represented by a broad consensus of beliefs and practices and a a set of integrated institutions."
The term also may refer to the Israeli Progressive Movement, the worldwide Progressive movement, the Reform movement in Judaism, and the magazine Reform Judaism.
History
Nineteenth century
In response to the Enlightenment, and Jewish Emancipation, reform-minded thinkers within German Jewry, such as Israel Jacobson, Abraham Geiger, Samuel Holdheim and Leopold Zunz, sought to reconcile Jewish belief and practice with the modern age. Initially, the reformers did not call for a separate organizational movement. They convened synods but did not formally establish independent denomination or rabbinical body. However, reform efforts shifted after the German state allowed the Jewish community to separate its organizational structures, including congregations.
During the 1840's and 1850's, separate reform congregations were set up in two major centers of the German Jewish, Frankfort and Berlin. No other separatist reform congregations were established for decades in Germany and key reformers, including Geiger, did not serve in these separate synagogues. The movement did take the significant step, in 1870, to create a rabbinical seminary and research center known as the Hochschule für die Wissenschaft des Judentums. Reform efforts were also evident in Denmark and Austria.
Around the same time, the Reform movement North America started to emerge, but with none of the governmental opposition and regulation facing its European counterparts. In 1825, lay members of Beth Elohim in Charleston, South Carolina founded the Reformed Society of Israelites as a breakaway ground seeking mild reforms.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag
In Budapest, other Jews were inspired by the reform Temple in Vienna. Moderate reforms were undertaken in various cities and outreach efforts were made to various German rabbis, including Zacharias Frankel, widely seen as the pioneer of Conservative Judaism. Ignaz Einhorn, a Hungarian-born rabbi, put forward a program program of reform, which systematized the emerging ideas of the movement.[2] Einhorn sought to abolish the ceremonial element of Judaism, but retain its faith and morality. He permitted mixed marriages, ended circumcision, shifted Shabbat worship to Sundays and, promoted the concept that a Jew was known mainly by his idea of God and the moral principles on which he acts.[3]
David Einhorn, unrelated to Ignaz, would become a leading figure in American Reform Judaism.
In Great Britain, reform efforts were sparked by efforts to change the liturgy at London's Bevis Marks Synagogue, as had been done with the Hamburg Temple. Despite some initial reforms in 1836, further alterations were rebuffed in 1839. The British reformers established an independent congregation, the West London Synagogue of British Jews, on 15 April 1840. The West London Synagogue reformers paved the way for the modern British reform movement, the Movement for Reform Judaism. In 1856, Act of Parliament was passed to allow the minister of the West London Synagogue of British Jews to register marriage ceremonies. This act established the full autonomy of the congregation and ensured its equality before the law with the Orthodox congregations.
Across the Atlantic, by 1873 sufficient Reform congregations had emerged to organize as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC). Shortly after, in 1875, the Hebrew Union College was establish to improve the quality of rabbis in the US.
As in Europe, there were significant disagreements among the reformers over the role of tradition. In 1883 a banquet was planned to celebrate the first graduating class of rabbis from Hebrew Union College The more radical element planned the banquet with a menu containing shrimp. Known as the "Trefa Banquet," (trefa refering to non-kosher food) this event intensified the conflict between the radical and conservative reformers.[4] The conflict further intensified in 1885 when a fierce debate broke out between Kaufmann Kohler and Alexander Kohut over the nature of reform.
In response to debate, Kohler called a conference of reform-minded rabbis in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Isaac Mayer Wise, the rabbinical head of Hebrew Union College, presided. The conference produced the Pittsburg Platform and led to a formal organizational split between those more and less conservative.[5] In 1887 a separate rabbinical school, the Jewish Theological Seminary was founded, which would become the intellectual center of Conservative Judaism. In 1889, the more liberal rabbis organized under the banner of the Central Conference of American Rabbis.
Twentieth century
Around the turn of the century, the European reform movement gained new steam organizationally. In Germany, rabbis and followers organized under the banner of Liberal Judaism. Meanwhile, inspired largely by Claude Montefiore, Lily Montagu spearheaded reform efforts in Great Britain. Around 1902, following liturgical changes and debates, they formed the Jewish Religious Union in London. Liberal Judaism steadily gained adherents after the founding in 1911 of the Liberal Jewish synagogue, the first of more than thirty Liberal congregations in the UK. At the same time, reform-minded French Jews established the Union Liberale Israelite, which was criticized as a revolutionary schism.
In 1926, representatives from the U.S. and Europe convened the first international conference for the Reform movement in Judaism and formed World Union for Progressive Judaism. With British and then American leadership, the WUPJ spread the reform movement to many countries, most notably Palestine, to which the WUPJ headquarters were relocated.
In the United States, the Reform movement grew significantly through the Union of American Hebrew Congregations and its affiliates. In 1922, Reform Rabbi Stephen S. Wise established the Jewish Institute of Religion in New York, which merged with Hebrew Union College in 1950. Other centers were opened in Los Angeles (1954) and Jerusalem (1963).
On policy matters, the American Reform movement has had a number of official platforms. The Columbus platform was written in 1937 by the Reform movement's Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR). The CCAR rewrote its principles in 1976 with its Centenary Perspective and revised them again in the 1999 A Statement of Principles for Reform Judaism. According to the CCAR, personal autonomy still has precedence over these platforms. In 1983, the Central Conference of American Rabbis took one of its most controversial stands and formally affirmed that a Jewish identity can be passed down through either the mother or the father, if the child is raised with a Jewish identity.
Reform Judaism in North America
Reform Judaism is one of the two North American denominations affiliated with the Progressive Movement. It is the largest denomination of American Jews today.
Reform Judaism in Britain
UK Reform is one of two Progressive movements in the UK. For details on the relationship between the two progressive movements, see Progressive Judaism (United Kingdom).
Progressive Judaism in Israel
After a failed attempt in the 1930s to start an Israeli movement, the World Union for Progressive Judaism tried again in the 1970s and created the movement now known as the Israeli Progressive Movement. Because the first rabbis in the 1970s were trained in the United States, the Israeli press and public often refers to the Israeli Progressive Movement as "Reform."
Reform movement in Judaism
Along with other forms of non-orthodox Judaism, the US Reform, UK Reform, and Israeli Progressive Movement can all trace their intellectual roots to the Reform movement in Judaism.[6] [7][8]Elements of Orthodoxy developed their cohesive identity in reaction to the Reform movement in Judaism.[7]
Although US Reform, UK Reform, and Israeli Progressive Judaism all share an intellectual heritage, they have taken places at different ends of the non-orthodox spectrum. The US Reform movement reflects the more radical end. The UK Reform[9][10][11] and Progressive Israeli movements[12], along with the US Conservative movement and Masorti Judaism, occupy the more conservative end of the non-orthodox Judaisms.
Notes
- ↑ Meyer, Michael A. Response to Modernity: A History of the Reform Movement in Judaism. Studies in Jewish history. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988. ISBN 019505167X
- ↑ Meyer, p. 162
- ↑ Meyer, p. 162f.
- ↑ The "Trefa Banquet" and the End of a Dream in Michael Feldberg (ed.), Blessings of Freedom: Chapters in American Jewish History, The American Jewish Historical Society / KTAV, 2002. ISBN 0881257567. Chapter 5.7 (or #52 online). Accessed November 2, 2007
- ↑ Meyer, Response to Modernity, 268
- ↑ Louis Jacobs, "The Emergence of Modern Denominationalism I: Modernization and its discontents: the Jewish Enlightenment and the emergence of the Reform movement", from The Jewish Religion: A Companion, Oxford University Press, 1995. ISBN 0198264631 Retrieved November 28, 2007.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Louis Jacobs, "The Emergence of Modern Denominationalism II: The development of Orthodox, Conservative, and Reconstructionist Judaism", from The Jewish Religion: A Companion, Oxford University Press, 1995. ISBN 0198264631 Retrieved November 28, 2007.
- ↑ Meyer, A Response to Modernity, viii.
- ↑ Adam Langleben, URJ. "What is Progressive Judaism in Great Britain all about? What is it like to be Jewish in Great Britain? How is it different from being Jewish in North America?" iTorah. Retrieved November 28, 2007.
- ↑ Usenet FAQ. "How is Reform Judaism structured in the rest of the world?" Retrieved November 28, 2007.
- ↑ Judaism 101: Movements of Judaism Retrieved November 28, 2007.
- ↑ IMPJ. "Progressive Judaism in Israel", reform.org. Retrieved November 28, 2007.
External links
All links Retrieved November 28, 2007.
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