Reform Judaism

Reform Judaism refers to the spectrum of beliefs, practices and organizational infrastructure associated with Reform Judaism in North America and in the United Kingdom. [Meyer, Michael. "Response to Modernity: A History of the Reform Movement in Judaism" (New York, USA: Oxford University Press, 1988), viii. "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." Note: in the remainder of his book Meyer is quite specific about where he uses the phrase "Reform Judaism"—it is used only in connection with the U.S. Reform (pp.227–334, 353–384) and UK Reform (p. 347) denominations.] The term also may refer to the Israeli Progressive Movement, the worldwide Progressive movement, the Reform movement in Judaism, and the magazine "Reform Judaism".

Reform Judaism in North America

Reform Judaism is one of the two North American denominations affiliated with the World Union for Progressive Judaism. It is the largest denomination of American Jews today. [Bob Abernathy, [http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week238/cover.html "Reform Judaism"] , Public Broadcasting Service, May 1999.] [Matthew Wagner and Greer Fay-Cashman, [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1150355533367&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull "Reform rabbis offended by Katsav"] , Jerusalem Post, June 2006.] With an estimated 1.1 million members, it also accounts for the largest number of Jews affiliated with Progressive Judaism worldwide.

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.Louis Jacobs, [http://www.myjewishlearning.com/history_community/Modern/ModernReligionCulture/Emergence.htm 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] Louis Jacobs, [http://www.myjewishlearning.com/history_community/Modern/ModernReligionCulture/MoreEmergence.htm 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] [Meyer, "Response to Modernity", viii] Elements of Orthodoxy developed their cohesive identity in reaction to the Reform movement in Judaism.

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 [ [http://urj.org/Articles/index.cfm?id=14957&pge_prg_id=26565 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? "] ] [ [http://www.faqs.org/faqs/judaism/FAQ/10-Reform/section-6.html Usenet FAQ. "How is Reform Judaism structured in the rest of the world?"] ] [ [http://www.jewfaq.org/movement.htm Judaism 101:Movements of Judaism] ] and Progressive Israeli movements, [ [http://www.reform.org.il/Eng/About/ProgressiveJudaismInIsrael.asp IMPJ. "Progressive Judaism in Israel"] ] along with the US Conservative movement and
Masorti Judaism, occupy the more conservative end of the non-orthodox Judaisms.

ee also

*Beliefs and practices in Progressive Judaism, for more about the platforms of the different denominations of Reform Judaism

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.shamash.org/lists/scj-faq/HTML/faq/18-index.html Reform Judaism FAQ]
* [http://www.shamash.org/lists/scj-faq/HTML/rl/jlu-index.html Reform Judaism readinglist]
*http://www.shamash.org/lists/scj-faq/HTML/faq/02-05.html
* [http://www.wupj.org/ World Union for Progressive Judaism]