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Author : Eugene B. Borowitz
Publisher : Behrman House, Inc
Page : 196 pages
File Size : 50,6 Mb
Release : 1985
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN : 087441394X
Presents the history and theology of the Jewish Reform movement.
Author : Behrman House
Publisher : Behrman House Publishing
Page : 100 pages
File Size : 41,8 Mb
Release : 1986
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN : 0874414482
Provocative diary entries and activities form a personal statement of students' pride in their identity.
Author : Dana Evan Kaplan
Publisher : U of Nebraska Press
Page : 449 pages
File Size : 55,7 Mb
Release : 2020-04-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780827614314
This is the book that American Jews and particularly American Reform Jews have been waiting for: a clear and informed call for further reform in the Reform movement. In light of profound demographic, social, and technological developments, it has become increasingly clear that the Reform movement will need to make major changes to meet the needs of a quickly evolving American Jewish population. Younger Americans in particular differ from previous generations in how they relate to organized religion, often preferring to network through virtual groups or gather in informal settings of their own choosing. Dana Evan Kaplan, an American Reform Jew and pulpit rabbi, argues that rather than focusing on the importance of loyalty to community, Reform Judaism must determine how to engage the individual in a search for existential meaning. It should move us toward a critical scholarly understanding of the Hebrew Bible, that we may emerge with the perspectives required by a postmodern world. Such a Reform Judaism can at once help us understand how the ancient world molded our most cherished religious traditions and guide us in addressing the increasingly complex social problems of our day.
Author : Jonathan A. Romain
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 324 pages
File Size : 55,8 Mb
Release : 2004
Category : Religion
ISBN : STANFORD:36105115106929
Designed specifically with students in mind, the text contains pedagogical features and referencing to assist the reader. Never before published critical Jewish writings included with the additional benefit of contextualisation and commentary from a leading authority in the field. The themes are traced through the writings of prominent Reform rabbis from 1840 till today as they wrestle with major questions of faith and modernity. 'Jonathan Romain celebrates difference with clarity, conviction and understanding. It is an instructive voyage of religious discovery' - from the Preface by Sir Martin Gilbert Reform. Judaism is one of the most dynamic forces in the Jewish world. It dominates American Jewry, is bridging gaps in secular Jewish communities in Israel and occupies a leading place in the religious life of Britain today. It is instrumental in the rejuvenation of Jews within the former Soviet Union and in Europe it has helped to rekindle the embers of Jewish communities devastated by the Holocaust. And yet books offering access to Reform Judaism material and original sources are distinctly rare. Reform Judaism and Modernity: A Reader therefore is a unique opportunity for students of Reform Judaism, and those with a general interest in Judaism, to enjoy fully the wide range of writings that are here presented as the essence of Reform Judaism. Preface by Sir Martin Gilbert Introduction Historical Overview Notes on the Text Acknowledgements 1 Afterlife 2 Animals (and the Environment) 3 Anti-semitism 4 Bible 5 Business Ethics 6 Charity 7 Christianity 8 Commandment and Jewish Law 9 Conversion 10 Dialogue (Inter-faith) 11 Ethical Life 12 Evil and Sin 13 God 14 Holocaust 15 Individuals 16 Israel 17 Judaism 18 Messiah 19 Mission 20 Peace 21 Reform Judaism 22 Social Action 23 Jews in Society 24 Suffering 25 Women 26 Worship Biographical Notes Glossary Bibliography About the Author: Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain is a writer and broadcaster and serves as minister of the Maidenhead Synagogue in Berkshire. He is a prominent member of the Reform Jewish Community in Britain and is author of a number of books in the area of Reform Judaism.
Author : Mark Washofsky
Publisher : CCAR Press
Page : 312 pages
File Size : 45,8 Mb
Release : 2024-03-04
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780881236446
The responsa literature, in which rabbis answer questions about halachah (Jewish law), is a vast treasury reaching back nearly fifteen centuries; Reform rabbis have been writing responsa since the 1800s. In Reading Reform Responsa, Rabbi Mark Washofsky, PhD, presents a deep dive into this literature, boldly arguing that Reform Judaism is indeed a movement fundamentally based on halachah. By inviting and guiding readers to understand Reform responsa with a critical eye, he shows that our movement has always been informed by Jewish law as well as Reform history. A teacher and mentor of generations of students at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, Rabbi Washofsky gives us a peek inside his classroom, making Reform responsa—and their history, framing, and context—engaging and accessible for all. Dr. Washofsky masterfully demonstrates the centrality of responsa for the continued vitality of Reform as an authentic stream of contemporary Judaism. Addressing himself to the everyday Jew-in-the-pew, he explains what halachah is, what responsa are, and what makes "Reform responsa" distinctive. ... More importantly, he draws on his expertise as a scholar both of our tradition and of legal and literary theory to teach the non-specialist reader to become a critical reader of responsa. —From the foreword by Rabbi Joan S. Friedman, PhD, Chair, CCAR Responsa Committee Rabbi Washofsky gifts us with a series of informed and sensitive discussions of how Reform Jews should think about and act on specific moral and ritual issues. In doing so, he graphically demonstrates that Reform Judaism's emphasis on personal autonomy is complemented by its insistence that Jewish tradition must play a role in individuals' choices if these decisions are to be not just one's own opinion, but also a recognizably Jewish one. —Rabbi Elliot Dorff, PhD, Past Chair, Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, Rabbinical Assembly Rabbi Mark Washofsky offers us a fascinating entry into and analysis of the Reform Movement's engagement with Jewish law, practice, and values. Where responsa analyze the issues and concerns implicit in a question of immediate practicality posed to a Jewish legal authority, Washofsky analyzes the body of over 1,300 Reform responsa promulgated since the early nineteenth century, pointing out the intellectual and ethical approaches employed, as well as the traditional, philosophical, and scientific resources marshalled to arrive at a persuasive answer. A wonderful read in its own right, this book provides an insider's look at modern liberal Jewish religious thought in action. —Rabbi Amy Scheinerman, author of The Talmud of Relationships Drawing on his deep mastery of classical halachic literature, Reform religious culture, and modern secular legal theory, Mark Washofsky offers insightful and compelling analyses of some of the Reform Movement's most important responsa. Washofsky's special ability to combine rigorous scholarship with his characteristic dry humor, engaging storytelling, and accessible writing style makes Reading Reform Responsa an essential study companion for anyone---clergy, academics, and laypeople alike---who is interested in learning or teaching Reform Judaism's rich tradition of halachic discourse. By inviting the reader to be not just an observer but also a participant in the reasoning and argumentation of responsa, Washofsky teaches us what it means to think halachically in a uniquely Reform way. —Rabbi A. Brian Stoller, Senior Rabbi, Temple Beth-El of Great Neck, NY Those curious about the tradition of responsa in the Reform tradition, or merely about the intersection of Jewish law and modern life, will find much here of interest. A substantial but accessible guide to reading and applying Reform responsa. —Kirkus Reviews
Author : Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan, PhD
Publisher : CCAR Press
Page : 656 pages
File Size : 54,9 Mb
Release : 2017-11-28
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780881233148
Reform Judaism is constantly evolving as we continue to seek a faith that is in harmony with our beliefs and experiences. This volume offers readers a thought-provoking collection of essays by rabbis, cantors, and other scholars who differ, sometimes passionately, over religious practice, experience, and belief. Its goal is to situate Judaism in a contemporary context, and it is uniquely suited for community discussion as well as study groups.
Author : Central Conference of American Rabbis
Publisher : CCAR Press
Page : 436 pages
File Size : 50,9 Mb
Release : 1997
Category : Religion
ISBN : 0881230715
With a blend of the old and new, traditional and modern Reform principles, Rabbis Plaut and Washofsky elucidate issues of the history and practice of Reform Jews. Topics range from synagogue matters to personal life; from guns on temple property to genome research; from private ordinations to apostasy. Topics also include the role of a humanistic congregation in the Reform Movement and the participation of Gentiles in Jewish worship. This is the latest volume in the vast collection of Reform Responsa from the CCAR.
Author : W. Gunther Plaut,Jacob K. Shankman,Howard A. Berman
Publisher : U of Nebraska Press
Page : 488 pages
File Size : 53,7 Mb
Release : 2015-10
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780827612815
This fiftieth anniversary edition of W. Gunther Plaut's classic second volume on the history of the Jewish Reform Movement is a sourcebook of the original writings that shaped the second century of organized liberal Judaism. The Growth of Reform Judaism features a new introduction, a new epilogue, and important additional primary sources documenting the profound changes of the last fifty years. Although the emphasis in this volume is chiefly on the American scene, where the movement had its most notable advances, selections of representative liberal Jewish thought in Europe and to a lesser degree in Israel are included as well. These selections help us to understand the emergence and character, problems and tensions of Reform Judaism as it developed and grew in modern times. In addition to the primary texts new to this edition, David Ellenson's epilogue considers the developments of the last fifty years that have continued to shape the course of Reform Judaism.
Author : Daniel B. Syme,Rabbi Daniel B Syme, PH.D.
Publisher : Plume Books
Page : 264 pages
File Size : 52,8 Mb
Release : 1992
Category : Religion
ISBN : PSU:000032460735
This fresh and compelling work traces the history of the Reform movement from the author's unique perspective, telling how generations of his family have been intimately involved with the movement's flowering in the United States and Canada. . . . an intimate picture of the development and growth of American Reform Judiasm.--Library Journal.
Author : W. Gunther Plaut
Publisher : U of Nebraska Press
Page : 424 pages
File Size : 47,9 Mb
Release : 2015-10
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780827612792
This fiftieth anniversary edition of W. Gunther Plaut's classic volume on the beginnings of the Jewish Reform Movement is updated with a new introduction by Howard A. Berman. The Rise of Reform Judaism covers the first one hundred years of the movement, from the time of the eighteenth-century Jewish Enlightenment leader Moses Mendelssohn to the conclusion of the Augsburg synod in 1871. In these pages the founders who established liberal Judaism speak for themselves through their journals and pamphlets, books and sermons, petitions and resolutions, and public arguments and disputations. Each selection includes Plaut's brief introduction and sketch of the reformer. Important topics within Judaism are addressed in these writings: philosophy and theology, religious practice, synagogue services, and personal life, as well as controversies on the permissibility of organ music, the introduction of the sermon, the nature of circumcision, the observance of the Sabbath, the rights of women, and the authenticity of the Bible.
Author : William B. Silverman
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 320 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 1970
Category : Religion
ISBN : UCAL:B3938114
Author : Lawrence A. Hoffman
Publisher : Jewish Lights Publishing
Page : 306 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 2012
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781580236126
A comprehensive series of lively introductions and commentaries examines the history of confession in Judaism, its roots in the Bible, its evolution in rabbinic and modern thought, and the very nature of confession today.
Author : Dana Evan Kaplan
Publisher : Rutgers University Press
Page : 314 pages
File Size : 48,5 Mb
Release : 2003-04-29
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9780813542485
The only comprehensive and up-to-date look at Reform Judaism, this book analyzes the forces currently challenging the Reform movement, now the largest Jewish denomination in the United States. To distinguish itself from Orthodox and Conservative Judaism, the Reform movement tries to be an egalitarian, open, and innovative version of the faith true to the spirit of the tradition but nonetheless fully compatible with modern secular life. Promoting itself in this way, Reform Judaism has been tremendously successful in recruiting a variety of people—intermarried families, feminists, gays and lesbians, and interracial families among others—who resist more traditional forms of worship. As an unintended result of this success, the movement now struggles with an identity crisis brought on by its liberal theology, which teaches that each Jew is free to practice Judaism more or less as he or she pleases. In the absence of the authority that comes from a theology based on a commanding, all-powerful God, can Reform Judaism continue to thrive? Can it be broadly inclusive and still be uniquely and authentically Jewish? Taking this question as his point of departure, Dana Evan Kaplan provides a broad overview of the American Reform movement and its history, theology, and politics. He then takes a hard look at the challenges the movement faces as it attempts to reinvent itself in the new millennium. In so doing, Kaplan gives the reader a sense of where Reform Judaism has come from, where it stands on the major issues, and where it may be going. Addressing the issues that have confronted the movement—including the ordination of women, acceptance of homosexuality, the problem of assimilation, the question of rabbinic officiation at intermarriages, the struggle for acceptance in Israel, and Jewish education and others—Kaplan sheds light on the connection between Reform ideology and cultural realities. He unflinchingly, yet optimistically, assesses the movement’s future and cautions that stormy weather may be ahead.
Author : Michael A. Meyer
Publisher : Wayne State University Press
Page : 518 pages
File Size : 43,6 Mb
Release : 1995
Category : Religion
ISBN : 0814325556
Reform Judaism is today one of the three major branches of the Jewish faith. This is a history of the Reform movement, tracing its changing configuration and self-understanding from the beginnings of modernisation in late 18th-century Jewish thought and practice to American renewal in the 1970s.
Author : Ammiel Hirsch,Yaakov Yosef Reinman
Publisher : Schocken
Page : 336 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 2009-09-09
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780307489098
After being introduced by a mutual friend in the winter of 2000, Reform Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch and Orthodox Rabbi Yosef Reinman embarked on an unprecedented eighteen-month e-mail correspondence on the fundamental principles of Jewish faith and practice. What resulted is this book: an honest, intelligent, no-holds-barred discussion of virtually every “hot button” issue on which Reform and Orthodox Jews differ, among them the existence of a Supreme Being, the origins and authenticity of the Bible and the Oral Law, the role of women, assimilation, the value of secular culture, and Israel. Sometimes they agree; more often than not they disagree—and quite sharply, too. But the important thing is that, as they keep talking to each other, they discover that they actually like each other, and, above all, they respect each other. Their journey from mutual suspicion to mutual regard is an extraordinary one; from it, both Jews and non-Jews of all backgrounds can learn a great deal about the practice of Judaism today and about the continuity of the Jewish people into the future.