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What is Reconstructionist Judaism?
There's More Than One Way to Pray...
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.
While deeply connected to the historical experience of the Jewish people, we find a profound sense of belonging in our contemporary communities as well. We find meaning in rediscovering the richness of traditional ritual and creating observances which respond to our contemporary communal and personal cycles.
Jewish Reconstructionist communities are characterized by their respect for the core values of democratic process, pluralism, and accessibility. In this way, we create participatory, inclusive, egalitarian communities committed to exploring Jewish life with dedication, warmth and enthusiasm.
While deeply connected to the historical experience of the Jewish people, we find a profound sense of belonging in our contemporary communities as well. We find meaning in rediscovering the richness of traditional ritual and creating observances which respond to our contemporary communal and personal cycles.
Jewish Reconstructionist communities are characterized by their respect for the core values of democratic process, pluralism, and accessibility. In this way, we create participatory, inclusive, egalitarian communities committed to exploring Jewish life with dedication, warmth and enthusiasm.
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.
Judaism as the Culture of the Jewish People
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.
Community as Cornerstone
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.
As we come to know ourselves as part of a community and create our own patterns of religious living, we create the context in which to join the spiritual quest that is so important in our time. In moments of prayer, song, social action and story we experience the reality of God, and we join in study and discussion where searching is as central as finding.
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. (back to top)
Finding Holiness
Every religion tells its own story as a sacred story; Jewish tradition is no different. In its classical texts, Judaism presents itself as originating in the revelation of God to the Jewish people at Mt. Sinai. The contemporary historical study of religions and cultures teaches us that they are better understood as a natural part of the experiences of communities that seek to live by sacred values and practices.
Reconstructionist Jews thus understand Judaism to be the outcome of the religious experience of the Jewish people in their search for meaning and sacred living throughout history rather than revelation from a supernatural God. Put differently, Reconstructionists see Jewish tradition, culture, and religion as having grown "from the ground up" instead of from the "[mountain-]top down."
Understanding Judaism as having been created by the Jewish people does not make it less sacred to us. Knowing that Jewish tradition has undergone a long period of development, change and adaptation does not weaken its claim on our lives, but rather can strengthen our connection to our tradition. We hear in that tradition the voices of generations of Jews who sought to record their deepest values, most profound religious insights, and highest hopes. While Reconstructionists do not take the Torah literally, we do take it seriously as a record of our ancestors= search for moral principles and spiritual practices that can help us become fully human.
Patterns of Practice
"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.
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.
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.
We encourage individual Jews through study and exploration of Jewish tradition to find their own place along the spectrum of observance. This approach is woven through the Guide to Mourning earlier in this volume. Explanations, options and recommendations are presented so that the resources of Jewish tradition can provide support and meaning to mourners, even as it is acknowledged that differing individual and family circumstances will shape different patterns of observance. (back to top)
Spiritual Seeking
We live in an age of spiritual seeking, a time in which the search for transcendent values and deeper meanings invites many of us back to our own religious traditions, to rediscover the rich insights of those who came before us on the spiritual journey. Reconstructionist Judaism has always been open to new approaches to thinking about God, to alternative ways of experiencing the Divine in our lives, and to honest wrestling with the inherited insights of our ancestors.
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.
Reconstructionist prayerbooks such as this one 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.
Ethics and Values
In a time of wide debate about values, morals and ethics, religion is often assumed to have answers for any and every situation. But as we come to know the variety of cultures and religions that exist on our small planet, we come to know that the discovery of eternal teachings arises from the respectful exchange of perspectives and ideas among people -- not from authoritarian assertions of the truth or the primacy of one religion or one religious community over another. It is in this context that we see ourselves as having an obligation to social justice and doing the work of tikkun olam, improving our world. Reconstructionist communities emphasize such 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. (back to top)
The Place of Community
The centrality of contemporary religious community cannot be overestimated. In an age of rapid communication, personal and professional mobility, intellectual excitement and cross-cultural exchange, there is a need for connection, conviction and commitment. For Jews, the congregation or havurah provides a primary community through which we can connect to other Jews, to the inherited richness of Jewish culture, and to the religious resources of Jewish religion. To engage us as fully as possible, Reconstructionist communities emphasize participation and inclusivity.
Especially in moments of the life cycle, such as times of death and mourning, we want to be able to count on our communities to provide connection and comfort. Reconstructionists take seriously the imperative of the Talmud, "Do not separate yourself from the community." We strive to create covenantal communities, in which individuals faithfully support one another and respond to individual needs.
Building the Future
Reconstructionist Jews have strong commitments both to tradition and to the search for contemporary meaning. We are engaged in the ongoing task of building a relationship to our Judaism that is faithful to the past and relevant to the present. We want to create a Judaism for our day that is richly traditional, spiritually alive, and intellectually honest. We encourage contemporary Jews to enhance their own Jewish lives by reclaiming our shared heritage and becoming active participants in the building of the Jewish future.
Who is a Reconstructionist Jew?
A Reconstructionist Jew has strong commitments both to tradition and to the search for contemporary meaning. Reconstructionists encourage all Jews to enhance their own lives by reclaiming our shared heritage and becoming active participants in the building of the Jewish future. (back to top)
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.
Judaism as the Culture of the Jewish People
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.
Community as Cornerstone
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.
As we come to know ourselves as part of a community and create our own patterns of religious living, we create the context in which to join the spiritual quest that is so important in our time. In moments of prayer, song, social action and story we experience the reality of God, and we join in study and discussion where searching is as central as finding.
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. (back to top)
Finding Holiness
Every religion tells its own story as a sacred story; Jewish tradition is no different. In its classical texts, Judaism presents itself as originating in the revelation of God to the Jewish people at Mt. Sinai. The contemporary historical study of religions and cultures teaches us that they are better understood as a natural part of the experiences of communities that seek to live by sacred values and practices.
Reconstructionist Jews thus understand Judaism to be the outcome of the religious experience of the Jewish people in their search for meaning and sacred living throughout history rather than revelation from a supernatural God. Put differently, Reconstructionists see Jewish tradition, culture, and religion as having grown "from the ground up" instead of from the "[mountain-]top down."
Understanding Judaism as having been created by the Jewish people does not make it less sacred to us. Knowing that Jewish tradition has undergone a long period of development, change and adaptation does not weaken its claim on our lives, but rather can strengthen our connection to our tradition. We hear in that tradition the voices of generations of Jews who sought to record their deepest values, most profound religious insights, and highest hopes. While Reconstructionists do not take the Torah literally, we do take it seriously as a record of our ancestors= search for moral principles and spiritual practices that can help us become fully human.
Patterns of Practice
"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.
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.
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.
We encourage individual Jews through study and exploration of Jewish tradition to find their own place along the spectrum of observance. This approach is woven through the Guide to Mourning earlier in this volume. Explanations, options and recommendations are presented so that the resources of Jewish tradition can provide support and meaning to mourners, even as it is acknowledged that differing individual and family circumstances will shape different patterns of observance. (back to top)
Spiritual Seeking
We live in an age of spiritual seeking, a time in which the search for transcendent values and deeper meanings invites many of us back to our own religious traditions, to rediscover the rich insights of those who came before us on the spiritual journey. Reconstructionist Judaism has always been open to new approaches to thinking about God, to alternative ways of experiencing the Divine in our lives, and to honest wrestling with the inherited insights of our ancestors.
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.
Reconstructionist prayerbooks such as this one 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.
Ethics and Values
In a time of wide debate about values, morals and ethics, religion is often assumed to have answers for any and every situation. But as we come to know the variety of cultures and religions that exist on our small planet, we come to know that the discovery of eternal teachings arises from the respectful exchange of perspectives and ideas among people -- not from authoritarian assertions of the truth or the primacy of one religion or one religious community over another. It is in this context that we see ourselves as having an obligation to social justice and doing the work of tikkun olam, improving our world. Reconstructionist communities emphasize such 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. (back to top)
The Place of Community
The centrality of contemporary religious community cannot be overestimated. In an age of rapid communication, personal and professional mobility, intellectual excitement and cross-cultural exchange, there is a need for connection, conviction and commitment. For Jews, the congregation or havurah provides a primary community through which we can connect to other Jews, to the inherited richness of Jewish culture, and to the religious resources of Jewish religion. To engage us as fully as possible, Reconstructionist communities emphasize participation and inclusivity.
Especially in moments of the life cycle, such as times of death and mourning, we want to be able to count on our communities to provide connection and comfort. Reconstructionists take seriously the imperative of the Talmud, "Do not separate yourself from the community." We strive to create covenantal communities, in which individuals faithfully support one another and respond to individual needs.
Building the Future
Reconstructionist Jews have strong commitments both to tradition and to the search for contemporary meaning. We are engaged in the ongoing task of building a relationship to our Judaism that is faithful to the past and relevant to the present. We want to create a Judaism for our day that is richly traditional, spiritually alive, and intellectually honest. We encourage contemporary Jews to enhance their own Jewish lives by reclaiming our shared heritage and becoming active participants in the building of the Jewish future.
Who is a Reconstructionist Jew?
A Reconstructionist Jew has strong commitments both to tradition and to the search for contemporary meaning. Reconstructionists encourage all Jews to enhance their own lives by reclaiming our shared heritage and becoming active participants in the building of the Jewish future. (back to top)
The evolving religious civilization of the Jewish people
Reconstructionists define Judaism as the evolving religious civilization of the Jewish people.
By evolving we mean that Judaism has changed over the centuries of its existence. The faith of the ancient Israelites in the days of Solomon's Temple was not the same as that of the early rabbis. And neither of those faiths was the same as that of our more recent European ancestors. Each generation of Jews has subtly reshaped the faith and traditions of the Jewish people. Reconstructionist Jews seek to nurture this evolution. We see it as the lifeblood of Judaism, the power that allows Judaism to continue as a dynamic tradition in every age.
By religious we mean that Judaism is the means by which we conduct our search for ultimate meaning in life. God is the source of meaning. We struggle, to be sure, with doubts and uncertainties.
Reconstructionists affirm that struggle; we believe it is the duty of all Jews to question and to study in order to find unique paths to the divine. We believe in a God who inhabits this world and especially the human heart. God is the source of our generosity, sensitivity and concern for the world around us. God is also the power within us that urges us toward self-fulfillment and ethical behavior. We find God when we look for meaning in the world, when we are motivated toward study and when we work to realize the goals of morality and social justice.
By civilization we mean that Judaism is more than a religion. The Jewish people share historical memory and historical destiny. Judaism includes a commitment to our ancient homeland and language. We share a love for Jewish culture, Jewish morality and Jewish philosophy. We are heirs to a rich legacy of literary and artistic achievement, of laughter and tears, a legacy which continues to grow in our day.
By the Jewish people we mean that all Jews, whether by birth or by choice, are members of the extended Jewish family. We recognize a diversity of Jewish religious ideology and practice and seek to join with other Jews in accepting that diversity while working toward a share vision of Jewish peoplehood. The Reconstructionist philosophy affirms the uniqueness of the Jewish people and its heritage among the peoples of the world. However, our affirmation of Judaism's uniqueness implies no sense of superiority over others. Reconstructionists believe that all peoples are called to the service of righteousness, and we welcome dialogue with people of good will from all traditions. (back to top)
The past has a vote, not a veto
The starting point of Reconstructionism is our quest to understand the historical and spiritual experience of the Jewish people. We believe "the past has a vote." Therefore we struggle to hear the voices of our ancestors and listen to their claim on us. What did this custom or that idea mean to them? How did they see the presence of God in it? How can we retain or regain its importance in our own lives? We believe "the past does not have a veto." Therefore we struggle to hear our own voices as distinct from theirs. What might this custom or that idea mean to us today? what might we borrow from this custom to create a new tradition that is more significant for us today. When a particular Jewish value or custom is found wanting, it is our obligation as Jews to find a means to reconstruct it - to find new meanings in old forms or to develop more meaningful, innovative practices.
A vital, contemporary Judaism must respond fully to the changes in modern Jewish history: the Holocaust, renewed Jewish statehood, new and different family structures, the evolving relationships of men and women, as well as the role of religion in a universe threatened by both ecological and nuclear disaster. Only a combination of searching, questioning, and self understanding within the Jewish tradition will create a Judaism that speaks convincingly to the contemporary Jew.
What makes a Reconstructionist Jewish community unique?
Orthodox Judaism has about it a seriousness and level of devotion that are truly admirable. We seek to retain that seriousness. Unlike Orthodoxy, Reconstructionism does not view Judaism as a total and immutable revelation from God to Moses at Sinai that is essentially unchanged through all generations. We see Judaism as the ever-evolving product of history, an ongoing attempt to forge a society based on holy values.
Conservative Judaism has made significant contributions to Jewish life in the realms of education and scholarship. While we support this effort, Reconstructionism diverges from Conservative Judaism in terms of priorities. We believe that the basic tenets of Judaism need to be re-examined and restated for our age. We see this as a more pressing priority than the particulars of Jewish law. Jews need to know why they should be Jewish at all before they worry about how to change details of observance. Concerning observance, we differ specifically on the issue of how far one may go in amending Jewish law and who has the right to be involved in that process. We believe that rabbis and scholars should work together with committed lay members of the Jewish community formulating guides to Jewish practice for our time. These guides should reflect a desire to protect and preserve tradition as well as an openness to creativity and evolution as we face a new age in Jewish society.
Reform Judaism emphasizes the centrality of the prophetic tradition and insists that standards of ethical monotheism be applied universally. We Reconstructionists affirm this emphasis and share in its commitment. Reconstructionism differs from Reform Judaism, however, concerning how much of the tradition needs to be preserved. Reconstructionists encourage Jews to give honest consideration to a wider range of traditional practice. We believe that Judaism is more than ethical monotheism. Judaism is the historic, unique and most satisfying way by which the Jewish people can find ongoing meaning in the great moments in our history and the special moments in our individual lives. Through Judaism, we dedicate ourselves to universal spiritual values that transcend any one individual, society or nation. (back to top)
Israel: the cradle of Jewish civilization in partnership with the Diaspora -- Recognizing Judaism as the civilization of the Jewish people
Reconstructionists affirm the attachment of our people to the Land of Israel - the site of our origins and the focus of our hope through the millennia. From its inception, Reconstructionism has been a Zionist movement. We are firmly committed to the building of the State of Israel and the establishment of a just and humane Jewish society there. We consider the Jewish national rebirth centered in Israel to be the greater accomplishment of the Jewish people in our century and encourage all Jews to develop their ties with the State of Israel. We emphasize the importance of visiting Israel, and we commend those Jews who commit their lives, through aliyah, to the rebuilding of our people's homeland.
While our support for Israel is unconditional, a variety of opinion exists within the Reconstructionist movement with regard to specific policies of the Israeli government. We are united in supporting efforts by the World Union for Progressive Judaism (with which we are affiliated) and others who work to strengthen religious freedom in Israel and to make Israel a religious home for all Jews.
At the same time, we believe that Diaspora communities, particularly those as strong as the ones in North America, are important centers of Jewish learning and cultural growth. Israel along serves as a laboratory for the creation of a fully Jewish society. But where Jews thrive as citizens in multi-ethnic societies, Jewish ideals can be integrated with the highest values of contemporary civilization in unique and important ways. We look forward, as Israel matures as a society and achieves peace and stability, to a more properly balanced relationship between Israel and the Diaspora. We believe that through mutual respect and cultural exchange, these two forms of Jewish living can enrich one another.
Living in two civilizations: a commitment to social justice and personal ethics
Jews who now find themselves in democratic societies live primarily in a secular civilization - governed by non-Jewish legislatures and courts, speaking non-Jewish languages, singing popular music, working in secular environments with non-Jews, learning in non-Jewish schools, and structuring their lives according to accepted Western values. Reconstructionists call upon Jews to embrace this open, democratic society - not only because its structural pluralism does not require the abandonment of Judaism, but also because American ideal at their best coincide with Jewish ideals as they ought to be developed and reconstructed.
We have much to gain by incorporating contemporary mores into the Jewish civilization - with regard to the role of women, respect for individual liberties, and acceptance of cultural pluralism. Just as we seek to democratize the Jewish community, so also do we recognize the need to bring the insights of Jewish tradition to bear upon the issues that secular society confronts. Religious values coupled with ethical action have always influenced the evolution of North American society. The voice of Jewish tradition has been prominent among those seeking social reform. In recent years, the role of religion in society has been enhanced by the leading role that clergy and religiously committed individuals have taken in movements for racial justice, the elimination of poverty, and the pursuit of peace.
Reconstructionists support these efforts and participate actively in using religious tradition as a positive force for social change. We believe that Jews today are heirs to the prophets as well as to many generations of rabbis. We applaud the application of prophetic values of justice and compassion to all segments of our society. At the same time, we do not maintain that authentic Jews must adopt one political view to the exclusion of all others. Rather, we suggest that both the Jewish community and secular society have much to gain when committed Jews study their tradition in order to apply its insights to contemporary issues.
Within the realm of social action, the Reconstructionist movement works actively in several areas including international conflict resolution, hunger and civil rights. It has committed itself in particular to issues concerned with the environment. As we Jews concern ourselves with the spiritual and cultural legacy that we leave to future generations, we must also commit ourselves fully to such legacies as clean air, pure water and unpolluted soil. Personal as well as social ethics are an integral feature of Reconstructionist Judaism.
We affirm the centrality of ethical behavior in our lives and insist that traditional religious behavior, when not accompanied by the highest ethical standards, becomes a desecration of Judaism. We challenge our own communities to reach for the highest application of ethical standards. (back to top)
Belonging to a democratic Jewish community in a post-Halakhic age
If halakhah is defined as the Jewish process of celebrating, creating and transmitting tradition, Reconstructionist Jewish communities would certainly fit within the framework of halakhah.
But if halakhah has the meaning of a rigid body of law, changeable only under very rarefied circumstances, most Jewish people, including Reconstructionists, no longer accept its binding authority. While Reconstructionists are lovers of tradition and support community celebration of the Jewish sacred year and life-cycle events, we also believe that the face of the Jewish community is changing and that individuals have the right to adapt Jewish tradition to new circumstances.
Reconstructionist communities challenge Jews to participate fully in our shared Jewish civilization. From building a sukkah to appreciating Jewish music, from caring for the Jewish young and old to leading Torah study - community members should experience Jewish civilization in our day as fully as they experience secular civilization.
Judaism will continue to be a dynamic civilization only if we choose to participate, create and transmit vitality to future generations. Reconstructionist rabbis work in partnership with committed lay people to formulate guidelines that serve as Jewish touchstones for our times. These guidelines are presented and democratically considered in Reconstructionist communities as standards for enhancing the Jewish life of the individual and the community rather than as binding laws.
The Reconstructionist vision of the Jewish future
We Reconstructionists envision a maximalist liberal Judaism. This means Jewish life that is engaged in study, worship and action and yet is completely supportive of a Jew's full participation in secular life.
We hope for a Judaism that serves as a rich source of spiritual self-expression and moral challenge in the way we conduct our lives.
We dream of a Jewish people that will overcome divisions and realize its commitment to the single goal of transforming the world into one where all people are respected as bearers of the divine image.
We picture an Israel at peace and a Jewish people, in both Israel and the Diaspora, that will have the dedication, knowledge, and prosperity to develop an ever richer tradition to hand down to future generations.
Like all Jews, Reconstructionists are firm believers in the future. It is our dedication to the future, characterized by commitment and creativity, by the faithful heart joined to the open mind, that makes us proud of the Reconstructionist contribution to the ever-evolving heritage of the Jewish people. (back to top)
Information courtesy of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation.
If halakhah is defined as the Jewish process of celebrating, creating and transmitting tradition, Reconstructionist Jewish communities would certainly fit within the framework of halakhah.
But if halakhah has the meaning of a rigid body of law, changeable only under very rarefied circumstances, most Jewish people, including Reconstructionists, no longer accept its binding authority. While Reconstructionists are lovers of tradition and support community celebration of the Jewish sacred year and life-cycle events, we also believe that the face of the Jewish community is changing and that individuals have the right to adapt Jewish tradition to new circumstances.
Reconstructionist communities challenge Jews to participate fully in our shared Jewish civilization. From building a sukkah to appreciating Jewish music, from caring for the Jewish young and old to leading Torah study - community members should experience Jewish civilization in our day as fully as they experience secular civilization.
Judaism will continue to be a dynamic civilization only if we choose to participate, create and transmit vitality to future generations. Reconstructionist rabbis work in partnership with committed lay people to formulate guidelines that serve as Jewish touchstones for our times. These guidelines are presented and democratically considered in Reconstructionist communities as standards for enhancing the Jewish life of the individual and the community rather than as binding laws.
The Reconstructionist vision of the Jewish future
We Reconstructionists envision a maximalist liberal Judaism. This means Jewish life that is engaged in study, worship and action and yet is completely supportive of a Jew's full participation in secular life.
We hope for a Judaism that serves as a rich source of spiritual self-expression and moral challenge in the way we conduct our lives.
We dream of a Jewish people that will overcome divisions and realize its commitment to the single goal of transforming the world into one where all people are respected as bearers of the divine image.
We picture an Israel at peace and a Jewish people, in both Israel and the Diaspora, that will have the dedication, knowledge, and prosperity to develop an ever richer tradition to hand down to future generations.
Like all Jews, Reconstructionists are firm believers in the future. It is our dedication to the future, characterized by commitment and creativity, by the faithful heart joined to the open mind, that makes us proud of the Reconstructionist contribution to the ever-evolving heritage of the Jewish people. (back to top)
Information courtesy of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation.
