The New Reform Judaism: Challenges and Reflections

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.

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The New Reform Judaism: Challenges and Reflections

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.

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The New Reform Judaism: Challenges and Reflections

The New Reform Judaism: Challenges and Reflections

The New Reform Judaism: Challenges and Reflections

The New Reform Judaism: Challenges and Reflections

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Overview

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.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780827609341
Publisher: The Jewish Publication Society
Publication date: 11/01/2013
Pages: 384
Product dimensions: 8.90(w) x 6.40(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Dana Evan Kaplan is the rabbi of the United Congregation of Israelites in Kingston, Jamaica, and former rabbi of Temple B’nai Israel in Albany, Georgia. He is the author of Contemporary American Judaism: Transformation and Renewal, The Cambridge Companion to American Judaism, and American Reform Judaism: An Introduction. Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie is president emeritus of the Union for Reform Judaism. Rabbi Rick Jacobs is president of the Union for Reform Judaism.

Table of Contents

Foreword Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie ix

Acknowledgments xiii

Introduction: Understanding the New Reform Judaism 1

Chapter 1 In Search of a Reform Jewish Theology 15

Chapter 2 A Brief History of the American Reform Movement 54

Chapter 3 To Observe or Not to Observe? 99

Chapter 4 A New Reform Revolution in Worship and Practice 131

Chapter 5 A New Reform Revolution in Values and Ethics 165

Chapter 6 Who Is a (Reform) Jew? 209

Chapter 7 On the Boundaries of Reform 242

Chapter 8 Seeking the Spiritual 270

Conclusion: The Promise of Reform Judaism 307

Afterword Rabbi Rick Jacobs 319

Timeline of Significant Events 323

Notes 333

Glossary 345

Index 353

What People are Saying About This

Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie

“Dana Evan Kaplan has become the chronicler of contemporary Reform Judaism. In this fascinating book, he takes us on a journey through the complexities of a modern liberal faith that is now confronting a period of great upheaval . . . an upheaval that impacts all Jews and all religious Americans.”—Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, president emeritus, Union for Reform Judaism

Rabbi Rick Jacobs

“Judaism is at a crossroads. . . . Those eager to understand and participate in this exciting new chapter in Jewish history will find extensive background and stimulation in The New Reform Judaism, a valuable contribution to this evolving discourse.”—Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president, Union for Reform Judaism

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