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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
"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 (halachah) 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.
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.
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.
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.
Founded in 1955, the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation is the rapidly growing synagogue arm of the Reconstructionist movement, serving its 100 congregations and havurot spread across North America. A voice of Reconstructionist Judaism in the greater Jewish world, JRF provides a wide array of services to its affiliates. National and regional offices offer consultation on all key areas of congregational life, including youth and adult education, leadership development, outreach and community-building initiatives, fundraising, and budgeting as well as musical, liturgical and other resources.
For more information on Reconstructionist publications and about congregations near you, contact:
The Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
7804 Montgomery Avenue, Suite 9
Elkins Park, PA 19027
(215) 782-8500
info@jrf.org
www.jrf.org
Founded in 1968 to serve the Jewish people, The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College is dedicated to studying and teaching Judaism as an evolving religious civilization, and to advancing the universal freedom, justice and peace that are Judaism’s core values. Its mission is to train rabbis, cantors and other Jewish leaders to teach Torah in its broadest terms and strengthen leadership in congregations and other settings throughout the Jewish community in North America. For more than thirty years, the College has provided scholarship and training to strengthen that community, advance the growth of the Reconstructionist movement, and spread its ideas and ideals throughout the Jewish world.
The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
1299 Church Road Wyncote, PA 19095
(215) 576-0800
rrcinfo@rrc.edu
www.rrc.edu
Founded in 1974, The Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association is the professional association of Reconstructionist rabbis. Comprising more than 200 members, the RRA has three primary missions. First, the RRA serves as a collegial community, in which professional and personal support and resources are provided to rabbis. Second, the RRA represents the rabbinic voice within the Reconstructionist movement, bringing the teachings, stories, and traditions of Judaism to bear on contemporary issues and challenges, and helping to define Reconstructionist positions on Jewish issues for our time. Third, the RRA represents Reconstructionist rabbis in the larger Jewish and general communities, through participation in programs, commissions, and other activities.
The Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association
1299 Church Road Wyncote, PA 19095
(215) 576-5210
info@TheRRA.org
www.therra.org |
