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.
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 selffulfillment 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 shared vision of Jewish people hood. 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 people
are called to the service of righteousness, and we welcome
dialogue with people of good-will from all traditions.
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 reexamined 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 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.
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 multiethnic
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 nonJewish
legislatures and courts, speaking nonJewish languages, singing popular
music, working in secular environments with nonJews, learning in nonJewish
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 ideals 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. The
Reconstructionist movement through Shomrei Adamah, Guardians of the
Earth, works closely with other groups concerned with the environmental
future. 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.
Belonging to a Democratic
Jewish Community in a PostHalachic Age
If halachah is defined as the Jewish process of celebrating, creating and transmitting
tradition, Reconstructionist Jewish communities would certainly fit within
the framework of halachah.
But if halachah 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
lifecycle 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 Reconstructionists
contribution to the ever-evolving heritage of the Jewish
people.
Sources: Jewish
Reconstructionists Federation |