From: faigin@aero.org (Daniel P. Faigin)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Conversion Question
Date: 10 Nov 92 10:53:45
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA
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In-reply-to: cohen@quartz.ciw.edu's message of 10 Nov 92 03:53:39 GMT

On 10 Nov 92 03:53:39 GMT, cohen@quartz.ciw.edu (Ronald Cohen) said:
> I don't know how they can think they are "the legitimate..."
> when they don't even accept the concept of halacha.

This is a misrepresentation of the Reform position. There is a very
interesting article in the latest CCAR journal that addresses this very
question. I summarized it for the Liberal Judaism Mailing List (which I run,
plug, plug :-)) to provide discussion. Here is the relevant portion:

In the Survey Essay of this issue, Peter Haas from Vanderbuilt University
discusses the changing of the American Jewish (by which he appears to imply
Reform) Theology. He notes that it has moved from the foundational assumptions
of liberal Judaism (i.e., that reason would set people free) to the concept
that finding a mode of Jewish spirituality that will give life meaning in a
world realing from the destruction of optimism and the influence of
secularity. 

He notes that there are a number of important themes in these new theologies.

 1. It is necessary to have a Jewish theology and that that theology needs to
    be adopted as part of a personal decision.

 2. The Holocaust as a symbol of a shared reality that defies the reason of
    the Enlightenment.

 3. The need to reaffirm Gods covenant with Israel, stressing the necessity to
    the part of the individual Jew to make a personal commiment to that
    covenant and its halakhah, however these may be understood.

Let's look at the first and the third, for they raise some interesting
questions. The first is a break from the past, as a characteristic of American
Judaism has been its non-theological character. In America, Judaism is often
felt to be more of a civilization than a religion (one of the reason that
Reconstructionism started). "American Jews", states Haas, "are much more
likely to feel themselves part of a people or an ethnic group than of a
theological tradition." 

Question: Do you see a return to theology? Do you see yourself as part of an
ethnic group, or part of a particular religious tradition?

The third is also interesting. We have all seen in Reform a revival of the
importance of Halakhah. Yet this creates a problem. If you consider it, there
are two possibilities: return to traditional Jewish sources and discard the
insights of the enlightenment, or base one's ethic on the principles of the
enlightenment, leading to "classic" Reform. Some synthesis much exist for
liberal Judaism, but what? How are we to describe a Judaism that both accepts
the halachah and yet transcends the authority of the halachah?

Haas next explores the question of what the modern Jew is. Is it a person
whose mother happens to be Jewish? Is it a person who self-consciously and
actively identifies with Judaism and worry about what being Jewish might mean
today? Some synthesis of the two?

What are your opinions?

> However, the reform throw out
> everything.  They have no standing to participate in halachic
> discussions if they do not accept the concept.  That was my only
> point.  

However, Reform does not throw out everything.

> My personal view is that reform Judaism is a failure, as is
> clearly exemplified by the intermarriage rates among reform jews.
> Now the reform are moving back towards some observance.  But they
> still regard the halacha and the halachic process as inapplicable
> to modern Jews.

That's not true. Rather Reform regards the halachic process as something
ongoing. Intermarriage rates are high, yes, but is that a failure of Reform?
Is it more a failure of the parents for not educating their children properly?

Here's another summarization from the latest CCAR Journal relating to this:

			 Topic: Worship and Education

In this article, Daniel Schecter (member of Beth Emet the Free Synagogue in
Evanston IL, co-chair of the UAHC-CCAR Comission on Religious Living)
discusses the link between religion and education. He begins by describing his
underlying assumption that Judaism is not a two-tiered religion -- one for
professionals, and one for others, with different obligations. He goes on to
say:

  "I believe my Judaism envelops my entire life, and is not something to be
  recalled only at isolated moments, as though our relationship with God
  occurs at an occasional Friday night service, a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, or the High
  Holy Days. Furthermore, I believe that religion should demand something of
  us and that we should not be afraid to state that and teach that right up
  front. I believe that the Judaism of the non-professionals is not an
  extracurricular activity; and that, finally, when those who plan and conduct
  worship cater to the lowest common denominator in our congregations, than we
  are missing the best use of that unique opportunity frequently called ``the
  teachable moment''.

What do you think of this?

Schecter states that the problem stems from our lack of competance in the
study of Jewish texts to prepare us for worship. The liturgy presupposes a
knowledge of the themes, imagery, and midrash of the human relationship with
God. We miss the drama of the scene if we don't understand this. 

He asks:

  Attendance at services can not only teach us about Judaism, but it can also
  stimulate us to see ourselves as part of the Jewish community. But how do we
  use that regular or even occasional moment to make meaningful the sense of
  togetherness? How do we help people, many of them not used to prayer, to
  pray?

What's your answer?

In his closing paragraph, he says "I believe there are many congregants who
are yearning for more spirituality in thier lives, but whose competence as
Jews is very shaky. Rabbis state that the time has come for each of us to
claim Torah study as a lifelong pursuit, and congregants say a prayer
committing themselves to attend the house of study daily". How do we help
Reform Jews cope with the complexities of being Jewish?

> This is not meant as flame war, nor should it be insulting to
> anyone.  I do not "reject" Reform.  They are the ones that reject
> halacha, and thus can have nothing to do with it.  

"Reject" is a strong word. Look at any of the published volumes of Reform
Responsa. Look at the Reform Liturgy. Talk to Reform Rabbis. Read the
publications of CCAR. You will see that halacha has not been rejected in
modern-day Reform; in fact, it is seeing a resurgance.

Daniel
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