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| Early Reform Leader, Isaac Meyer Wise |
Their original goal was to provide equality to the Jewish people by eliminating differences. There was a lot of antisemitism back in the mid 19th century when the American version of Reform Judaism was established. That prejudice was based largely on ancient Christian beliefs about deicide - the Jewish responsibly for the death of their god. And on a class system where the upper class that did not accept Jews into polite society
Jews were thus denied entry into top colleges and top tier jobs at major corporations. Our differences with the Christian populace helped identify us and helped perpetuate that prejudice. There was no dignity of difference back then. Jews were looked at with disdain and disgust - considered second class citizens at best.
Reform leaders decided to eliminate those differences by declaring ritual observance no longer necessary. Thereby eliminating them and leveling the playing field. Thus the Jew in the street looked and acted no different than any other white Christian American. That did not eliminate antisemitism. But it did make it harder to identify who one could be prejudiced against.
Today that kind of anti Jewish prejudice is all but gone. While it still exists around the fringes of society, Jews have long ago broken the barriers to good colleges and top tier jobs. The melting pot philosophy did a 180 – morphing into multiculturalism. Jews can now walk feely in the street wearing Jewish identifiers like a Kipa.
Now it’s true that there has been a reversal of this trend because of the progressive influences that views religion unfavorably, and Jews in particular unfavorably because of our association with ‘Apartheid’ Israel. But, for better or worse, that has not changed our overall integration into American culture.
The net result for Reform is that those good intentions watered down their membership. Which is understandable. If you are no different than your Christian neighbors, if your values and lifestyle are identical, why bother being Jewish at all? What’s the point of clinging to a religion that has caused our ancestors noting but grief for over 2000 years?
Reform Judaism refuses to die. So they did something positive a couple of decades ago. Reversing course on their rejection of ritual observance They now embrace it as a means of preserving their identity as Jews.
That didn’t really help their numbers much. Because if you don’t have to do a ritual, why bother? What is the point of taking on an additional unnecessary burden, just so you can say you are Jewish?
Reform Judaism pivoted again. This time deciding to expand their numbers by recognizing patrilineal descent. Thus increasing their numbers by recognizing the child of a Jewish father to be a full fledged Jew. They have also made it easier to convert. All one has to do is joins the Jewish community and presto - you’re a Jew.
Watering down their stock even more is the fact that they are now welcoming interfaith relationships. The Christian spouse can still believe in the doctrines of Christianity and celebrate Christmas and Easter. The Jewish spouse will surely join their Christian spouse at midnight mass on Christmas. As any loving spouse would do.
Now Reform has gone a step further. They are ordaining rabbis that are married to Christians.
What’s next? Rabbis married to Christian ministers? Anything to increase their numbers and claim they are the largest Jewish denomination.
This would be hilarious if it weren’t so tragic. It makes a mockery of what little Judaism a legitimate Jew in that movement has.
Reform leaders should be encouraging their members to investigate their heritage to see how we retained our identity as Jews over all these many centuries - despite all the persecution our ancestors suffered. Instead they are just padding the numbers without regard to how legitimate their way of doing it is. Or how accepted it will be to other denominations.
Reform Judaism is increasingly defining itself out of Judaism. Pity really. I had hoped that when they decided to embrace more observances rather than reject them - it would lead to at least some of them looking more deeply into their heritage and what ritual observance is really all about. But the opposite is happening. It’s bad enough that so many secular Jews are opting out of Judaism all together. It’s too bad that Reform is accelerating the process in the name of saving it.