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To Reconstructionist

Many people in the general population may not have heard of the Reconstructionist movement. It was inspired by the vision of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, a faculty member of a Conservative rabbinical seminary who helped found a new rabbinical college at the urgings of his students and supporters. Kaplan’s concept was that Judaism is more than just a religion; it is a “civilization” that evolves and progresses and must therefore be “reconstructed”—rediscovered, and reinterpreted on an ongoing basis—to be kept alive.

In much the same manner as contemporary Conservative and Reform congregations, Reconstructionist congregations embrace a wide variety of traditional and non-traditional Jewish backgrounds, experiences, and lifestyles, and they operate in a gender-neutral environment. The Reconstructionist congregation often decides how it will honor traditional Jewish customs, molding them to accommodate what it considers the realities of modern life.

While Reconstructionist Jews have a strong commitment to tradition, they also search for contemporary meaning in the liturgy and religious service. If a particular Jewish custom is questionable in view of contemporary society, it will be examined and “reconstructed”; new meanings will be found in the old forms or they will be developed into more meaningful, innovative practices.

Reconstructionism diverges from Conservative and Reform Judaism in how it views the interpretation of traditional Jewish law and in how far Jewish law can be amended. Reconstructionism also differs from Conservative and Reform Judaism in its concept of ethical monotheism and its belief that the basic tenets of Judaism need to be reexamined and restated for our age. In general, Reconstructionist congregations fall somewhere between Reform and Conservative in terms of religious practice; they may be described as liberal in their ideology. As with many aspects of Judaism, there is a considerable range of practice and belief within the Reconstructionist movement.

The Jewish Reconstructionist Federation lists more than one hundred congregations in North America. A number of these congregations are organized as havurot. A havurah (singular) is a gathering of Jews who meet to worship and study together. The havurah is a religious group, but it also functions as a fellowship group and an extended family (see “Contemporary Synagogues and Congregations”).

Although Reconstructionist congregations tend to be small, the concepts and philosophy of the movement have affected modern Jewish belief and practice.