| College was established in Philadelphia for the training of rabbis. The Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association came into being in 1973. BASIC BELIEFS: Reconstructionism defines Judaism as the evolving religious civilization of the Jewish people. The religious values and culture of Judaism are the outgrowth of the historical experience of the Jews. The idea of God is rooted in human experience and has gone through various stages of development and continues to do so. The Sacred Scriptures reveal the search of the Jewish people, its leaders and prophets, for the meaning of God in human life. Human beings are free, and there is no doctrine of original sin in Reconstructionist Judaism. Together with other groups in Judaism, they affirm that humans are good. The Jewish affirmation, "Hear O Israel, the Lord Our God, the Lord is One," is a statement of faith in the basic unity of all existence. Sacred Jewish literature includes the Bible, the Talmud, the Responsa literature, the Codes, and the Siddur (prayer book). The prayer book is not a closed book, and goes through periodic changes reflecting recent historical experience and new ethical insights. PRACTICES AND BEHAVIORAL STANDARDS: Central to Judaism is the deed, and the Jewish concept of the Mitzvah consists in the performance of acts which attest to the sanctity of life. Ethics is an integral part of Judaism and affects every aspect of Jewish life. Reconstructionism defines halacha (the laws) as a process of celebrating, creating and transmitting tradition. Individuals have the right to adapt Jewish tradition to new circumstances. In addition to the Sabbath, religious holidays include the three Biblical Pilgrimage festivals Pesach (Passover), Shavout (Pentecost), and Succot (Tabernacles and Rosh Hashannah (New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). The first and last days of Pesach and Succot, and the first day of Shavout, and the first day of Shavout, are considered full religious holidays. The festivals of Hanukkah and Purim and the fast day of Tisha B'Av should be observed, but do not constitute full religious holidays. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE: At the local level, the organizational unit is either a Reconstructionist synagogue or a small group, called Havurah, which meets for purposes of worship, study, and celebration. Each congregation is autonomous and elects its own rabbinical and lay leadership (see also "Leadership"). ROLE OF MINISTERS: The rabbi is the appointed spiritual leader who guides and represents the congregation. In addition, there are elected lay leaders, both in the congregation and in the larger Jewish community. WORSHIP: Jewish worship is distinguished by its congregational or group character. Wherever possible the traditional quorum of ten adults should be assembled for congregational worship. There are set times for daily Sabbath and festival services, and Reconstructionist Jews are expected to attend and participate. In the absence of congregational worship services, every Jew can pray privately at his home or wherever he may be. The requirement for private as well as public worship is that a Jew approach God with ethical integrity and that his or her prayers be guided by a spirit of sincerity and a readiness to identify with the Jewish people, their history and tradition. The items required for worship include the Torah or the Scroll of the law and its accouterments, prayer books, Hebrew Bible, skullcaps, and prayer shawls. The facility for worship should be in keeping with the solemn dignity of the activity of prayer. Preferably it should be oriented to the East so that those worshiping within can pray facing the East. In addition, it should contain the ark which houses the Torah and adequate storage space for worship equipment. DIETARY LAWS OR RESTRICTIONS: Observance of the Jewish dietary laws is encouraged. For Reconstructionist Jews, these are a matter of personal choice. The eating of Matzot (unleavened bread on Passover) is observed by most Reconstructionist Jews. FUNERAL AND BURIAL REQUIREMENTS: The purpose of Jewish funeral and burial requirements is both to honor the deceased and to provide comfort to the mourners. Observance of traditional practices is a matter of personal choice, decided upon by the family in consultation with the rabbi. Reconstructionist Judaism does not object to autopsy, and certainly approves of it when it involves health considerations or promotes the ends of justice. While cremation is a matter of individual choice, most Reconstructionist Jews choose burial in the ground, in keeping with Jewish custom. MEDICAL TREATMENT: No restrictions. Jews believe that maintaining good health is both an individual obligation and a group responsibility, and medical treatment is one means to help achieve good health. OTHER: Jews have served in the military in all U.S. wars, to defend their country and to help to maintain it free and strong. Judaism also allows for an individual Jew to conscientiously object to service in the military. SOME ACCEPTABLE, GENERAL SOURCE BOOKS: Alpert, Rebecca, and Jacob Staub. Exploring Judaism: A Reconstructionist Approach. NY: Reconstructionist Press, 1986. . Kaplan, Mordecai. Judaism As A Civilization: Towards Reconstruction of America Jewish Life. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1981. 601pp. Teutsch, David, ed. Kol Haneshamah: Shabbat Eve Prayerbook trans. by Joel Rosenberg. New York: Reconstructionist Press, 1989. 246pp. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Rabbi Mordechai Liebling Church Road & Greenwood Avenue Wyncote, PA 19095 Tel: (215) 887-1988 |
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| Black Rose Spiritual Center, Inc : Belief Systems |
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| Federation of Reconstructionist Congregations and Havurot |
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| ADDRESS: Church Road & Greenwood Avenue Wyncote, PA 19095 OTHER NAMES BY WHICH KNOWN: Reconstructionist Judaism. LEADERSHIP: No single world leader. Qualified rabbis join the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association; congregations, the Federation of Reconstructionist Congregations and Havurot. NATIONAL LEADER: The coordinating body for Jewish Reconstructionist activity in the United States is the Federation of Reconstructionist Congregations and Havurot headed by Rabbi Mordechai Liebling. HISTORICAL ORIGIN: The history of Judaism is chronicled in the Bible and its subsequent development is detailed in the vast, post Biblical rabbinic literature. Of the four major branches of Judaism, Reconstructionist Judaism traces its beginnings to the 1920s when Mordecai Kaplan established an experimental synagogue in New York City, the Society for the Advancement of Judaism. Reconstructionist Judaism arose as a response to the climate of naturalism and functionalism in American thought. It functioned as a school of thought in the 1920s and 1930s. Professor Kaplan served as a teacher of philosophy of religion at the Conservative Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City and had great influence over his disciples. In 1935, the biweekly Reconstructionist magazine was launched, and, in 1940, the Jewish Reconstructionist Foundation was established to disseminate Reconstructionist ideology. This was followed in 1951 by the establishment of the Reconstructionist Federation of Congregations and Fellowships of which individual local congregations become a part. At present, the Federation has 70 affiliates in the U.S. and Canada. In 1968, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical |
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