Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement

Reform movement in Judaism

The Reform movement in Judaism, originally named Reformed Society of Israelites, for Promoting true Principles of Judaism, according to its Purity and Spirit, is a historic and on-going religious and social movement that originated simultaneously in the early nineteenth century in the United States...

 in North America

Reform Judaism (North America)

Reform Judaism is the largest denomination of American Jews today. With an estimated 1.5 million members, it also accounts for the largest number of Jews affiliated with Progressive Judaism worldwide.- Reform Jewish theology :Rabbi W...

, the United Kingdom

Reform Judaism (United Kingdom)

Reform Judaism in the United Kingdom in one of the two forms of Progressive Judaism found in the United Kingdom, the other being Liberal Judaism. Reform Judaism is both historically earlier and more traditionalist than Liberal Judaism....

 and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism

Judaism

Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...

 and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the surrounding culture

Culture

Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...

. Many branches of Reform Judaism hold that Jewish law

Halakha

Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...

 should be interpreted as a set of general guidelines rather than as a list of restrictions whose literal observance is required of all Jews. Similar movements that may also be called "Reform" include the Israeli Progressive Movement

Progressive Judaism (Israel)

Progressive Judaism is the Israeli equivalent of Reform Judaism.The Reform Judaism's growth in Israel is limited because of political pressure from the ultra orthodox people and parties. Reform Jews are being discriminated by the ultra orthodox parties, for example Israel's Interior minister, Eli...

 and its worldwide counterpart

Progressive Judaism

Progressive Judaism , is an umbrella term used by strands of Judaism which affiliate to the World Union for Progressive Judaism. They embrace pluralism, modernity, equality and social justice as core values and believe that such values are consistent with a committed Jewish life...

.

Reform Judaism in North America

Reform Judaism

Reform Judaism (North America)

Reform Judaism is the largest denomination of American Jews today. With an estimated 1.5 million members, it also accounts for the largest number of Jews affiliated with Progressive Judaism worldwide.- Reform Jewish theology :Rabbi W...

 is one of the two North American denominations affiliated with the World Union for Progressive Judaism

World Union for Progressive Judaism

The World Union for Progressive Judaism describes itself as the "international umbrella organization for the Reform, Liberal, Progressive and Reconstructionist movements." This overall Jewish religious movement is based in about 40 countries with more than 1,000 affiliated synagogues...

. It is the largest denomination

Jewish denominations

Jewish religious movements , sometimes called "denominations" or "branches", include different groups which have developed among Jews from ancient times and especially in the modern era among Ashkenazi Jews living in anglophone countries...

 of American Jews today. With an estimated 1.1 million members, it also accounts for the largest number of Jews affiliated with Progressive Judaism

Progressive Judaism

Progressive Judaism , is an umbrella term used by strands of Judaism which affiliate to the World Union for Progressive Judaism. They embrace pluralism, modernity, equality and social justice as core values and believe that such values are consistent with a committed Jewish life...

 worldwide.

Official bodies of the Reform Movement in North America include the Union for Reform Judaism

Union for Reform Judaism

The Union for Reform Judaism , formerly known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations , is an organization which supports Reform Jewish congregations in North America. The current President is Rabbi Eric H...

, the Central Conference of American Rabbis

Central Conference of American Rabbis

The Central Conference of American Rabbis , founded in 1889 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the principal organization of Reform rabbis in the United States and Canada, the CCAR is the largest and oldest rabbinical organization in the world....

, and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.

Reform Judaism in Britain

UK Reform

Reform Judaism (United Kingdom)

Reform Judaism in the United Kingdom in one of the two forms of Progressive Judaism found in the United Kingdom, the other being Liberal Judaism. Reform Judaism is both historically earlier and more traditionalist than Liberal Judaism....

 and Liberal Judaism

Liberal Judaism

Liberal Judaism , is one of the two forms of Progressive Judaism found in the United Kingdom, the other being Reform Judaism. Liberal Judaism, which developed at the beginning of the twentieth century is less conservative than UK Reform Judaism...

 are the two Progressive

Progressive Judaism

Progressive Judaism , is an umbrella term used by strands of Judaism which affiliate to the World Union for Progressive Judaism. They embrace pluralism, modernity, equality and social justice as core values and believe that such values are consistent with a committed Jewish life...

 movements in the UK. For details on the relationship between the two progressive movements, see Progressive Judaism (United Kingdom)

Progressive Judaism (United Kingdom)

Progressive Judaism in the United Kingdom consists of two organizationally distinct denominations - Liberal Judaism and Reform Judaism-Reform Judaism:...

.

Progressive Judaism in Israel

After a failed attempt in the 1930s to start an Israeli movement, the World Union for Progressive Judaism

World Union for Progressive Judaism

The World Union for Progressive Judaism describes itself as the "international umbrella organization for the Reform, Liberal, Progressive and Reconstructionist movements." This overall Jewish religious movement is based in about 40 countries with more than 1,000 affiliated synagogues...

 tried again in the 1970s and created the movement now known as the Israeli Progressive Movement

Progressive Judaism (Israel)

Progressive Judaism is the Israeli equivalent of Reform Judaism.The Reform Judaism's growth in Israel is limited because of political pressure from the ultra orthodox people and parties. Reform Jews are being discriminated by the ultra orthodox parties, for example Israel's Interior minister, Eli...

. Because the first rabbis in the 1970s were trained in the United States, the Israeli press and public often refers to the Israeli Progressive Movement

Progressive Judaism (Israel)

Progressive Judaism is the Israeli equivalent of Reform Judaism.The Reform Judaism's growth in Israel is limited because of political pressure from the ultra orthodox people and parties. Reform Jews are being discriminated by the ultra orthodox parties, for example Israel's Interior minister, Eli...

 as "Reform".

Reform movement in Judaism

Along with other forms of non-orthodox Judaism, the North American Reform

Reform Judaism (North America)

Reform Judaism is the largest denomination of American Jews today. With an estimated 1.5 million members, it also accounts for the largest number of Jews affiliated with Progressive Judaism worldwide.- Reform Jewish theology :Rabbi W...

,
UK Reform

Reform Judaism (United Kingdom)

Reform Judaism in the United Kingdom in one of the two forms of Progressive Judaism found in the United Kingdom, the other being Liberal Judaism. Reform Judaism is both historically earlier and more traditionalist than Liberal Judaism....

, UK Liberal Judaism

Liberal Judaism

Liberal Judaism , is one of the two forms of Progressive Judaism found in the United Kingdom, the other being Reform Judaism. Liberal Judaism, which developed at the beginning of the twentieth century is less conservative than UK Reform Judaism...

 and Israeli Progressive Movement

Progressive Judaism (Israel)

Progressive Judaism is the Israeli equivalent of Reform Judaism.The Reform Judaism's growth in Israel is limited because of political pressure from the ultra orthodox people and parties. Reform Jews are being discriminated by the ultra orthodox parties, for example Israel's Interior minister, Eli...

 can all trace their intellectual roots to the Reform movement in Judaism

Reform movement in Judaism

The Reform movement in Judaism, originally named Reformed Society of Israelites, for Promoting true Principles of Judaism, according to its Purity and Spirit, is a historic and on-going religious and social movement that originated simultaneously in the early nineteenth century in the United States...

. Elements of Orthodoxy developed their cohesive identity in reaction to the Reform movement in Judaism

Reform movement in Judaism

The Reform movement in Judaism, originally named Reformed Society of Israelites, for Promoting true Principles of Judaism, according to its Purity and Spirit, is a historic and on-going religious and social movement that originated simultaneously in the early nineteenth century in the United States...

.

Although North American Reform, UK Reform, UK Liberal Judaism and Israeli Progressive Judaism all share an intellectual heritage, they have taken places at different ends of the non-orthodox spectrum. The North American Reform movement and UK Liberal Judaism reflect a more radical end. The UK Reform, and Progressive Israeli movements, along with the North American Conservative

Conservative Judaism

Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...

 movement and
Masorti

Masorti

The Masorti Movement is the name given to Conservative Judaism in Israel and other countries outside Canada and U.S. Masorti means "traditional" in Hebrew...

 Judaism, occupy the more conservative end of the non-orthodox Judaisms.

See also

• Beliefs and practices in Progressive Judaism, for more about the platforms of the different denominations of Reform Judaism
• Liberal Judaism
  Liberal Judaism
  Liberal Judaism , is one of the two forms of Progressive Judaism found in the United Kingdom, the other being Reform Judaism. Liberal Judaism, which developed at the beginning of the twentieth century is less conservative than UK Reform Judaism...
  
  
• Progressive Judaism
  Progressive Judaism
  Progressive Judaism , is an umbrella term used by strands of Judaism which affiliate to the World Union for Progressive Judaism. They embrace pluralism, modernity, equality and social justice as core values and believe that such values are consistent with a committed Jewish life...
  
  
• Cantor in Reform Judaism
  Cantor in Reform Judaism
  The cantor in the Reform movement is a clergy member who fills a diverse role within the Jewish community. Cantors lead worship, officiate at lifecycle events, teach adults and children, run synagogue music programs, and offer pastoral care...
  
  
• Reform Judaism (magazine)
  Reform Judaism (magazine)
  Reform Judaism is the official magazine of the Union for Reform Judaism. Its print edition has a quarterly circulation to 300,000 households, synagogues, and other Jewish institutions.- Awards and academic recognition :...
  
  

Official Sites

• Union for Reform Judaism
• RJ.org: Official news site of the Union for Reform Judaism
• World Union for Progressive Judaism
• Central Conference of American Rabbis
• Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion

Other Resources

• Research and articles about Reform Judaism on the Berman Jewish Policy Archive @ NYU Wagner
• Reform Judaism FAQ on Soc.Culture.Jewish Newsgroups
• Publications on Reform Judaism at the Berman Jewish Policy Archive @ NYU Wagner