Reconstructionist Judaism
Reconstructionist Judaism is the current progressive Jewish and as late as individualized as the one with the least formal membership. It was founded in 1968 in the United States by Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan and Ira Eisenstein, an ideological base developed between the 1920s and 1940s. It is mainly present in the United States and to a lesser extent in Canada.
The founder
The movement's founder Rabbi Mordecai is Menahem Kaplan (June 11, 1881 - November 8, 1983 ). Born in Lithuania , he was ordained a rabbi in 1902 at the seminar conservative New York (Jewish Theological Seminary of America - JTS). He obtained his first position in the Orthodox synagogue in New York Kehillath Jeshrun. In 1909 , he began teaching at JTS and will leave the seminar in 1959. In 1912 he participated with Israel Friedlander, the founders of modern Orthodox Young Israel movement, and the establishment of community centers, two types of institutions to allow Jewish immigrants to maintain a religious practice while working in a non-Jew.
He developed gradually from the 20s a theology naturalist close to the thinking of John Dewey , explained in two books: The Meaning of God in Modern Jewish Religion and Judaism as a Civilization. For him, God is not personal and does not perform miracles, it is manifest in all the natural processes that can lead to spiritual and moral development, particularly aimed at improving society, to limit violence and exploitation. This position has been accused of atheism , but it seems that he still believed in the existence of a deity ontological, it would be rather theistic , and some aspects of his God reminiscent Cabalism. His emphasis on group influence on individual religious practice responds to the idea of the sacred as social solidarity of Emile Durkheim. He rejected the idea of chosen people and saw the halacha and Torah products of human wisdom rather than divine revelation. He promoted religious equality between the sexes in 1922 , his daughter Judith was the first Jewish girl to her Bat Mitzvah at the Society for the Advancement of Judaism that he helped create, and which became the first synagogue Reconstructionist.
His vision of Judaism as a civilization and religion was not only well accepted by his colleagues and students at the seminary, but his idea of the divine and his other positions, much less. The Orthodox considered him a heretic; Young Israel denied him and erased from the list of its founders. Encouraged by his supporters, he decided to found his own movement in 1968 , creating the Reconstructionist Seminar (Reconstructionist Rabbinical College - DRR).
Principles
The Reconstructionist movement defines Judaism as the evolving religious culture of the people Jewish. Indeed, he attaches great importance to all aspects of Jewish culture. Language, history, philosophy, literature are as important as religion in the strict sense. This culture is still defined as religious as the divine is seen as central. Always present in the human heart, he is behind the desire for spiritual fulfillment and moral and is embodied in the processes leading to it. Reconstructionist Judaism considers as important as prayer and study activities for justice and social harmony, and protection of the earth and the environment. Beyond these basic principles, different representations of the deity are acceptable, and the faithful are encouraged to explore various forms and attributes of the divine, but not limited to the traditional figure of the master of the universe personified and rather masculine. Kaplan himself argued that the anthropomorphic representation of God was an imperfect proxy.
The qualifier "Reconstructionist" expresses a vision of Judaism as a way to search for the meaning of life, a way of questioning and study the moments of doubt are not absent, and where each individual or community must be rebuilt constantly. Thus, the halacha is not an immutable law dictated by God, but a human tradition. It is valuable and worth studying, but as an expression of Jewish culture, the wisdom with which the Jews of the past have reacted to the circumstances of their time. It can be adopted "by default" if we do not have a problem, but must be amended without hesitation, rebuilt in its form or its meaning can not find anyone more suitable. In the words of Rabbi Kaplan, "Tradition has a right to vote but no veto." The transmission of a bond package is replaced by encouragement to celebrate, create and pass on the tradition through culture and Jewish practices, such as the observance of traditional holidays, studying the Torah , the use Hebrew and wearing a kippa, the tallit (prayer shawl) and teffilin ( phylacteries ) during services.
Reconstructionism attaches great importance to religious life and cultural group and practices in common. It considers that they play a vital role in strengthening individual practice. This group is egalitarian, men and women the same opportunities , and laity participating in decisions in concert with the rabbis and scholars. Rabbi Kaplan rejected the idea that Jews were the chosen people, seeing an arrogant position, closed to the world. Reconstructionism argues, however, the current exceptional appearance and the special place of Judaism, but without the connotation of superiority, and open conversions. The non-Jewish members of the families of the faithful, to the extent that they support his commitment to Judaism, can be included to some degree in the community, in ways specified by each congregation. Children who receive a Jewish education are admitted regardless of the sex of their Jewish parent.
Reconstructionism is a Zionist since its founding, the aliyah is encouraged, but the diaspora plays an important role in Israel Jewish civilization. The movement is affiliated with the World Union of Progressive Judaism which supports the action for religious freedom in Israel.
In accordance with its principles, it recognizes other forms of Judaism: Orthodox , Masorti , Liberal. By cons, its positions are rejected by the Orthodox, the majority of Masorti and Liberal Party.
Born and operates primarily in the United States, the Reconstructionism believes to be in line with what he considers the best of American civilization: religion and morality as a driver of action for social justice.
The movement is embodied in three organizations: the Federation of Reconstructionist Judaism (Jewish Reconstructionist Federation - JRF), the Association of Reconstructionist rabbis (Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association - RRA) and the Reconstructionist Seminar (Reconstructionist Rabbinical College - DRR)
The basic principles of the movement, established by the RRA and the Federation of Reconstructionist congregations were published in 1986 as recommendations on the ballot of the federation.
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