The Reform movement’s controversial “Statement of Principles” has finally been adopted. Not surprisingly, the response has been mixed.
Though the principles — which, among other things, promote Jewish learning and observance of Shabbat and holidays — have been significantly watered down from their original form, many Reform Jews fear they will lead to coercion.
“If I wanted this much dogma, I’d be a Conservative Jew,” one person wrote on the Reform Judaism magazine’s Web site.
Proponents of the principles, however, have been careful to stress that the document is a guideline and not a law. There will be no Reform police going into homes to make sure candles are lit on Shabbat, or that congregants participate in social-action projects.
The principles may, in fact, lead Reform Jews to reconsider the role of observance and spirituality in their lives. Such reflection can only be positive, serving to clarify, or even enhance, people’s connection to Judaism.
Still, we hope the Reform movement, in presenting the principles, will be sensitive to congregants’ concerns. The debate arising from the document, which has been discussed for close to two years and undergone more than 30 amendments, can be used to the movement’s benefit.
On the eve of the millennium, it offers a chance for vibrant soul-searching.
The principles arose out of the sense that Reform Judaism needs to respond officially to a growing hunger for tradition and spirituality. As such, the two-page statement seeks to reverse the movement’s 1885 Pittsburgh Platform, which strongly rejected Jewish traditions and rituals.
The principles may nudge the movement into a more centrist position in American Jewish life. At the same time, individual Reform Jews should remember they ultimately have a choice.