Trends in Reform Judaism
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Quite discouraged today, after hearing the rabbi talk (yet again) about the conservative trends in Reform Judaism (such as keeping kosher and other observances). In "Classical" Reform Judaism, the rejection of those observances were dogma, but in the new Reform Judaism, supposedly, there is more opportunity to choose to observe. In reality, though, the observances are becoming their own dogma, and those of us who would choose otherwise have no where to go. (The rabbi referenced a recent conversation with another congregant, with views similar to mine, who apparently agrees with the rabbi that he is a "dying breed" - I'm pretty young to think of myself that way!) I was not raised in a strong Reform tradition, because our little outpost community was an amalgam of many practices and perspectives. However, I have affiliated with Reform Judaism as an adult, because of 1) the equal status of women, and 2) the rejection of observances that I consider archaic and without spiritual meaning or practical application. My primary purpose for affiliating at all is to be part of a community, and "following the rules" for their own sake has no appeal to me, nor am I motivated to pass this approach along to my children. Yet again, I am frozen in a dilemma, where I passionately want a different kind of practice that is not available to me, but I cannot leave, because of my (even stronger) desire to encourage a connection for my children. Extremely depressing.
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