Next week I am going to the largest Jewish gathering in North America, the Union for Reform Judaism Biennial in Washington, D.C. Over 5000 people have registered. Like previous biennials, Reform Jews will learn, pray, share ideas, celebrate, and hear from important guest speakers, including President Obama. Unlike previous biennials, this one is taking place at a moment of great change. The future of the North American Jewish community is being shaped by many different forces, including challenges to synagogue affiliation because of economic uncertainty, virtual community, and post denominationalism. If someone can “buy a bar mitzvah” on line, hire an independent tutor, and rent a rabbi and a Torah scroll, why join a synagogue? Why should people pay the high cost of membership if all they want is High Holy Day tickets and a rabbi to be there with them for a life-cycle moment? How can we help people understand that spiritual community can enrich their lives and help them find meaning and purpose? What does it mean to be a Reform Jew in the twenty-first century? If we were inventing Reform Jewish institutions from the ground up, what would they look like? What should be the role of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), and the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR)?
To address these challenges, the URJ, CCAR, and HUC-JIR have convened a Think Tank consisting of rabbis, cantors, educators, and lay leaders to discuss these major challenges facing the Reform Movement. I am privileged to serve on this Think Tank. The questions it struggles with are as fascinating as they are important. It is important that many voices join the conversation, so in the summer issue of Reform Judaism magazine there were a series of questions posed. Then, in the most recent issue (which you should have just received), there are a sampling of some of the responses. Questions include:
“Do you think we should re-envision our Movement’s scope – and its name – to encompass the majority of liberal Jewry in North America? If yes, what would you call this Movement? If no, why not? Do you agree that one of the best ways to make Reform synagogues and the Reform Movement less vulnerable to economic downturns is to stop depending on membership dues and religious school fees? What are the best alternatives? Do you agree that “the supreme challenge” facing the Reform Movement today is “the changing attitude toward affiliation and membership… that people are less committed to organizations of any kind”? If you agree, how do we tackle this problem? If you disagree, what do you think is the “supreme challenge” and what needs to be done to address it? Do you believe that that the survival of Reform Judaism in a society “in which the only constant is change [requires] creating a community that stands for something timeless? If so, what do we stand for that will resonate today and endure? How can the Reform Movement, which is rooted on the idea of personal autonomy, resonate with all of its members when it incorporates so many diverse theological perspectives and religious practices? Do congregational rabbis have too many “new and increasingly complex responsibilities to juggle”? What should their major roles be to assure the Jewish future?
Not easy questions. Important questions never are. Will you join the conversation by clicking on the link below and sharing your thoughts? It matters to all of us. http://data.urj.org/rjmag/thinktank/
Rabbi Laura Geller
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