1. Where do you think the future of Reform Judaism is going?
2. What would you like to see the Reform movement concentrate on?
3. What challenges do you think we will confront in the coming years?
Why do you think the siddur and the liturgy are so important in the way we think about Jewish life?
What have been some of your meaningful prayer experiences?
What changes in worship have you found meaningful and challenging with the use of Mishkan Tefillah?
How is prayer a form of your personal Reform Jewish expression?
How is reform Jewish prayer a verb?
A bit of a tangent which is not in the reading, but I was wondering how the path towards progressive attitudes in Judaism may have paralleled similar paths towards progressive attitudes in Christianity or the larger secular culture of the time.
The development of a social response to the Enlightenment period can be seen in the development of new governments in the late 18th century. The French Revolution, the American revolution, the writings from Voltaire and Rousseau and other enlightened thinkers of the time all reflect this new wave of thinking.
I cannot comment on how the enlightenment impacted Christianity. We do know, however that the Christian Reformation had begun in the 16th century.
Comments
Week 5: The Future of Reform Judaism
1. Where do you think the future of Reform Judaism is going?
2. What would you like to see the Reform movement concentrate on?
3. What challenges do you think we will confront in the coming years?
Week 4: Reform Jewish Practice
Why do you think Reform Judaism has responded the way it has to Jewish law?
What Jewish practices do you find meaningful?
How can we devote ourselves to making informed Jewish choices about our own religious practice?
Do you think Reform Judaism should have grounding in Jewish law? Why or why not?
Week 3 Discussion Questions: Reform Jewish Prayer
Why do you think the siddur and the liturgy are so important in the way we think about Jewish life?
What have been some of your meaningful prayer experiences?
What changes in worship have you found meaningful and challenging with the use of Mishkan Tefillah?
How is prayer a form of your personal Reform Jewish expression?
How is reform Jewish prayer a verb?
Week 2 Discussion Questions: American Reform Judaism
1. What do you think are the significant changes the Reform Movement has made over the last 100 years?
2. Why do you think Reform Judaism has moved from a universalistic approach to a particularistic approach?
3. How do God, Torah and Israel give meaning and purpose to your lives?
4.What would your personal statement of principles look like for your personal view of Reform Judaism?
Week 1 Discussion Questions: The History of Reform Judaism
Why do you think Emancipation and the Enlightenment had such significant impacts for early Reform Jews?
In what ways do early Reform beliefs and values affect what we experience as Reform Jews today?
What is the significance of moving from Jewish particularism to universalism?
In what ways did Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, Rabbi Stephen S. Wise and Rabbi Jacob Rader Marcus influence Reform Judaism in the United States?
Social and religious context
A bit of a tangent which is not in the reading, but I was wondering how the path towards progressive attitudes in Judaism may have paralleled similar paths towards progressive attitudes in Christianity or the larger secular culture of the time.
The development of a social
The development of a social response to the Enlightenment period can be seen in the development of new governments in the late 18th century. The French Revolution, the American revolution, the writings from Voltaire and Rousseau and other enlightened thinkers of the time all reflect this new wave of thinking.
I cannot comment on how the enlightenment impacted Christianity. We do know, however that the Christian Reformation had begun in the 16th century.