Reconstructionist Judaism
The Reconstructionism, founded and developed in the 1930s by Rabbi Mordecai Menahem Kaplan, is the youngest flow of Judaism.
Characterization, historical origin
The Reconstructionist emerged from the Conservative Judaism, and was initially a flow within the conservative movement. A rabbi rekonstruktionistisches College has existed since 1968. Rekonstruktionistischen The umbrella organization of communities in the United States is the '' Jewish Reconstructionist Federation '', established in 1955., Consists of some 100 congregations and groups.
For the Reconstructionist is the Jewish religious law, halakha, as well as Judaism in its entirety, a further and subject to further development. If the Halacha redesigned by Conservative Judaism, it can be generally newly repeatedly questioned within the Reconstructionist this law.
Content
Mordecai Menahem Kaplan Following the rekonstruktionistische movement regarded the Jews not only as a religion, but as an " evolving religious civilization." This includes not only ritual but every aspect of life and aspects of human life: history, literature, art, music, country and language.
Judaism was, gone as a product of human development through different stages, each reflecting the conditions under which it continued to develop. It is believed no divine intervention and formulated so that the Torah did not come by divine revelation to the people as it postulates about Orthodox Judaism. Even today, go take it further and must take account of the changing conditions. Each generation has the right and the obligation to study the tradition and then to reformulate.
Complexity is the question of God. For part of the movement, there is no personal God. In his early works Kaplan wrote that God is the sum of all the processes of nature that would permit the people to realize themselves. In later works Kaplan speaks of God as an ontological reality. It exists independently of what the man think. Within the rekonstruktionistischen movement to arise not only these two perspectives.
Rite
Although only 3% of all Jews in the United States to " reconstructionist movement" includes, made the movement in some areas pioneering work, eg in the liturgy. Was the first, the so-called "gender inclusive liturgies " designed and God not only with male attributes described.
Facilities
Since 1986 exists in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC ), are formed on the rekonstruktionistische rabbis. Women there is the ordination of a rabbi since 1972 open. The first graduate, Sandy Eisenberg Sasso was ordained in 1974. Currently, about 80 students to study there.
In 1974, the Rabbinical Association Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association was founded. It has its headquarters in Philadelphia.
Statistics
Of the 13 million Jews of the earth approximately six million live in the United States. Of these, 6% to Orthodox Judaism, Conservative Judaism 35 % for, 38 % are committed to Reform Judaism; 2% consider themselves to rekonstruktionistischen Judaism, the rest belongs to none of these currents.
Genesis
With the establishment of a church in New York in 1922, the Society for the Advancement of Judaism, the history of the Jewish Reconstructionist began as a renewal movement. Kaplan, dean since 1909 at the renowned Jewish Theological Seminary ( until 1963 ), founded by supporters, students and rabbis in 1928 an independent group within the conservative Jewish flow, which constituted a Reconstructionist Council.
The elaborate theoretical foundation of the emergent, evolving rekonstruktionistischen flow delivered Kaplan in 1934 with his book Judaism as a Civilization. He formulated reformations of Jewish theology, Jewish philosophy, customs and community life.
Since 1935, have sprung up everywhere in the U.S. rekonstruktionistische clubs, a publishing house was founded in the same year the community newsletter The Reconstructionist Magazine appeared for communication rekonstruktionistischer positions.
1940 Kaplan founded the Reconstructionist Foundation, whose membership was open to progressive rabbis, as well as all the Jewish laity, not split the conservative Judaism to intend. The later published books recorded on important moments in the development of Reconstructionism as a separate flow within Judaism on, because until then the rekonstruktionistische flow was part of been conservative.
1941 Kaplan was, together with his son Ira Eisenstein and Eugene Kohn, a new version for the Passover Seder rekonstruktionistische, The New Haggadah out.
1945 gave MM Kaplan, I. Eisenstein, E. Kohn and Milton Steinberg, a new version of the Sabbath Prayer Book out. This led to some turmoil, including some ultra-Orthodox rabbis burned this prayer book and joined Kaplan as a heretic and apostate from Judaism, but this was merely a symbolic act, which had no effect on Kaplan, he was not a member of the ultra-Orthodox community.
Only in 1959 was followed by the founding of the Fellowship of Reconstructionist Congregations by Rabbi Ira Eisenstein, the secession of the conservative flow. Jewish communities was then the membership is open, and they could declare rekonstruktionistisch without belonging to the conservative movement. Today is, the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation rekonstruktionistische movement.
2003 rekonstruktionistische youth movement called No'ar Hadash was founded. This youth movement also rekonstruktionistisches a summer camp was organized. Since 2005, the holiday camp has a permanent seat in the Pocono Mountains (Pennsylvania). Outside of the summer is the land for other conferences rekonstruktionistischer movements and communities.