Summer 2015 - The Society for Classical Reform Judaism

the Society for
The Reform Advocate
Volume VII, Number 2: Summer 2015
Classical
Reform
Judaism
Reclaiming & Renewing
Our Heritage for the 21st Century
THE SCRJ PUBLICATIONS PROGRAM
Creating New Resources for the Study and Celebration
of our Reform Jewish Heritage
When the Society for Classical Reform
Judaism was founded in 2008, there were
few available materials in print offering
contemporary worship and music resources
and current information on the history and
principles of our particular voice within the
broader Reform Movement. In the brief seven
years since then, the SCRJ has created and
fostered a growing body of liturgical, musical
and scholarly literature that have filled a
critical void in Jewish bibliography. We are
proud to offer an overview of our various
publications that are helping to preserve and
renew our heritage as Reform Jews:
The Rise and Growth of Reform Judaism: 50th Anniversary Edition
JPS Anthologies of Jewish Thought - Publication: Fall 2015
THE RISE OF REFORM JUDAISM:
A Sourcebook of its European Origins
By Rabbi Gunther Plaut (author)
Rabbi Howard Berman (foreword)
Rabbi Solomon B. Freehof (foreword)
Sponsored by: Philip and Eileen
Hoffman on behalf of The Society
for Classical Reform Judaism
2
This fiftieth anniversary edition of W. Gunther
Plaut’s classic volume on the beginnings of the Reform
Jewish Movement is updated with a new introduction by
Howard A. Berman. The Rise of Reform Judaism covers
the first one hundred years of the movement, from the
time of the eighteenth-century Jewish Enlightenment
leader Moses Mendelssohn to the conclusion of the
Augsburg synod in 1871.
In these pages the founders who established
Liberal Judaism, which originated in eastern Europe,
speak for themselves through their journals and
pamphlets, books and sermons, petitions and resolutions,
and public arguments and disputations. Each selection
includes Plaut’s brief introduction and sketch of the
reformer. Important topics within Judaism are addressed
in these writings: philosophy and theology, religious
practice, synagogue services, and personal life, as well
as controversies on the permissibility of organ music, the
introduction of the sermon, the nature of circumcision,
the observance of the Sabbath, the rights of women, and
the authenticity of the Bible.
THE GROWTH OF REFORM JUDAISM:
American and European Sources
By Rabbi Gunther Plaut (author)
Rabbi Howard Berman (foreword)
Rabbi Jacob K. Shankman (foreword)
Rabbi David Ellenson (afterword)
Sponsored by: The Larry and Bonnie Pike
Family Charitable Fund on behalf of
The Society for Classical Reform Judaism
About the Book
This fiftieth anniversary edition of W. Gunther
Plaut’s classic second volume on the history of the Reform
Jewish Movement is a sourcebook of the original writings
that shaped the second century of organized Liberal
Judaism. The Growth of Reform Judaism features a new
introduction, a new epilogue, and important additional
primary sources documenting the profound changes of the
last fifty years.
Although the emphasis in this volume is chiefly
on the American scene, where the movement had its
most notable advances, selections of representative
Liberal Jewish thought in Europe and to a lesser degree
in Israel are included as well. These selections help us to
understand the emergence and character, problems and
tensions of Reform Judaism as it developed and grew
in modern times. In addition to the primary texts new
to this edition, David Ellenson’s epilogue considers the
The Reform Advocate
Volume VII, Number 2: Summer 2015
3
developments of the last fifty years that have continued
to shape the course of Reform Judaism.
“The characteristic diversity within Reform
Judaism is underscored on virtually every page of Plaut’s
volumes.” – Rabbi Howard A. Berman, executive director
of the Society for Classical Reform Judaism.
“The work of Rabbi Plaut is not only crucial for an
understanding of Reform Judaism; it is also indispensable
for grasping the development and history of Judaism in
the modern world.” – Rabbi David Ellenson, chancellor
and past president of Hebrew Union College-Jewish
Institute of Religion
“This valuable collection of source materials is
designed to acquaint the reader with the primary forces
in the development of Reform Judaism in Europe. From
a wide range of essays, articles, speeches, and other
writings, Dr. Plaut judiciously selects those that best
represent the thinking of the leaders as well as of the
lesser, more obscure figures of the Reform movement.”–
Commentary magazine
About the Editors
Rabbi Gunther Plaut
Rabbi Gunther Plaut (1912-2012) was the senior
scholar at Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto, where he had
served as senior rabbi from 1961 to 1977. One of the most
prominent rabbis in the world, Rabbi Plaut wrote more
than 20 books on Jewish theology, history and culture. He
was best known for The Torah: A Modern Commentary,
his magnum opus and a touchstone for Judaism’s liberal
branches, published by the Union of American Hebrew
Congregations, the umbrella organization for Reform
Jewish congregations in North America.
Rabbi Solomon B. Freehof
Rabbi Solomon B. Freehof (1892–1990)
was the rabbi of Pittsburgh’s historic Rodef Shalom
Congregation, a leader of the Reform Movement, and
a world-renowned interpreter of Jewish law from a
contemporary liberal perspective.
the Society for
Classical
Reform
Judaism
Rabbi Jacob K. Shankman
Rabbi Jacob K. Shankman (1904–1986) was the
rabbi of Temple Israel of New Rochelle, New York, and a
leader in Reform Judaism.
Rabbi Howard Berman
Rabbi Howard A. Berman is the Executive
Director of the Society for Classical Reform Judaism.
He lectures throughout the country on behalf of the
Society and teaches regularly at Hebrew Union College,
Cincinnati, Los Angeles, and Jerusalem. He is Rabbi
Emeritus of Chicago Sinai Congregation and Founding
Rabbi of Central Reform Temple, Boston. Rabbi Berman
is the co-editor of The Union Prayer Book-Sinai Edition,
revised, and the editor of The New Union Haggadah,
published by the Central Conference of American Rabbis.
Rabbi David Ellenson
Rabbi David Ellenson is past president and
chancellor of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute
of Religion (HUC-JIR) and I.H. and Anna Grancell
Professor of Jewish Religious Thought. He is a fellow at
the Shalom Hartman Institute of Jerusalem and a fellow
and lecturer at the Institute of Advanced Studies at Hebrew
University, Jerusalem. His extensive publications include
Tradition in Transition, Rabbi Esriel Hildesheimer and
the Creation of a Modern Jewish Orthodoxy, Between
Tradition and Culture, and After Emancipation (a
National Jewish Book Award winner).
4
B’HADRAT KODESH - THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS
Prayers and Readings in the Tradition of Reform Judaism (Hebrew)
One of the major highlights of the Society’s
over the past two centuries! This resource brings a new
outreach to Reform Judaism abroad, has been its special
dimension to Reform worship in Israel which has long
relationship with Kehilat
been a feature of American
Har-El in Jerusalem, Israel’s
Reform liturgy – enriching
pioneer Reform synagogue.
the traditional Siddur
‫ֵי‬
‫פ‬
‫ִּסּו‬
‫כ‬
ְ
‫ּב‬
‫ָתֹו‬
‫ד‬
ֵ
‫ל‬
.‫ֵל‬
‫א‬
‫ְָר‬
‫ׂש‬
ִ
‫י‬
‫ַם‬
‫ע‬
‫ֶל‬
‫ׁש‬
‫ָה‬
‫ּׁש‬
‫ְֻד‬
‫ּק‬
‫ה‬
ַ
‫ְקֹום‬
‫מ‬
‫הּוא‬
‫ֶת‬
‫ס‬
ֶ
‫נ‬
ְ
‫ּכ‬
‫ה‬
ַ
‫ית‬
Through this partnership,
texts with contemporary
‫ ּבְ ֶמׁשְֶך ּכ ָל ׁשְנֹות נ ְדּודָיו ׁשֶל ָהעָם הַּי ְהּוִדי‬.‫ָהעָם לָחּוׁש אֶת ִקְרבַת אֱֹלהִים‬
Har-El has reaffirmed its
meditations and readings
.‫ ִׁשּמֵׁש לֹו ּבֵית ַהּכְנֶסֶת סֵמֶל מּו ָחׁשִי לְנֹוכְחּות אֱֹלהִים ּבְִקְרּבֹו‬,‫ּבַּתְפּוצֹות‬
own historic roots, offering
reflecting a broad range of
‫ ּבַעֲמִידָתֹו ָהאֵי ָתנ ָה נִּצָב הּוא‬.‫יָפְיֹו ׁשֶל ּבֵית ַהּכְנֶסֶת הּוא ּבְהְַדַרת ַהּקֶֹדׁש‬
regular worship in the
spiritual perspectives and
.‫ הַָרחֲמִים ו ְ ַהּׁשָלֹום‬,‫ּכְנֹוׂשֵא ַהּנ ֵס ׁשֶל עְֶרכֵי ַהּצ ֶֶדק‬
Classical Reform tradition
themes.
‫ ַאהֲבָה‬- ‫ ַאהֲבָתֹו‬.‫ָה ֲאמִּתֹות ׁשֶל ַהּבַי ִת ַהּקָדֹוׁש הַּז ֶה ֲא ִמּתִּיֹות לְכ ָל ָאדָם‬
as interpreted in the Israeli
‫ ְּתפִּלָה‬-‫ "ּכִי ּבֵיתִי ּבֵית‬:‫ ּכַּכָתּוב‬,‫ אֱֹלהָיו אֱֹלהֵי ּכ ָל ָה ָאדָם‬.‫לְכ ָל ָאדָם‬
context. Rabbi Ada Zavidov
B’Hadrat Kodesh has
,‫ ּכ ָל ַה ְּמ ַׁשּוְעִים לְצ ֶֶדק‬,‫ יְהִי ָרצֹון ֶׁשּכ ָל ּבֵית יִׂשְָראֵל‬. "‫ ָהעַּמִים‬-‫יִּקֵָרא לְכ ָל‬
and Cantor Evan Cohen have
been received with great
,‫ ּבַּמָקֹום הַּז ֶה‬,‫ י ִ ְמצְאּו אֶת אֱֹלהִים ּכָאן‬,‫ּכ ָל ַה ְמבַּקְׁשִים אֶת אֱֹלהֵי ַהּנֶצַח‬
worked with Rabbi Howard
enthusiasm, not only by the
!‫וְכָאן י ִ ְמצְאּו חַּיִים‬
Berman over the past year to
members of Har-El, but by
create a unique new worship
many of the rabbinic and
resource, to supplement
lay leaders of the Israel
the Israeli Siddur Shehakol
Movement for Progressive
he synagogue is the sanctuary of Israel. Born out of our
Balev. This newly published
Judaism. A number of other
longing to feel God's nearness, it has been to the Jewish
book, B’Hadrat Kodesh: The
congregations are using its
people, throughout our wanderings, a visible token of the
Beauty of Holiness, offers
readings, and planning to
presence of God in our people's midst. Its beauty is the
beauty of holiness. Steadfast, it has stood as the champion
specially prepared Modern
adopt the book for regular
of
justice,
mercy,
and
peace.
Hebrew translations of the
use. The Society will
Its truths are true for all people. Its love is a love for all
most enduring English texts
be making this volume
people. Its God is the God of all people, as it has been said:
of the Union Prayer Book
available to American
"My
house
shall
be
a
house
of
prayer
for
all
people."
Let
all
– a remarkable reversal of
readers in the near future.
the family of Israel, all who hunger for righteousness, all
the conventional pattern
who seek the Eternal, find God here and here find life!
of liturgical translation
‫ב‬
✽
T
The Reform Advocate
7 ‫נ"ו‬
B’Hadrat Kodesh
25 ‫בהדרת קודש‬
‫✽ י ְ ַׁשעְי ָהּו‬
Volume VII, Number 2: Summer 2015
5
THE UNION PRAYER BOOK, SINAI EDITION, REVISED
The Society’s signature publication is the 2012
edition of the Union Prayer Book, the contemporary,
inclusive language revision of the beloved liturgy that
shaped Reform Judaism in America for a century, and
inspired many generations of faithful Jewish worshippers.
Co-published with Chicago Sinai Congregation, one of
the historic centers of the Classical Reform tradition, the
Sinai UPB is now being used by many congregations
around the country, including many leading temples,
either as their primary prayer book or as a companion to
the other standard liturgies of the contemporary Reform
Movement.
*UDQW XV SHDFH <RXU PRVW SUHFLRXV JLIW (WHUQDO 6RXUFH RI SHDFH DQG
HQDEOH RXU SHRSOH ,VUDHO WR EH LWV PHVVHQJHU WR DOO WKH ZRUOG %OHVV RXU
FRXQWU\WKDWLWPD\HYHUEHDVWURQJKROGRISHDFHDQGLWVDGYRFDWHLQWKH
FRXQFLORIQDWLRQV0D\FRQWHQWPHQWUHLJQZLWKLQRXUERUGHUVKHDOWKDQG
KDSSLQHVV ZLWKLQ RXU KRPHV 6WUHQJWKHQ WKH ERQGV RI IULHQGVKLS DQG
KDUPRQ\ DPRQJ WKH LQKDELWDQWV RI DOO ODQGV 3ODQW YLUWXH LQ HYHU\ VRXO
DQGPD\RXUORYHIRU<RXKDOORZHYHU\KRPHDQGHYHU\KHDUW
:HSUDLVH<RX2*RG*LYHURISHDFH$PHQ
It is also being used regularly for
worship at the campuses of Hebrew
Union College, to help ground a new
generation of future rabbis, cantors and
educators in the worship traditions of
their own heritage. Volume I contains
Services for the Sabbath, Festivals and
weekdays, and Volume II includes the
full complement of Services for the
High Holy Days.
6LQJLQJ
LxKwLºO&Cx@º+tLN{t º@%DºDx9@y ºIv-ºMxL&RwLºMIv59x º,w/yRºLu@Xw
x5vIºLyRºAXºM&Lx
x 7
ZuRºLxK!w ºMIv/yRDºLx-ºZt@wEºLu@Xw
x5vIº,w/yRºZt@º+Xx
uAwLº,I{tPIuR!w ºA&HwEºM&Lx8Dy
ºº,{Nt &L7v
w !ºDxR7
x ºLxKAw %
M&Lx8Dy ºDu5oRºxIwIºDx9@y º+%Xx!
‘ŠȬ•˜–ȱ›ŠŸȱŠ•ȱ’œȬ›ŠȬŽ’•ȱŠ–ȬŒ‘ŠȱŠȬœ’–ȱ•Ȃ˜Ȭ•Š–ǯȱ’ȱȬŠȱ‘žȱ–ŽȬ•ŽŒ‘ȱȬ˜—
•ȂŒ‘˜•ȱ‘ŠȬœ‘ŠȬ•˜–ǯȱȂ˜Ÿȱ‹ȂŽ’Ȭ—ŽȬŒ‘Šȱ•ȂŸŠȬ›Ž’Œ‘ȱŽȱŠ–ȬŒ‘Šȱ’œȬ›ŠȬŽ’•ȱŸȂŽȱ”˜•
‘ŠȬŠȬ–’–ǰȱ ‹ȂŒ‘˜•ȱ Ž’ȱ žȬŸȂŒ‘˜•ȱ œ‘ŠȬŠȱ ‹’œ‘Ȭ•˜Ȭ–ŽȬŒ‘Šǯȱ
ŠȬ›žŒ‘ȱ ȬŠȱ ˜—Š’ǰȱ˜ȬœŽ’ȱ‘ŠȬœ‘ŠȬ•˜–ǯ
2 6RYHUHLJQ *RG RI SHDFH OHW DOO SHRSOH NQRZ HQGXULQJ SHDFH IRU LW LV
JRRGLQ<RXUVLJKWWREOHVVXVZLWK<RXUSHDFH
:H SUDLVH WKH (WHUQDO *RG ZKR EOHVVHV RXU SHRSOH ,VUDHO DQG DOO SHRSOH
ZLWKSHDFH
the Society for
Classical
Reform
Judaism
TO ORDER:
The New Union Prayer Book, Sinai
Edition, Revised
Contact: Chicago Sinai Congregation
15 W. Delaware Pl., Chicago, IL
60610.
Call (312) 867-7000 or
order on line at http://www.chicagosinai.org/services/bookstore/
Cost: $25.00
Discounts available for congregations.
6
CCAR Press Announces the Publication of the
New Union ePrayerbook - Sinai Edition, Revised
CCAR Press and the Society for Classical Reform Judaism join forces to create a new
digital prayer book bringing new life to a beloved tradition
This new Union Prayer Book (UPB) eBook makes our dynamic
heritage available for those who cherish Reform tradition,
as well as those seeking an accessible spiritual, visual, and
auditory worship experience. The UPB eBook contains:
• A Sabbath Evening and Sabbath Morning Service
• Embedded audio files with music from both the historic and
contemporary repertoire
• Prayers and meditations that have inspired generations of
American Reform Jews and continue to inspire Jews today
• Readings for special occasions and on special themes
•
•
•
•
•
Contemporary gender-neutral language
Stunning color photos of famous American Reform temples
Lyrics for several popular Sabbath service songs and hymns.
Transliterations for all of the Hebrew texts
Search and bookmark capabilities
Read the prayer book horizontally or vertically. Adjust the font
size to your taste or needs. Click on the arrows in the gray
music boxes to listen to the litrugical music.
AVAILABLE NOW on iTunes, GooglePlay, and Kindle!
The Reform Advocate
Volume VII, Number 2: Summer 2015
7
THE NEW UNION HAGGADAH
In 2014, the Society
sponsored the publication of The
New Union Haggadah, by the
Central Conference of American
Rabbis. This was the first
collaboration between the SCRJ
and the official body of the Reform
Rabbinate, which publishes all of
the Movement’s liturgical materials.
Edited by the Society’s Executive
Director, Rabbi Howard A. Berman,
this special edition preserves the
literary beauty, the direct and
accessible text, and the broad,
universalistic spirit embodied in
the 1923 Union Haggadah, so
beloved by many generations of
American Reform Jews. We have
rendered the majority of the English
text in contemporary, inclusive,
gender-neutral language, following
the egalitarian values that have
guided all of the CCAR’s liturgical
developments over the past forty years. In the spirit of
Classical Reform, this Haggadah is conceived to be
used as a forthrightly and primarily English language
experience – with all of the major Hebrew texts included
in transliteration, and accompanied by versions of the
most popular holiday songs and hymns that may be sung
in both languages
We have introduced new elements in the text
as well. These include traditional parts of the Haggadah
that were consciously eliminated by the editors of the
earlier versions. Our predecessors sought to remain
true to the vigorously rational spirit of a liberal faith
that rejected superstition and parochialism. The original
Union Haggadah consequently omitted such well-known
dimensions of the ritual as the triumphant enumeration of
the Ten Plagues – considered a “vindictive act unworthy
of enlightened minds and hearts.”
While they provided for the tradition of
welcoming of the Prophet Elijah, there was no particular
the Society for
Classical
Reform
Judaism
ceremony attached to it – reflecting
the ambivalence toward what may
have been considered a remnant of
ancient myth and fantasy. We have
reinstated the recollection of the
plagues, retaining the beautiful and
moving interpretation originated
by Rabbi Herbert Bronstein in
the 1974 CCAR Haggadah. This
brilliant and creative rendition
links the recitation of the plagues to
the symbolism of the ten drops of
wine – the diminishing of our joy
at our own redemption as we recall
the sufferings of our oppressors.
We have also been inspired by
the concept of echoing the ancient
plagues with those of our own time
– also a feature of the Bronstein
version – offered here in a new
form that weaves the two together.
Despite the rationalist objections,
Elijah remained stubbornly ensconced in the hearts of
most Reform Jews. For the ceremony of Opening of
the Door for the Prophet, we have reclaimed a littleknown supplement created by the Joint Committee on
Ceremonies of the CCAR and the Union of American
Hebrew Congregations in 1942 – which brilliantly
recasts this beloved tradition in the universalistic spirit
of Reform Judaism, as an authentic question and answer
dialogue between parent and child. In addition, we
have incorporated more recent innovations that have
broadened the embrace and symbolism of the Seder –
the Cup of Miriam and the Orange on the Plate – with
explanations that express the heightened awareness and
contemporary sensibilities of these popular rituals, in a
way that compliments the rest of the text.
The New Union Haggadah has become a popular
option for thousands of Reform Jews, and is now being
used for family and congregational Seders around the
country. We are proud and gratified by the success of this
effort that fulfills the Society’s vision of “the preservation
and creative renewal of our Reform Jewish heritage.”
TO ORDER The New Union Haggadah, go to CCAR Press at
https://www.ccarpress.org/shopping_product_detail.asp?pid=50125
Cost: Hardback $18.00. Large Print Quality Paperback Edition $22.00.
8
SAMUEL HIRSCH, RABBI, PHILOSOPHER, REFORMER
With an Introduction by Rabbi Howard A. Berman
As part of the Society’s partnership with Abraham
Geiger College in Berlin, the major rabbinical seminary
training Reform rabbis and cantors for European Jewish
communities today, the Society was invited to contribute
to this new biographical study of Rabbi Samuel Hirsch
(1815-1889), one of the pioneers
of the early Reform Movement in
Germany and America, and father
of the great American Reform
rabbi, Emil G. Hirsch of Chicago
Sinai Congregation. This bilingual
German-English volume is part of
the popular “Jewish Miniatures”
series, published by the leading
Jewish publisher in Germany,
Verlag Hentrich & Hentrich.
From the Foreward
In the pantheon of the great pioneers of Liberal Judaism in
19th century Germany, Samuel
Hirsch stands out with particular
distinction. As one of the “radical”
voices in the early development
of Jewish Reform, calling for a
thoroughly progressive, rationalist
understanding of Jewish belief and observance for an
enlightened and emancipated Jewish community in the
modern world, Hirsch’s position remained a minority
voice in Germany. The more moderate approach of
such dominant leaders as Abraham Geiger prevailed in
the tradition-bound European context, that called for a
broad-based Jewish community structure based on the
consensus of differing views. It was in the free, open
and pluralistic society of the United States that Reform
Judaism, as an independent and organized denominational
Movement, would flourish - developing in more liberal
directions of belief and practice. Samuel Hirsch, along
with his rabbinic colleague (and eventual mechutan “inlaw”) David Einhorn, emerged as a major influence on
American Reform. These two prominent leaders created
something of a Reform version of the Hasidic dynasties
– carried on by Hirsch’s son (and Einhorn’s son-in-law)
Emil G. Hirsch, who became one of the most prominent
and influential rabbis in America. Einhorn provided
the foundation for the official liturgy of the Movement,
creating the basis for the Union Prayer Book. Sharing
Hirsch’s universalism, his ardent opposition to slavery
during the American Civil War in turn inspired Emil G.
Hirsch’s focus on the liberal social vision of “Prophetic
Judaism” and the integration of
the Jewish and American ideals
of liberty and justice. Einhorn’s
other son-in-law, Kaufmann
Kohler, while occasionally
disagreeing with Samuel, carried
forth the theological principles
championed by of the radical
German Reform tradition in his
leadership of Hebrew Union
College, and his formation of
generations of American Reform
rabbis. Samuel’s descendants
continue to play important
roles in Jewish and civic life
in the United States today.
This enduring legacy
symbolizes the many ways that
the German Jewish heritage
has continued to shape Jewish
life throughout the world. It is
a great personal privilege for
me to contribute this preface to this biographical study
of Samuel Hirsch. Many of us in the American Reform
Movement today are committed to the preservation and
renewal of our distinctive liberal Jewish tradition. We
honor and are inspired by the courageous spirit of our
Founders. Hirsch’s challenge resonates with us today, as
we carry forth his vision - seeking to “combine universal
moral aspirations and intellectual integrity with Jewish
faith and loyalty, as our ongoing task…creating anew,
amidst the shifting and delicate balance between Torah
and modernity…”
Rabbi Howard A. Berman
Society for Classical Reform Judaism, USA
The Reform Advocate
Volume VII, Number 2: Summer 2015
9
TO ORDER
SAMUEL HIRSCH,
RABBI, PHILOSOPHER, REFORMER
Contact: The Society for Classical Reform Judaism
15 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116
info@renewreform.org, or call 617.247.4700,
Cost: $5.00
A recent edition of The Reform Advocate brought
us voices of “six fascinating people whose spiritual
journeys led them to our Classical Reform tradition.”
For me, their voices joined a more familiar chorus, the
voices of my parents and theirs, of friends and Rabbis
and teachers. Not led to Classical Reform, but born to it,
I was suckled on the Pittsburgh Platform, nourished by
the Union Prayer Book, confirmed in Prophetic Judaism.
Maybe it’s because I was a little girl in World
War II. I remember my mother or my daddy sitting on
my bed at night, reciting with me the Sh’ma. I didn’t
understand the difference then between wishing and a
prayer. “Blow out the candles on your cake and make
a wish.” We wished for peace. “Star light, star bright,
first star I’ve seen tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might,
have the wish I wish tonight.” We wished for peace. At
Temple, we prayed, “Grant us peace, Thy most precious
gift,” accompanied by the organ softly playing, “God
Bless America!”
the Society for
Classical
Reform
Judaism
When the radio proclaimed the war was over,
Daddy piled us in the car and drove downtown where,
with jubilant hordes, we honked the horn, circled the
Square, bought a newspaper from a boy calling, “Extra!
Extra!” I wondered why all those people hadn’t gone to
church, or we to Temple. Our prayers were answered.
Our wish was coming true.
Phyllis Feibelman with her granddaughter
Emily Kate Feibelman
Maybe it’s because Sunday School was different then.
We had “assemblies” every Sunday morning, using
children’s services in the Union Hymnal. I never studied
Hebrew, but we read the prayers transliterated in those
services and we read the English. In Temple, too, we
prayed mostly in English, so we knew what we prayed.
It was accessible to children, but it was never childish. It
grew with us, and so we grew with it.
Girl Scout Camp was the best of times with best
of friends, whispering after taps with tent mates, “What
do you believe?” Some questioned things I’d never
wondered, “What happens when you die?” I wasn’t sure,
not then, not now, but I was satisfied I knew at least this
much: “They still live on earth in the acts of goodness they
performed, and in the hearts of those who cherish their
memory.” Was there heaven? Was there hell? Mother
answered only: “Do what’s right because it’s right, not
for fear of punishment or promise of reward.”
What is right? “What does the Lord require of us?
Do justice…love mercy and walk humbly.” What does
that mean? What do you think that means? Of course,
some people believe that when people everywhere know
Jesus as the Christ, this wicked world would be redeemed.
I went to bed one night wondering if all the troubles in the
10
world could be the fault of little girls like me….and woke
up feeling, for the first time, there had been an answer
to my prayer. I woke up thinking, “God created me to
think and wonder; God gave me intelligence to do that.
Surely God is satisfied with Jewish understanding.” I
don’t remember thinking God preferred it; just that God
and I believed in one another.
Maybe it’s because, as I matured and studied
more, I learned of prayers abandoned by our ancestors
when they first began to “reform” Judaism. With
freedom, and with broader access to literature, history,
science, and philosophy, Judaism was enriched by all they
learned. Sometimes they realized they no longer believed
what their ancestors had believed, and with wisdom and
great courage, they changed some prayers and practices
to reflect new understanding. I grew to have so much
respect for that kind of intellect, that kind of courage….
such that, especially in America, though we revere and
celebrate our ancient heroes, we also live with gratitude
for those Reformers who have kept Judaism relevant and
meaningful in modernity. Our Judaism isn’t only long
ago and far away. This, too, is sacred land. These, too,
are sacred times.
Maybe it’s because I had so many opportunities
to learn. I went to NFTY Camp, perhaps the first one, (on
the campus of Haverford College, outside Philadelphia.)
I went to Junior College in Missouri, followed by a month
at something called The Vassar Summer Institute (where
on consecutive nights we heard Eleanor Roosevelt and
Margaret Mead.) I finished my BA at Newcomb College
of Tulane, had a school girl trip to Europe, earned an MA
at Bryn Mawr. Nowhere I went, nothing I studied, was
at odds with what I believed Judaism to be.
Maybe it’s because I grew up in the south. My
home is in Mobile, a small city with a congregation that
dates back to 1844. Our Sunday School was vibrant,
but not large. Like our parents, grandparents, great
grandparents, we were (in most ways) respected members
of the civic scene, and shared some parts of Mobile’s
social life. We wanted to have more young Jewish friends,
so there were visits to friends in other towns, there were
stints at Jewish summer camps, there were introductions
to friends-of-friends visiting Mobile, and there were the
Jewish sororities and fraternities on college campuses.
There was some prejudice, of course, but
interestingly, the ugliest prejudice I ever faced was at
Bryn Mawr….not because I was Jewish, but because I
was a daughter of the south. Surprisingly, that raised its
ugly head again at the most unlikely place….at a UAHC
Biennial in New York. My husband, Bert, served many
years on the Board of the National Association of Temple
Brotherhoods, so we went to many national meetings of
our Union and its affiliates. At that meeting in New York,
a delegate told me with self-appointed authority, that
southerners, and especially those with Classical Reform
experience and conviction, were no longer relevant. And
yet… every time I’ve been asked to plan a service, teach
a class….and have drawn all my material from Reform
Judaism as I know and love it, the effort has been well
received. It’s beautiful; it’s meaningful; it’s what’s now
called “Classical Reform.”
This commitment was also reflected in my
experience in marriage and motherhood. I taught Sunday
School. Bert and I both served on the boards, eventually
as presidents, of our Temple, and he of Brotherhood, I
of Sisterhood and Mobile Section, NCJW. Out in the
broader community, we also served on civic boards,
committees. We knew great happiness, great joy! One of
our children was not well. The other two met more-thannormal challenges. There was great joy, but also loss,
and heartbreak. This was real life….but none at odds
with what I had believed was Reform Judaism. Nothing
prepared me to lose Bert so young, but there, too, Reform
Judaism was a comfort, and a guide.
Maybe all of these and many more experiences
are what strengthened my commitment to what became
known as Classical Reform Judaism. When that
designation first was used, I resented it, feeling it was
meant to denigrate Reform Judaism as I knew and loved
it. I feared it came to be used to suggest that, like Latin,
it connoted an historic blip. Over all these years, I’ve
gotten used to it. I celebrated the creation of The Society
for Classical Reform Judaism.
Maybe it’s all of this and so much more that makes
me glad to be a part of the Society. I am especially glad
to know Hebrew Union College is once more teaching
Classical Reform, and CCAR has published The New
Union Haggadah. Our Union once again includes us and
embraces us.
All of these make me look forward to our
publications, and I am complimented beyond telling to
have been asked to write for this one.
The Reform Advocate
Volume VII, Number 2: Summer 2015
11
Fanchon Apfel
In memory of Jerome B. Apfel, Esq.
Alexander Chingas
In honor of Rabbi Howard Berman
John and Ellyn Daniels
In honor of Rabbi Howard Berman with
gratitude for his advising of Emma’s
senior thesis
Bertram S. Devorsetz
In memory of Brett Devorsetz
Barbara and Burton Einspruch
In memory of Helma Ackerman
Richard and Dixie Grossman
In honor of Morelle Levine
Elizabeth Hirsch
In memory of Rabbi Levi A. Olan
Bernard Joseph
In honor of Edward Ackerman
Catherine Kahn
In honor of Rabbi Edward P. Cohn
Margie and B.H. Levy, Jr.
In memory of Gerald Silverstein
Maxwell Lyons II
In honor of Mark Jacobson
Richard Milstein
In memory of Dr. Jordan S. Ruboy
The Rudolf Schwartz and Edelman families
In loving memory of dear Brother-in-law and Uncle, Bernard Schulman
Cantor Wayne Siet
In honor of Rabbi Philip Schechter
Pamela Stavinoga
In memory of Robert Stavinoga
Jane Wallerstein
In memory of Bernard Wallerstein
Lyanne and Barton Wasserman
In honor of Rabbi Alan Litwak
Lois Wolf
In memory of Alan Linz Kahn
Robert and Anne Yudell
In honor of Rabbi Stanley & Ivy Relkin
Contributions are welcome throughout the year. Honor a special occasion, express sympathy or
simply say “Thank You” with a contribution to the SCRJ. Provide a name and address and we will send
an acknowledgement to the family or honoree. Use the enclosed envelope or send a check to The Society
for Classical Reform Judaism, 15 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116 or contribute on our website at
www.renewreform.org/donate.
We thank you for your continued support.
the Society for
Classical
Reform
Judaism
The SCRJ is the national voice of advocacy for the preservation and
creative renewal of the historic ideals of Classical Reform Judaism
– its progressive spiritual values, rich intellectual foundations, and
distinctive worship traditions. We affirm:
•
•
•
•
a meaningful and accessible worship Service,
primarily in English
the ethical values, grounded in the timeless, universal
vision of our Hebrew Prophets, that inspire our personal
decision making and communal responsibility as primary
expressions of our religious commitment as Jews
the centrality of the American experience
in our Jewish identity
a warm, unconditional welcome and support
for interfaith families
The integrity and inspiration of our Classical Reform heritage have
continuing vitality and relevance for a new generation of Jews today.
the Society for
Classical
Reform
Judaism
Rabbi Howard A. Berman
Executive Director
15 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116
617.247.4700
e-mail: info @ renewreform.org
website: www.RENEWREFORM.org
B. H. Levy, Jr. President
Rabbi Devon A. Lerner
Program Coordinator
Board of Directors
B. H. Levy, Jr., President – Savannah, Georgia
Rabbi Edward P. Cohn, Vice President – Temple Sinai,
New Orleans, Louisiana
Victoria Woolner Samuels, Vice President – Chicago, Illinois
Leslie J. Novitsky, Secretary – Arlington, Virginia
Charles Udell, Treasurer – Leawood, Kansas
Max Edward Tonkon, Board Chairman – Dallas, Texas
Edward Ackerman – Dallas, Texas
Eddie Ackerman – Dallas, Texas
Rabbi Hillel Cohn – Congregation Emanu El, San Bernardino, California
Rabbi Robert Haas – Congregation Mickve Israel, Savannah, Georgia
Philip Hoffman – Chicago, Illinois
Cantor Aaron Kaplan – Houston, Texas
Morelle Levine – Los Angeles, California
Daniel Lissner – Boston, Massachusetts
Douglas H. Pike – Atlanta, Georgia
Larry Pike – Atlanta, Georgia
Fred S. Roden – New York, New York
Rabbi Nadia Siritsky – Louisville, Kentucky
Jill S. Silverstein – Boston, Massachusetts
Rabbi Ronald B. Sobel – Congregation Emanu--El
of the City of New York, New York
Jan E. Stone – Chicago, Illinois