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April 27, 2001/Iyar 4, 5761, Vol. 53, No.30
Reform looks back to move forward
BARRY COHEN
Editor
The "reform" in Reform Judaism is more than just an adjective - it is a mechanism for change, an imperative to evolve.
Reform Judaism shifts and alters, depending upon the dominant culture and language, without losing its inherent Jewish identity. But one example is Classical Reform Judaism, which viewed worship as dignified and orderly, values as reflected in ethical deeds and social action, and dismissed ritual as primitive.
During the weekend of March 23, Temple Emanuel hosted Professor Michael Meyer as scholar-in-residence in observance of the synagogue's 25th anniversary. Meyer is a leading historian of Reform Judaism and Reform Jewish thought.
The celebration coincided with the 125th anniversary of the Reform movement's seminary, the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, with campuses in Los Angeles, Cincinnati, New York and Jerusalem.
Meyer's reflections on contemporary issues in Reform Judaism in America provided an opportunity to talk to Valley Reform leaders about the state of the Reform movement here.
"The Reform movement has been getting more traditional for a very long time," said Meyer in an interview. "(But) new manifestations of (tradition) keep appearing."
In Valley Reform congregations, leaders have implemented varying degrees of change to reintroduce tradition in worship services.
Temple Solel in Paradise Valley has changed both its liturgy and the layout of the sanctuary, said Rabbi Maynard Bell.
"Worship is less cognitive and more emotional," he added. There is more emphasis on Hebrew, music and participation by the congregants. Five years ago, "Gates of Prayer: the New Union Prayer Book" was replaced by the movement's updated gender inclusive liturgy, he added.
At Temple Kol Ami in Scottsdale, if congregants are late for worship, they are encouraged to start at the beginning and catch up, said Rabbi B. Charles Herring.
In the past, Reform's emphasis on collective prayer required the congregation to pray in unison, with little if any room for individual prayer.
Temple Chai in Phoenix has made substantial changes to its Friday evening Kabbalat Shabbat worship service, said Rabbi Lisa Tzur, associate rabbi. In place of alternating weekly services at 6, 7:30 or 8 p.m., the synagogue has instituted a 6:15 p.m. service.
A number of "liturgically-heavy" Hebrew prayers have been added, along with a prayer chanted in English and meditative moments.
Temple Emanuel has made fewer recent changes. According to Rabbi Andrew Straus. "The movement has caught up with Emanuel." While more and more Reform Jews across the country are starting to wear yarmulkes and tallitot (prayer shawls), Emanuel's congregants have worn them for years, said Straus.
Emanuel has established a collaborative relationship with Temple Beth Sholom, a Conservative congregation in Chandler, enabled in part because Emanuel is more traditional, as shown by its kosher-style kitchen.
The synagogues alternate sponsorship of Selichot services and Tikun Leil Shavuot (study sessions celebrating Shavuot) programs and socialize together over kosher-style refreshments and meals.
Emanuel's adopting traditional standards for conversion - mikvah and tipat dam brit (taking a ceremonial drop of blood from the penis) - enabled the synagogues to cosponsor conversion classes.
Reform synagogues have experienced a dramatic change in the social composition of the congregants in recent years. A greater number of Jews by choice and intermarried couples have made the congregations less "ethnically Jewish" and more "religiously Jewish," Meyer said.
Meyer said "religiously Jewish" means placing greater emphasis on the "individual religious experience" and prayer, in contrast to formal ritual and k'lal Yisrael, Israel and the worldwide Jewish community.
At Temple Beth Israel in Scottsdale, Rabbi Kenneth Segel said few congregants would describe themselves as "religious."
"If you ask most people, they would probably say, 'I'm not religious.' But that's because they identify being religious with ritual ... and Jewish law," he said.
Segel said he would describe as "religious" those who affiliate, enroll their children in religious school, create a Jewish home and support Jewish organizations.
Tzur said the Temple Chai board is a cross-section of the congregation and tracking the religious background of the board reveals the Jewish identity of the congregation and how it has changed.
A great number of the board grew up as Conservative Jews, she said. Approximately one-third grew up Orthodox and one-third Reform.
In the interview, Meyer said Reform congregations are becoming places where the community gathers, rather than simply institutions providing formal services, such as bar or bat mitzvah ceremonies, weddings, baby namings and funerals.
"The service-provider model breaks down when congregants are themselves playing an active role (participating in programming) and therefore are not passive recipients of a service," he explained.
However, changing models requires "changing the culture of the congregation," he added.
"Our congregation responds to change very positively," said Tzur. The clergy organized parlor meetings with congregants to let them know changes would be made in the timing and style of Shabbat worship. In addition, they provided a compact disc to teach the congregation the traditional music, said Tzur.
Bell said changes at Temple Solel are clergy-driven, but there a ritual committee provides input and support.
The ritual committee at Temple Emanuel is exploring what the worship experience means to the congregation, said Straus.
The committee is not limiting its review to Reform Jewish models, Straus said, but is looking also to Conservative Judaism and even to Christian "mega-churches."
Another change within Reform congregations concerns day-school education, said Meyer.
"The day school movement ... today is established as a fixture of the Reform educational system," he explained.
"The day school has helped change our culture," said Bell of Solel, referring to the Pardes Jewish Day School on the Solel campus.
Families with children in the day school have a higher level of involvement and seriousness and view education as a lifelong commitment, he added.
A building for the Jess Schwartz Jewish Community High School is being constructed on the Temple Chai campus, although it is expected to move to the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus in several years.
Rabbis Berk and Tzur, in addition to Rabbi Peter Levy, who will join Chai this summer, plan to teach at the high school.
How the Reform movement will change in the future, reintroducing tradition or moving away from it, is something individual congregations will have to determine, Meyer said.
Assistant Editor Leisah Namm contributed to this story.
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