Reconstructionist Judaism

Movement of Rabbinical Judaism

Reconstructing Judaism's organizational headquarters in Wyncote, Pennsylvania Torah reading at the Congregation Dorshei Emet, Montreal

Reconstructionist Judaism[a] is a Jewish movement based on the concepts developed by Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan (1881–1983)—namely, that Judaism is a progressively evolving civilization rather than just a religion.[2][3][4] The movement originated as a semi-organized stream within Conservative Judaism, developed between the late 1920s and the 1940s before seceding in 1955,[5][6] and established a rabbinical college in 1967.[7] Reconstructionist Judaism is recognized by many scholars as one of the five major streams of Judaism in America alongside Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and Humanistic.[8][9][10][11][12]

There is substantial theological diversity within the movement. Halakha (Jewish law) is not considered normative or binding, but rather serves as the basis for the ongoing evolution of meaningful Jewish practice. In contrast with the Reform movement's stance during the time he was writing, Kaplan believed that "Jewish life [is] meaningless without Jewish law." One of the planks he wrote for the proto-Reconstructionist Society for the Jewish Renaissance stated, "We accept the halakha, which is rooted in the Talmud, as the norm of Jewish life, availing ourselves, at the same time, of the method implicit therein to interpret and develop the body of Jewish Law by the actual conditions and spiritual needs of modern life."[13] The movement also emphasizes positive views toward modernity. It has an approach to Jewish customs that aims toward communal decision-making through a process of education and distillation of values from traditional Jewish sources.[14][15]

The movement's 2011 A Guide to Jewish Practice describes a Reconstructionist approach to Jewish practice as "post-halakhic" because the modern world is one in which Jewish law cannot be enforced. Obligation and spiritual discipline exist without the enforcement of a functioning legal system. Thus, Reconstructionist Jews take Jewish law seriously as a source and resource that can shape expectations while not necessarily seeing themselves as bound by inherited claims of obligation. Therefore, the practices in the guide are not monolithic, and commentators provide further insights, arguments, and alternative approaches that span the broad range of views advocated by Reconstructionist rabbis and scholars. The guide states that it "assumes that thoughtful individuals and committed communities can handle diversity and will of necessity reach their own conclusions."[16]

## Origin

[edit]

Part of a series on

Jews and Judaism

* Etymology
* Who is a Jew?
* Jewish studies

Religion

* God in Judaism (names)
* Principles of faith
* Mitzvot (613)
* Halakha
* Shabbat
* Holidays
* Prayer
* Tzedakah
* Land of Israel
* Brit
* Bar and bat mitzvah
* Marriage
* Bereavement
* Baal teshuva
* Philosophy
* Ethics
* Kabbalah
* Messiah
* Claimants
* Customs
* Rites
* Synagogue
* Rabbi

Texts

|  Tanakh

* Torah
* Nevi'im
* Ketuvim

Talmud

* Mishnah
* Gemara

Rabbinic

* Midrash
* Tosefta

* Targum
* Beit Yosef
* Mishneh Torah
* Tur
* Shulchan Aruch
* Zohar

History

|  General

* Timeline
* Land of Israel
* Name "Judea"
* Antisemitism
* Anti-Judaism
* Persecution
* Leaders
* Modern historiography
* Historical population comparisons

Ancient Israel

* Twelve Tribes of Israel
* Kingdom of Judah
* Kingdom of Israel
* Jerusalem (in Judaism
* timeline)
* Temple in Jerusalem (First
* Second)
* Assyrian captivity
* Babylonian captivity

Second Temple period

* Yehud Medinata
* Maccabean Revolt
* Hasmonean dynasty
* Sanhedrin
* Schisms (Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Zealots, Sicarii)
* Second Temple Judaism (Hellenistic Judaism)
* Jewish–Roman wars (Great Revolt, Diaspora, Bar Kokhba)

Rabbinic period and Middle Ages

* Rabbinic Judaism
* History of the Jews in the Byzantine Empire
* Christianity and Judaism (Jews and Christmas)
* Hinduism and Judaism
* Islamic–Jewish relations
* Middle Ages
* Golden Age
* Expulsion from Spain

Modern era

* Haskalah
* Sabbateans
* Hasidism
* Jewish atheism
* Emancipation
* Old Yishuv
* Zionism
* Soviet Union
* The Holocaust
* Israel
* Arab–Israeli conflict

Communities

* Ashkenazim
* Galician
* Litvak
* Mizrahim
* Sephardim
* Teimanim (Yemenite Jews)
* Beta Israel
* Gruzinim (Georgian Jews)
* Juhurim (Mountain Jews)
* Bukharim
* Italkim
* Romanyotim
* Cochinim
* Bene Israel
* Berber
* Crimean Karaites
* Krymchaks
* Kaifeng Jews

Related groups

* Bnei Anusim
* Lemba
* Igbo Jews
* Samaritans
* Crypto-Jews
* Anusim
* Dönmeh
* Marranos
* Neofiti
* Xueta
* Mosaic Arabs
* Subbotniks
* Noahides

Population

* Judaism by country
* Lists of Jews
* Diaspora
* Historical population by country
* Population by city
* Genetic studies

Israel and Palestine

* Old Yishuv
* New Yishuv
* Israeli Jews
* Palestinian Jews

Africa

* Algeria
* Angola
* Bilad-el-Sudan
* Botswana
* Cameroon
* Cape Verde
* Benin
* Democratic Republic of the Congo
* Djibouti
* Egypt
* Ethiopia
* Beta Israel
* Eritrea
* Eswatini
* Gabon
* Gambia
* Ghana
* Guinea
* Guinea-Bissau
* Ivory Coast
* Kenya
* Libya
* Madagascar
* Malawi
* Mali
* Mauritius
* Morocco
* Mozambique
* Namibia
* Nigeria (Igbo)
* Republic of the Congo
* São Tomé and Príncipe
* Sierra Leone
* Somalia
* South Africa
* Sudan
* Tanzania
* Tunisia
* Uganda (Abayudaya)
* Zambia
* Zimbabwe

Asia

* Afghanistan
* Bahrain
* Cambodia
* China
* Hong Kong
* India
* Indonesia
* Iran
* Iraq
* Israel
* Japan
* Jordan
* Kazakhstan
* Kurdistan
* Kuwait
* Kyrgyzstan
* Lebanon
* Malaysia
* Mongolia
* Myanmar
* Nepal
* Oman
* Pakistan
* Philippines
* Qatar
* Saudi Arabia
* South Korea
* Singapore
* Sri Lanka
* Syria
* Tajikistan
* Taiwan
* Thailand
* Turkey
* United Arab Emirates
* Uzbekistan
* Vietnam
* Yemen

Europe

* Albania
* Armenia
* Austria
* Azerbaijan
* Belarus
* Belgium
* Bosnia
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Czechia
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Georgia
* Germany
* Greece
* Romaniote
* Hungary
* Iceland
* Ireland
* Italy
* Italkim
* Latvia
* Liechtenstein
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Moldova
* Montenegro
* Netherlands
* North Macedonia
* Norway
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Russia
* Soviet Union
* Serbia
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sephardim
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Ukraine
* United Kingdom
* England
* Scotland
* Wales

Northern America

* Canada
* United States
* Greenland

Latin America and Caribbean

* Argentina
* Bolivia
* Brazil
* Chile
* Colombia
* Costa Rica
* Cuba
* Dominican Republic
* Ecuador
* El Salvador
* Guatemala
* Guyana
* Haiti
* Honduras
* Jamaica
* Mexico
* Nicaragua
* Panama
* Paraguay
* Peru
* Puerto Rico
* Suriname
* Uruguay
* Venezuela

Oceania

* Australia
* Fiji
* Guam
* New Zealand
* Palau

Denominations

* Orthodox
* Modern
* Haredi
* Hasidic
* Reform
* Conservative
* Karaite
* Reconstructionist
* Renewal
* Science
* Haymanot
* Humanistic

Culture

|  Customs

* Minyan
* Wedding
* Clothing
* Niddah
* Pidyon haben
* Kashrut
* Shidduch
* Zeved habat
* Conversion to Judaism
* Aliyah
* Hiloni

Music

* Religious
* Secular

Art

* Ancient
* Yiddish theatre
* Dance
* Humour

Cuisine

* American
* Ashkenazi
* Bukharan
* Ethiopian
* Israeli
* Israelite
* Mizrahi
* Sephardic

Literature

* Israeli
* Yiddish
* Judeo-Tat
* American

Surnames

* Ashkenazi
* Mizrahi
* Sephardic

Languages

* Hebrew
* Biblical
* Mishnaic
* Medieval
* Modern
* Bukharian
* Ghardaïa Sign
* Jewish Koine Greek
* Judeo-Arabic
* Judeo-Aramaic
* Judeo-Berber
* Judeo-Gascon
* Judaeo-Georgian
* Judaeo-Iranian
* Judeo-Italian
* Judeo-Malayalam
* Judaeo-Spanish
* Judeo-Tat
* Knaanic
* Shassi
* Yeshivish
* Yevanic
* Yiddish
* Zarphatic

Politics

|  Jewish political movements

* Autonomism
* Bundism
* Feminism
* Leftism
* Secularism
* Territorialism
* World Agudath Israel

Zionism

* General
* Green
* Labor
* Kahanism
* Maximalism
* Neo-Zionism
* Religious
* Revisionist
* Post-Zionism

* Category
* Portal

* v
* t
* e

Reconstructionism was developed by Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan (1881–1983) and his son-in-law, Ira Eisenstein (1906–2001), between the late 1920s to the 1940s. After being rejected by Orthodox rabbis for his focus on issues in the community and the sociopolitical environment, Kaplan and a group of followers founded the Society for the Advancement of Judaism (SAJ) in 1922. Its goal was to allow rabbis to form new outlooks on Judaism in a more progressive manner. Kaplan was the leader of the SAJ until Eisenstein succeeded him in 1945. In 1935, Kaplan published his book, Judaism as a Civilization: Toward a Reconstruction of American Jewish Life. It was this book that Kaplan claimed was the beginning of the Reconstructionist movement. Judaism as a Civilization suggested that historical Judaism be given a "revaluation... in terms of present-day thought."[17] Reconstructionism was able to spread with several other forms of literature—most notably, the New Haggadah (1941), which for the first time blended Kaplan's ideologies in Jewish ceremonial literature.

Although Kaplan did not want Reconstructionism to branch into another Jewish denomination, it became apparent that such an outcome was inevitable. At the Montreal conference in 1967, Reconstructionist leaders called for a rabbinical school in which rabbis could be ordained under the Reconstructionist ideology and lead Reconstructionist congregations.[18] By the fall of 1968, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College was opened in Philadelphia. Along with the establishment of the college, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association formed, which gave rabbis a strong network in the religious leadership of Reconstructionism.[19] The founding of these institutions were great strides in it becoming the fourth movement in North American Judaism (Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform being the other three).

Reconstructionist Judaism is the first major movement of Judaism to originate in North America; the second is the Humanistic Judaism movement founded in 1963 by Sherwin Wine.

Reconstructionist theology is a variant of the naturalism of John Dewey, which combined atheistic beliefs with religious terminology to construct a religiously satisfying philosophy for those who had lost faith in traditional religion.[citation needed] [See id. at 385; but see Caplan at p. 23, fn.62 ("The majority of Kaplan's views ... were formulated before he read Dewey or [William] James."[20])]

## Theology

[edit]

Mordecai Kaplan argued that contemporary Jews can no longer maintain many traditional theological claims or sociocultural practices of Judaism due to advances in philosophy, science, and history.[21] Kaplan affirmed a wholly non-anthropomorphic God, a position articulated by prominent medieval Jewish thinkers like Maimonides and in agreement with the rest of Rabbinic Judaism. All anthropomorphic descriptions of God, he argued, are understood to be metaphorical.[22]

Kaplan's theology went further to claim that God is neither a personal god nor a conscious one; God cannot relate to or communicate with humanity in any way.[23] Kaplan's theology defines God as the "sum of all natural processes that allow people to become self-fulfilled"—a religious and spiritual naturalism.[24]

> To believe in God means to accept life on the assumption that it harbors conditions in the outer world and drives in the human spirit which together impel man to transcend himself. To believe in God means to take for granted that it is man's destiny to rise above the brute and to eliminate all forms of violence and exploitation from human society. In brief, God is the Power in the cosmos that gives human life the direction that enables the human being to reflect the image of God.[25]

Most "classical" Reconstructionist Jews (i.e., those agreeing with Kaplan) reject traditional forms of theism, though this is by no means universal.[20] Many Reconstructionist Jews are deists, but the movement also includes Jews who hold Kabbalistic, pantheistic, personal, and/or panentheistic views of God.[20][26] As he explicitly stated, Kaplan's theology does not represent the only Reconstructionist understanding of theology; theology is not the cornerstone of the Reconstructionist movement. Much more central is the idea that Judaism as a Civilization and that the Jewish people must take an active role in ensuring its future by participating in its ongoing evolution.

Consequently, a strain of distinctly non-Kaplanian Reconstructionism exists.[citation needed] In this view, Kaplan's assertions concerning Jewish belief and practice are largely rejected while his principle of Judaism being an "evolving religious civilization" is sustained. The basis for this approach is that Kaplan spoke for his generation; he also wrote that every generation would need to define itself and its civilization for itself.[citation needed] In the thinking of these Reconstructionists, what Kaplan said concerning Jewish belief and practice is inapplicable to the generations of Reconstructionism since his death. As such, non-Kaplanian Reconstructionist Judaism could include belief in a personal God, endorsement of the concept of Jews as the chosen people, a belief in some form of resurrection and/or an afterlife, and adherence to some version of binding halakha. In the latter context, novel interpretations of domains of halakha like kashrut have emerged, such as Eco-Kashrut.[citation needed]

## Jewish law and tradition

[edit]

Reconstructionist Judaism holds that the traditional halakhic system is incapable of producing a code of conduct that is meaningful for, and acceptable to, the vast majority of contemporary Jews, and thus must be reinterpreted in each new time.[13] Unlike classical Reform Judaism, Reconstructionism holds that a person's default position should be to incorporate Jewish laws and tradition into their lives, unless they have a specific reason to do otherwise. However, some Reconstructionists believe that halakha is neither normative nor binding, but are general guidelines.

Reconstructionism promotes many traditional Jewish practices. Thus, the commandments have been replaced with "folkways", non-binding customs that can be democratically accepted or rejected by the congregations. Folkways that are promoted include keeping the Hebrew language in the prayer service, studying Torah, daily prayer, wearing kippot (yarmulkes), tallitot and tefillin during prayer, and observance of the Jewish holidays.

Reconstructionists may use distinct prayer books, such as the Kol haneshamah Hebrew/English Reconstructionist prayer book. Marc Shapiro called attention to the Reconstructionist Kol haneshamah taking liberties with the text, sometimes with an English translation "so blatantly inaccurate that we have no choice but to regard it as a conscious alteration."[27]

## Beliefs

[edit]

In practice, Kaplan's books, especially The Meaning of God in Modern Jewish Religion and Judaism as a Civilization are de facto statements of principles. In 1986, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association (RRA) and the Federation of Reconstructionist Congregations and Havurot (FRCH) adopted the official "Platform on Reconstructionism". It is not a mandatory statement of principles, but rather a consensus of current beliefs.[28] Major points of the platform state:

> Judaism is the result of natural human development. There is no such thing as divine intervention; Judaism is an evolving religious civilization; Zionism and aliyah (immigration to Israel) are encouraged; Reconstructionist Judaism is based on a democratic community where the laity can make decisions, not just rabbis; The Torah was not inspired by God; it only comes from the social and historical development of Jewish people; The classical view of God is rejected. God is redefined as the sum of natural powers or processes that allows mankind to gain self-fulfillment and moral improvement; The idea that God chose the Jewish people for any purpose, in any way, is "morally untenable", because anyone who has such beliefs "implies the superiority of the elect community and the rejection of others."

Most Reconstructionists do not believe in revelation (the idea that God reveals his will to human beings). This is dismissed as supernaturalism. Kaplan posits that revelation "consists in disengaging from the traditional context those elements in it which answer permanent postulates of human nature, and in integrating them into our own ideology... the rest may be relegated to archaeology".[24]

Many writers have criticized the movement's most widely held theology, religious naturalism. David Ray Griffin and Louis Jacobs have objected to the redefinitions of the terms "revelation" and "God" as being intellectually dishonest, and as being a form of "conversion by definition"; in their critique, these redefinitions take non-theistic beliefs and attach theistic terms to them. Similar critiques have been put forth by Rabbis Neil Gillman,[29] Milton Steinberg,[30] and Michael Samuels.[31]

Reconstructionist Judaism is egalitarian concerning gender roles. All positions are open to all genders; they are open to lesbians, gay men, and transgender individuals as well.

## Jewish identity

[edit]

Reconstructionist Judaism allows its rabbis to determine their own policy regarding officiating at interfaith marriages. Some congregations accept patrilineal as well as matrilineal descent, and children of one Jewish parent, of any gender, are considered Jewish by birth if raised as Jews. This contrasts with the traditional interpretations of Jewish law of both Rabbinic Judaism, in which a child is Jewish by birth if its mother was Jewish and of Karaite Judaism, in which a child is Jewish by birth if its father was Jewish.

The role of non-Jews in Reconstructionist congregations is a matter of ongoing debate. Practices vary between synagogues. Most congregations strive to strike a balance between inclusivity and the integrity of boundaries. The Jewish Reconstructionist Federation (JRF) has issued a non-binding statement attempting to delineate the process by which congregations set policy on these issues, and sets forth sample recommendations. These issues are ultimately decided by local lay leadership.[32]

In 2015, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College voted to accept rabbinical students in interfaith relationships, making Reconstructionist Judaism the first type of Judaism officially to allow rabbis in relationships with non-Jewish partners.[33] In making the decision, the movement considered that "many younger progressive Jews, including many rabbis and rabbinical students, now perceive restrictions placed on those who are intermarried as reinforcing a tribalism that feels personally alienating and morally troubling in the 21st century."[34]

In April 2016, nineteen Reconstructionist rabbis announced the formation of Beit Kaplan, originally to protest the decision to allow rabbis to have non-Jewish partners, but more recently to challenge the ordination and inclusion of non-Zionist rabbis. As of July 2025, Beit Kaplan had 92 members. [35]

Although the Reconstructionist movement officially supports liberal Zionism, it also has a disproportionate number of anti-Zionist members. Of the Jewish Voice for Peace rabbinical council, about 60 percent of their members were trained at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.[36]

## Organizations

[edit]

World Union for
Progressive Judaism

* Jews
* Judaism
* Denominations

Regional affiliates

1. North America

* (Reform
* Reconstructionist)

2. United Kingdom
3. Australia, New Zealand and Asia
4. South Africa
5. Israel
6. Germany
7. Netherlands
8. France

* (ULIF
* MJLF)

* Project
* Portal
* Category

* v
* t
* e

Over 100 synagogues and havurot, mostly in the United States and Canada, were affiliated with the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation. As of June 3, 2012, the Reconstructionist movement has been restructured. A joint institution consisting of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC) and the congregational organization is now the primary organization of the movement.[37][38]

The movement's new designation was first "Jewish Reconstructionist Communities," and in 2018 became Reconstructing Judaism.[39] Deborah Waxman was inaugurated as the president of the RRC and Jewish Reconstructionist Communities on October 26, 2014.[40] As the president of the RRC, she is believed to be the first woman and first lesbian to lead a Jewish congregational union, and the first lesbian to lead a Jewish seminary; the RRC is both a congregational union and a seminary.[41][42] Waxman is a 1999 graduate of RRC.[41][43][44]

The RRC educates rabbis. The Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association is the professional organization of Reconstructionist rabbis. The Jewish Reconstructionist youth organization is named No'ar Hadash. Camp Havaya (formerly Camp JRF) in South Sterling, Pennsylvania, is the Reconstructionist movement's summer sleep away camp.[45]

In April 2016, a new Reconstructionist rabbinical organization was formed: Beit Kaplan: The Rabbinic Partnership for Jewish Peoplehood.[46] Originally, Beit Kaplan was focused upon opposing both the decision to allow Reconstructionist rabbis to have non-Jewish partners,[47] and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement within Reconstructionist circles.[48] Following the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, Beit Kaplan's membership increased to 72 rabbis and rabbinical students in six countries. Presently, Beit Kaplan focuses on a "course correction" to reestablish the Reconstructionist movement's support for Israel and emphasis on the centrality of Jewish peoplehood.[49] As of July 2025, Beit Kaplan had 92 members.

According to the 2010 US Religion Census, there were 41,436 members of Reconstructionist Judaism within 95 synagogues.[50]

As of 2020, the Pew Research Center estimated that Reconstructionist Judaism, along with Humanistic Judaism and other smaller denominations, constituted 4% of the United States's 7.5 million Jews.[51]

## Relation to other Jewish movements

[edit]

Originally an offshoot of Conservative Judaism, Reconstructionism retains warm relations with Reform Judaism; however, Orthodox Judaism considers Reconstructionism, and every other non-Orthodox denomination, to be in violation of proper observance of interpretation of Jewish law.[52] The Jewish Reconstructionist Federation is a member of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, in which it gained an observer status in 1990.

## See also

[edit]

* Jewish portal
* Judaism portal

* Humanistic Judaism
* Jewish secularism
* List of Reconstructionist synagogues

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ The central organization of the movement renamed itself to Reconstructing Judaism in 2018, but the ideology's name remains unchanged.[1]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Waxman, Deborah. "About Our New Name". Reconstructing Judaism. Retrieved 2020-05-15. "(To be clear, we have renamed the central organization of the Reconstructionist movement, but not the movement as a whole.)"
2. ^ Karesh & Hurvitz 2005, p. 416.
3. ^ "Reconstructionism: Background & Overview". Jewish Virtual Library: A Project of AICE. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
4. ^ Alpert, Rebecca. "Reconstructionist Judaism in the United States". The Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
5. ^ Neusner 1993.
6. ^ Kaplan 2010, pp. i–viii.
7. ^ Karesh & Hurvitz 2005, p. 417.
8. ^ Neusner 1975.
9. ^ Rudavsky 1979.
10. ^ Raphael 1984.
11. ^ Mittleman 1993, p. 169.
12. ^ Mendes-Flohr, Paul (2005). "Judaism". In Thomas Riggs (ed.). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices. Vol. 1\. Farmington Hills, Mi: Thomson Gale. ISBN 9780787666118 - via Encyclopedia.com.
13. ^ a b Cedarbaum, Daniel (6 May 2016). "Reconstructing Halakha". Reconstructing Judaism. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
14. ^ Teutsch, David. "Values-Based Decision Making". Reconstructing Judaism. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
15. ^ Schwartz, Jeremy. "The Torah Process: How Jews Make Decisions". Reconstructing Judaism. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
16. ^ Teutsch, David (2011). Guide to Jewish Practice. Wyncote, Pennsylvania: Reconstructionist Rabbinical College Press. pp. xxiv. ISBN 978-0-938945-18-5. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
17. ^ Raphael 1984, pp. 180–181.
18. ^ Musher, Deborah Ann (1998). "Reconstructionist Judaism in the Mind of Mordecai Kaplan: The Transformation from a Philosophy into a Religious Denomination". American Jewish History. 86 (4): 397–417\. ISSN 0164-0178. JSTOR 23886435.
19. ^ Raphael 1984, pp. 192–193.
20. ^ a b c Fuchs, Nancy (2006). "Seventy Years After Judaism as a Civilization: Mordecai Kaplan's Theology and the Reconstructionist Movement". Jewish Social Studies. 12 (2): 127–142\. doi:10.1353/jss.2006.0014. ISSN 1527-2028.
21. ^ Sachar, Abram (August 5, 1934). "Dr. Kaplan Reinterprets Judaism As a Civilization in His 'guide'". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
22. ^ Scult, Mel (2014). The radical American Judaism of Mordecai M. Kaplan. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. pp. 71–73\. ISBN 978-0-253-01711-6. OCLC 907086625.
23. ^ Kaufman, William (1991). "Mordecai M. Kaplan and Process Theology: Metaphysical and Pragmatic Perspectives". religion-online.org. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
24. ^ a b Kaplan 1994.
25. ^ Sonsino, Rifat. The Many Faces of God: A Reader of Modern Jewish Theologies. 2004, page 22–23
26. ^ "BBC - Religions - Judaism: Reconstructionist Judaism". Retrieved 2018-11-07.
27. ^ Shapiro, Marc B. (2015). Changing the Immutable: How Orthodox Judaism Rewrites its History. Littman Library Of Jewish Civilization. p. 53\. ISBN 9781904113607. In ft. 225 Shapiro provides an example from Kol haneshamah p. 54 which renders Psalms 147:20 as universalist statements as opposed to featuring God's unique connection specifically with the Jews.
28. ^ See the FRCH Newsletter, Sept. 1986, pages D, E.
29. ^ Sacred Fragments, p. 200
30. ^ Milton Steinberg: Portrait of a Rabbi by Simon Noveck, Ktav, 1978, p. 259–260M
31. ^ The Lord Is My Shepherd: The Theology of a Caring God, 1996
32. ^ Can Halakha Live? by Edward Feld, The Reconstructionist, Vol.59(2), Fall 1994, p. 64-72
33. ^ Lisa Hostein (October 1, 2015). "Reconstructionists give green light to intermarried rabbinical students". Jweekly. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
34. ^ 7 Reconstructionist Rabbis Quit as Synagogues Debate Intermarried Rabbis The Forward, 8 January 2016
35. ^ Reconstructionist offshoot forms over intermarried rabbis, BDS JTA, April 8, 2016
36. ^ "A Reconstructionist Reckoning". Jewish Currents. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
37. ^ "Movement Restructuring FAQs", Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, June 4, 2012
38. ^ "Do the Jewish Streams Have a Future?". The Jewish Exponent. May 9, 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-05-14. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
39. ^ "Reconstructionist Rabbinical School Changes Name to Reconstructing Judaism". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 2018-01-30.
40. ^ "Waxman Inaugurated as Head of Reconstructionist Rabbinical College". Jewish Exponent.
41. ^ a b "Reconstructionists Pick First Woman, Lesbian As Denominational Leader - The Jewish Week". The Jewish Week. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
42. ^ "RRC Announces New President Elect" (PDF) (Press release). Wyncote, PA (USA): Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. 2013-10-09. Retrieved 2013-10-16.
43. ^ "Trailblazing Reconstructionist Deborah Waxman Relishes Challenges of Judaism". Forward.com. Retrieved 2013-10-12.
44. ^ "Change of Top Leadership at Recon Movement" Jewish Exponent. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
45. ^ "About Us". Camp Havaya. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
46. ^ Beit Kaplan website
47. ^ Reconstructionist offshoot forms over intermarried rabbis, BDS JTA, April 8, 2016
48. ^ Reconstructionist offshoot forms over intermarried rabbis, BDS The Times of Israel, April 9, 2016
49. ^ Beit Kaplan's Mission
50. ^ "US Religion Census - Single-year report - all denominations - 2010".
51. ^ "Jewish Americans in 2020". Retrieved 30 May 2022.
52. ^ Robinson, George (2000). Essential Judaism: A Complete Guide to Beliefs, Customs and Rituals. New York City, NY: Simon & Schuster. p. 232. ISBN 0-671-03480-4.

## Bibliography

[edit]

Primary sources

* Kaplan, Mordecai M. (2010) [1934]. Judaism as a Civilization: Toward a Reconstruction of American-Jewish Life. Philadelphia, Pa: JPS Jewish Publication Society. ISBN 978-0-8276-1050-7.
* Kaplan, Mordecai Menahem (1994) [1937]. The meaning of God in modern Jewish religion. Detroit, Mi: Wayne State University Press. ISBN 978-0-8143-3992-3. OCLC 868218906.
* Platform on Reconstructionism, FRCH Newsletter, Sept. 1986, pp. D, E.
* Exploring Judaism: A Reconstructionist Approach, Rebecca Alpert and Jacob J. Staub, The Reconstructionist Press, 1988.

Secondary sources

* David Griffin's article in Jewish Theology and Process Thought, Ed. Sandra B. Lubarsky and David Ray Griffin, SUNY Press, 1996.
* Jacobs, Louis (1990). God, Torah, Israel: Traditionalism Without Fundamentalism. Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College Press.
* Karesh, Sara E.; Hurvitz, Mitchell M. (2005). "Reconstructionist Judaism". Encyclopedia of Judaism. Encyclopedia of World Religions. J. Gordon Melton, Series Editor. New York: Facts On File. pp. 416–418\. ISBN 0-8160-5457-6.
* Liebman, Charles S. (1970). "Reconstructionism in American Jewish Life" (PDF). American Jewish Year Book 1971: 3–99.
* Mittleman, Alan (1993). "Modern Jewish Religious Movements". In Wertheimer, Jack (ed.). The Modern Jewish Experience: A Reader's Guide. New York; London: NYU Press. pp. 169–180\. ISBN 0-8147-9261-8.
* Neusner, Jacob, ed. (1975). The Sectors of American Judaism: Reform, Orthodoxy, Conservatism, and Reconstructionism. Understanding American Judaism: Toward the Description of a Modern Religion, vol. 2. New York: KTAV Publ. House. ISBN 0870682792.
* Neusner, Jacob, ed. (1993). Conserving Conservative Judaism: Reconstructionist Judaism. Judaism in Cold War America, 1945–1990, vol. 7. New York; London: Garland Publ. ISBN 9780815300786.
* Raphael, Marc Lee (1984). Profiles in American Judaism: the Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and Reconstructionist traditions in historical perspective. San Francisco, Ca: Harper & Row. ISBN 0-06066801-6.
* Rudavsky, David (1979) [1967]. Modern Jewish Religious Movements: A History of Emancipation and Abjustment (3rd rev. ed.). New York: Behrman House. pp. 347–366\. ISBN 0-87441-286-2.

## External links

[edit]

* Directory of Reconstructionist Congregations and Havurot
* Reconstructing Judaism
* Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
* Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association

* v
* t
* e

Jews and Judaism

* Outline of Judaism
* Index of Jewish history-related articles

History|

* Timeline
* Israelites
* Origins of Judaism
* Ancient Israel and Judah
* Second Temple period
* Synagogal Judaism
* Rabbinic Judaism
* Middle Ages
* Zionism

Population|

* Assimilation
* Atheists
* Buddhists
* Israeli Jews
* Karaites
* Samaritans
* Lists of Jews
* Persecution
* Antisemitism
* Xueta Christianity
* Zionism, race and genetics
* Gentile
* Groups claiming affiliation with Israelites

| Diaspora|

* Ashkenazim
* Afrikaner-Jode
* Chuts
* Galitzianers
* Lita'im
* Oberlander Jews
* Ostjuden
* Udmurt and Tatar Jews
* Unterlander Jews
* Yekkes
* Beta Israel
* Beta Abraham
* Falash Mura
* Desi Jews
* Bene Israel
* Kochinim
* Dönmeh
* Gruzínim
* Italkim
* Neofiti
* Kaifeng Jews
* Karaites
* Constantinopolitan Karaites
* Crimean Karaites
* Kurdish Jews
* Krymchaks
* Lemba
* Maghrebi
* Berber Jews
* Mizrahi
* Afghan Jews
* Alexandrian Jews
* Baghdadi
* Bukharan Jews
* Egyptian Jews
* Mountain Jews
* Palestinian Jews
* Persian Jews
* Urfalim
* Teimanim
* Adeni Jews
* Ḥabbanim
* Hadhrami Jews
* Saada Jews
* Mustaʿravim
* Jewish tribes of Arabia
* Romaniote
* Sephardim
* Eastern Sephardim
* Livornese Jews
* North African Sephardim
* Paradesi
* Meshuchrarim
* Sephardic Bnei Anusim
* Xuetes

|

Languages
(Diasporic)|

* Hebrew
* Modern
* Ashkenazi
* Sephardi
* Mizrahi
* Yemenite
* Tiberian
* Samaritan
* Signed
* Medieval
* Mishnaic
* Biblical
* Babylonian
* Palestinian
* Catalanic
* Judeo-Amazigh
* Judeo-Arabic
* Yahudic
* Judeo-Baghdadi
* Judeo-Moroccan
* Judeo-Tripolitanian
* Judeo-Tunisian
* Judeo-Yemeni
* Judaeo-Aramaic
* Targum
* Barzani
* Betanure
* Hulaulá
* Lishana Deni
* Lishán Didán
* Lishanid Noshan
* Biblical
* Talmudic
* Palestinian
* Galilean
* Judeo-Aragonese
* Jewish English
* Yeshivish
* Yinglish
* Heblish
* Judeo-Gascon
* Judaeo-Greek
* Judeo-Italian
* Judaeo-Piedmontese
* Judeo-Latin
* Judeo-Malay
* Judeo-Malayalam
* Judeo-Marathi
* Judaeo-Occitan
* Judeo-Persian
* Bukhori
* Judeo-Borujerdi
* Judeo-Golpaygani
* Judeo-Hamedani
* Judeo-Shirazi
* Juhuri
* Judaeo-Portuguese
* Judeo-Urdu
* Karaim
* Kayliñña
* Kivruli
* Knaanic
* Koiné Greek
* Krymchak
* Lachoudisch
* Ladino
* Haketia
* Tetuani
* Lotegorisch
* Qwareña
* Shassagh
* Shassi
* Shuadit
* Yiddish
* dialects
* Eastern
* Galitzish
* Litvish
* Poylish
* Klezmer-loshn
* Western
* Judeo-Alsatian
* Lachoudisch
* Scots-Yiddish
* Zarphatic

Philosophy|

* Beliefs
* Mitzvah
* Rabbinic authority
* Chosen people
* Conversion
* Eschatology
* Messiah
* Ethics
* Holiness
* God
* Names of God
* Halakha
* Haskalah
* Kabbalah
* Sefirot
* Land of Israel
* Who is a Jew?

Branches|

* Religious movements
* Orthodox
* Haredi
* Hasidic
* Litvaks
* Modern
* Conservative
* Reform
* Reconstructionist
* Humanistic
* Neo-Hasidism
* Renewal
* Neolog
* relations
* Haymanot
* Hellenistic
* Karaite
* Samaritanism
* Science
* Secularism
* Schisms

Literature|

* Sifrei Kodesh
* Tanakh/Hebrew Bible
* Torah
* Nevi'im
* Ketuvim
* Rabbinic
* Mishnah
* Talmud
* Tosefta
* Midrash
* Kabbalah texts
* Hekhalot literature
* Pardes Rimonim
* Sefer HaBahir
* Sefer HaEtz Chaim
* Sefer Raziel HaMalakh
* Sefer Yetzirah
* Zohar
* Shulchan Aruch
* Siddur
* Hebrew literature

Culture|

* Astrology
* perspectives
* Monen
* Astronomy
* Calendar
* Holidays
* Cuisine
* Kashrut
* Education
* Leadership
* Rabbi
* Rebbe
* Marriage
* Divorce
* Music
* Mythology
* Names
* Politics
* Prayer
* Synagogue
* Hazzan
* Symbolism

Studies|

* Center for Jewish History
* American Jewish Historical Society
* American Sephardi Federation
* Leo Baeck Institute New York
* Yeshiva University Museum
* YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
* Center of Contemporary Jewish Documentation
* Encyclopaedia Judaica
* Genetics
* Jew (word)
* Jewish Encyclopedia
* Jewish Virtual Library
* National Library of Israel
* YIVO Encyclopedia
* United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
* Encyclopedia of the Holocaust
* Holocaust Encyclopedia
* Relations with other religions
* Christian
* Anabaptism
* Catholicism
* Mormonism
* Protestantism
* Jews and Christmas
* Jews and Halloween
* non-Christian
* Buddhism
* Islam
* Hinduism

Italics indicate extinct languages

* Category
* Judaism portal

Authority control databases: National |

* Germany

|

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template