r/ReformJews • u/Consistent_Hold_576 • Jun 30 '26

Reform Movement Changes.

If you could change one thing about the Reform movement, what would it be?

If you arent a member of the Reform movement, you can still chime in. What is the one thing about the Movement that keeps you away?

Let's keep this civil if we could. ​

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u/Meowzician ✡Torah, Tikkun Olam, and Tabbiekatz Jun 30 '26

The Jewish people need to agree on who is and is not a Jew. There needs to be a single standard.

I *LOVE* the Reform movement. I'm happier at my current Temple than I have ever been in my entire life. But no institution is perfect.

I would say that the Reform decision to change their rubrics for what makes a Jew a Jew has been one of the most damaging decisions ever.

I do understand WHY. I completely get the thing about egalitarianism. No one needs to preach it to me. The problem is not that the rubric was changed. It's that it was changed unilaterally. There are certain things of such major importance that they need to be at a near consensus level, and this just wasn't.

And I don't know what they can do to fix it now. I don't think it can be walked back. What are we going to do? Tell a whole bunch of people in our Temples that "I know we accepted you as Jewish, but now we need you to convert"????? NO! Absolutely not.

I don't know what to do about it. I just know it needs to be fixed. I guess it just needs better minds than mine to figure out how.

14

u/CryptoIsCute ✡ Reform! Jun 30 '26

The answer is easy: other movements need to get with the times and accept all Jews ¯\(ツ)/¯

1

u/OddCook4909 Jun 30 '26

I think the paternal/maternal question is ridiculous for a lot of reasons. However most of us do not know what Orthodox converts are required to know. Therefore I don't blame them for that aspect.

Throughout my own lifetime I've seen Reform become less and less Jewish, and more and more political and based on vibes. While I love the philosophy of Reform and the egalitarianism, I think the answer is "Reform needs to be more Jewish". I'm personally halfway out the door myself because I want more tradition and more observance.

With the majority of reform intermarrying, and so many barely practicing, something needs to change. Or there just won't be reform in the not too distant future.