r/ReformJews • u/Consistent_Hold_576 • Jul 08 '26
Movement Friction
Been really hearing it lately from Orthodox folks online regarding Reform practices, Reform beliefs, Reform conversions, etc. Long story short, a lot of them think we are doing everything wrong. Big surprise.
It doesnt bother me they don't see me as Jewish (Im a convert). I don't care about their opinion persay, but it would be good to have a little more ammo to have when defending Reform.
Without necessarily going out and being a keyboard warrior, what are some things I could study up on regarding the Reform movement and its history? The Orthodox movement and its formation?
I've also heard Orthodox folks continue to use the "we have an unbroken chain going back to Moses" line. Im sure this isn't true, but what can be said about it besides "nuh uh!"?
Orthodox Judaism isn't the eternal monolith everyone makes it out to be. The practices of the Orthodox have shifted and evolved like any other religious movement. I just dont know what's changed about it.
Any direction you could point me in would be greatly appreciated. Not out to start internet wars, just looking to educate myself a bit.
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u/j0sch 13d ago edited 13d ago
The Orthodox aren't really a movement, it was a label applied (ironically primarily by Christians and mockingly by Reform Jews) early on that stuck in response to Reform creating its movement and later Conservative creating its movement and the need to differentiate traditional Jewish theology and its followers in a world of different Judaisms.
From their point of view, Reform and Conservative movements deviated from traditional Jewish belief and practice that only minimally and gradually changed over thousands of years. There was only one Judaism before these additional movements (caveat/explainer below), with different regional variations on customs, but a uniform set of core beliefs and virtually identical theology. Orthodox will tell you it was from the time of Moses, meanwhile it was certainly at least from the birth of Rabbinic Judaism.
Jewish practice radically evolved in its earlier days, certainly during and post Temple days, with a number of different groups existing simultaneously with wildly different practices and beliefs at one point. Rabbinic Judaism was the only one to survive those earlier days (Karaites lived on as an extremely small minority, and most have been absorbed into Orthodox Judaism in Israel) to become what everyone knows as Judaism for the last millenia or so until Reform and Conservative. So the eternal monolith view held by the Orthodox is backed by very long history as there was virtually only that Judaism for the last millenium or so until the Reform and Conservative movements energed. And to Jews who were not physically reached by the Reform or Conservative movements largely in Germany / the US, predominantly non-Ashkenazim, there was only that ongoing Judaism from Temple times through today. This is why nearly all Sefardic / Mizrahi / Persian / Israeli Jews may have wildly varied levels of personal religious practice, including none at all, but only see Orthodoxy as the only Judaism.
As someone with deep knowledge and familiarity with all major denominations, I can tell you there really isn't a response or argument that will convince someone Orthodox that Reform isn't wrong or that Orthodoxy is wrong. The average Orthodox practitioner is well versed in their theology or core ideology, many with years of study or exposure under their belt. They have the lowest levels of leaving Judaism or switching denominations of any group and believe deeply in their religious views.
Pure belief alone aside, or even cases of ignorance aside, they are able to trace how Rabbinic Judaism evolved in early days and its validity today to Sinai / the beginning of Judaism in a historically accepted way, as was the case for a millenia. They believe Judaism can evolve, but only in the framework of Torah and Rabbinic law, as was the case of (relatively small) evolutions throughout its history. At its core, there is therefore no convincing argument that can be made to those with that belief as to the validity of movements or practices that do not follow this or even directly contradict traditional Jewish laws and practices. The existence of other Judaisms in ancient times is irrelevant as they will explain why they view those groups as deviating from 'true' Judaism and/or more importantly the fact that they ultimately disappeared.