Reconstructionist Judaism emphasizes the development of Judaism and Jewish people by examining traditional beliefs and practices in light of historical and current contexts. Core beliefs include God as the source of meaning and a humanist view of religion. Founded by Rabbi Mordecai M. Kaplan, who viewed Judaism as a civilization and believed in the process of human realization as the source of God.
Reconstructionist Judaism is a branch of Judaism that emphasizes the continued development of Judaism and the Jewish people. Jews who support Reconstructionist Judaism actively encourage this development because they feel that change is what has kept Judaism in practice for a very long time. Jews who practice Reconstructionist Judaism examine traditional Jewish beliefs and practices in light of both their historical and current contexts. They then decide how those beliefs and practices might be accepted, adapted, or rejected in a way that best fits current needs and values.
Reconstructionist Jews have some important core beliefs, such as the belief that Jews should look closely at their beliefs to fully understand them. They believe that God is the source of all meaning in life and that religion is a way of trying to understand that meaning. Reconstructionist Judaism also holds the humanist view of religion, which means that people create religions rather than receive them fully formed from a divine source. The humanist view also recognizes the validity of other religions and encourages communication and goodwill among them.
Reconstructionist Judaism was founded by Rabbi Mordecai M. Kaplan in the 1920s. He wrote a book and founded a journal, both of which were very influential in the development of the new branch of Judaism. Kaplan believed that traditional Jewish beliefs and practices were important, but that their relevance should be examined closely. While Traditional Judaism claims that beliefs and practices matter because God commands them, Reconstructionist Judaism claims they matter because many people believe and practice them together as a community.
Kaplan also thought of Judaism as a civilization rather than a religion because it includes language, art, culture, ethics, history, and other elements essential to civilization. Kaplan’s view of God was that God was the result of the process of human realization and that an actual God may or may not exist. While Kaplan’s views on the existence of God have influenced Reconstructionist Judaism, many Reconstructionist Jews believe in the actual existence of God.
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