How does Reconstructionism regard Halakah/Jewish Law and Jewish tradition?
Halakah – literally ‘the path’ or ‘the way’ – serves to guide the manner in which the individual and community lives its Jewish life. In so doing, halakah relies upon our rich cultural heritage. We see halakah as informing Jewish practice because of its contribution to the moral and spiritual life of the Jewish people. Our decision making process reflects Mordecai Kaplan’s founding philosophy that Judaism is an evolving religious civilization. Therefore, our decision making process embodies both past and present by infusing our ‘path’ with the ethics and values that are our legacy as well as the realities of our present cultural lives. Decision making is a dynamic, community-driven and, perhaps most importantly, self-conscious process which reflects our philosophy of living in two civilizations.
