What is “Elastic” Reform Judaism?
“Elastic Reform Judaism” is the idea that Jews can pick and choose what Judaism means and what laws they will follow. This idea my father attributes to Buddy Williams, although Mr. Williams has credibly denied any knowlege of this school of thought. Its most ardent advocate is my 14 year old son, Daniel, who has uses it to justify not attending Sunday school. I am sure that this was not the intent of my father, who is a brilliant physician, a learned man, and my good friend. Although I am not a learned Jew, it is, or was, my aspiration that my children might become learned Jews. At first, I attributed the problem to simple adolescent rebeliousness. When I was my son’s age, I myself once argued that Section 11 of Article 1 of the Washington constitution, the first amendment of the United States constitution, the declaration of independence, and the Magna Carta all endowed me with the same right to avoid Sunday School. I was stupid: the man I was arguing with at the time was Fred Tausend
