What is Reform Judaism?
Reform Judaism is one of the four major movements (denominations) of Judaism, the others being Orthodox, Conservative, and Reconstructionist. Reform Judaism was born in Germany in the early 1800’s. It began its growth in North America in the late 1800’s. It is also known as Liberal Judaism and Progressive Judaism (in Israel). It is an activist movement, with its main goal of tikkun olam, “repairing the world.” During the middle and latter 20th century, Reform Judaism was a leader in the civil rights movement. Many of the social action activities that Reform Judaism is involved with today include repair of the environment, bioethics, and working to stop the genocide that occurs in the world.
