Tenets of Reform Judaism

Reform Judaism, started in Germany in the 1800s, is the most liberal of all the major Jewish movements. They view both Oral and Written Jewish laws as written by humans rather than God, although still divinely inspired. They support reason and rationality and therefore hold that the Torah can and should be constantly reinterpreted into today’s language and for today’s society. While Reform Judaism supports egalitarianism ( equality of the sexes) and accepts converts from all racial backgrounds, they are still traditionally against interfaith marriages and many rabbis will not preside at them. They are not strictly kosher, although many practitioners adopt some form of kosher living in order to form a sense of solidarity with the larger Jewish community or assist with the issue of food scarcity in the world. With regards to homosexuality, Reform Judaism supports the equality of the individuals, though not the lifestyle, and permits abortions.