#Reform Judaism

[emotboyswag]

Closet antisemites/racists love bringing up that the swastika is a Buddhist peace symbol (as if they give a shit about buddhism) like yeah it is but the skinhead white guy with a swastika tattoo isn't a Buddhist and the edgy teenagers who painted a swastika on a wall aren't Buddhists and you need to use the tiniest dash of critical thinking and common sense.

In a Buddhist temple its a peace symbol, scratched on some guys house its a hate symbol . And stop telling Jews they are being dramatic or chronically online for being upset/disturbed/scared or annoyed by swastikas!!

[ellaeved]

[applesauce42069]

“There’s no such thing as a reform jew” yes but there’s such thing as the reform movement in Judaism and though it have an iffy start it is now a safe and accessible home for a wide variety of Jews who want or need to determine their own level of observance and be accepted for it

[glitzy-dynamite]

Well it’s time for the most important post, and I hope y’all will support me.

Might be surprising for everyone here - but I’m not Jewish. My great grandfather was an American Jew, but he married an Armenian woman, thus I’m just a 4th generation. I was reblogging Jewish things in a neutral way, as an ally.

But today is a day when I finally decided that yes, I’m going to convert to Judaism.

I’m learning, and when I will feel like I’m ready, I will go to the local Reform Judaism community for an actual learning and conversion.

So, please! If your blog is about (Reform) Judaism, or you’re converting/thinking about conversion, feel free to comment/reblog so I can follow you, or share your favorite blogs with me!

I hope we will be friends. ✡️

[the-catboy-minyan]

due to a certain asshole spewing bullshit in spacelazarwolf's notes, I wanna emphasize something:

YOU DON'T HAVE TO KNOW HEBREW TO BE JEWISH

YOU DON'T HAVE TO LEARN HEBREW TO BE JEWISH

YOU DON'T HAVE TO WANT TO LEARN HEBREW TO BE JEWISH

the only thing you need to be Jewish is to be Jewish. a Jew is a Jew.

(this message does not include messianic jews)

[my-jewish-life]

We all need to take a break from social media with everything going on atm, stay safe everyone✨️

Credit to sefiracreative ✨️

[gay-jewish-bucky]

As a disabled and chronically ill person "Thank You G-d, who has made me in Your image." is infinitely more affirming and comforting for me than the variation that goes, "...who has made me according to Your will."

It's not that G-d intentionally gave me a body that causes me to suffer because They will it to fulfil some greater purpose.

It's that my body, even as sick and weathered as it is, is a living breathing reflection of the Divine.

Reminding me that my disabled and chronically ill body is sacred too.

[babka-enjoyer]

A YouTube video just dropped explaining the evolution of Jewish "denominations" (movements) from the Bible times until now. It's fairly American-centric once you get to modern time but still useful.

[emotboyswag]

Drama going down in the tik tok orthodox jewish swiftie community

[hindahoney]

To the Reform Jewish community:

I think I have some misconceptions about the reform community. I think I'm wrong about how I perceive reform Jews and their level of observance, and I want to be educated.

The things I'm going to say are going to be pretty harsh, but I promise I say them so you can understand where I'm coming from, my experience with the Reform movement, and that I want to learn because I see some problems with my thinking. My background and experiences are primarily with the conservative movement, modern orthodox, and Chabad. It's no secret that within these communities, reform Jews get a pretty bad reputation (I want to stress: Not everyone in these movements says/believes these things, but it's common to hear) To the more right-wing side of Judaism, reform Jews are seen as assimilated Jews, "Jewish only in the name" I've heard. I'm told about how reform Jews widely don't keep kosher, often don't have mezuzot, don't pray, don't lay tefillin, don't keep shabbat except making a dinner every now and then. I'm told, and given the impression, that reform Jews have a loose relationship with their Judaism and misunderstand our core texts which leads to misunderstandings and demonization of Jews who do (ie "Orthodox Women are oppressed").

I don't have very much experience with Reform Judaism (which is likely where my ignorance comes from), and I understand that there are Reform Jews who may keep kosher, or may keep Shabbat, but I think my misunderstanding of what makes someone reform is their level of observance. To me, if I encountered a Jew who grew up Orthodox but now no longer kept kosher, kept shabbat, threw out the tzitzit and doesn't lay teffilin, I'd say he's no longer orthodox and he's reform.

Is this where my misunderstanding is coming from? Is it the shul you go to? I just can't imagine seeing a man with tzitzit in a Reform shul. Are you taught that there are observances you no longer need to keep?

I have a pretty decent-sized Reform following, so I've heard from you about how it's offensive and painful when people assume a lack of observance, and that that's not what it means to be reform. I want to be educated, and I want to listen. At the same time, I can't ignore the instances I was in a reform-dominated space and they told me themselves "Oh yeah reform Jews don't keep kosher, it's not important," or about how they work on Shabbat, and then I notice they don't know Hamotzi or the Birkat.

I see the divide between movements and it feels like we can't reach across the aisle to understand each other. Ring-wing Jews are mad at left-wing Jews for not maintaining important traditions, but mainly they are mad at reform rabbis because they see the loss of tradition as the fault of the community leader, that the community would choose to uphold more traditions if they were educated on it, which is the responsibility of the rabbi. Reform jews are mad at right-wing Jews because, let's be honest, right-wing Jews are constantly talking trash and have a belief that they are "better" Jews for being more observant. But I think reform Jews don't really understand some practices, or they aren't taught about them right, because a large portion of dialogue I've had with reform Jews has been me having to field accusations and speak for the movement about how right-wing Jews aren't all sexist, homophobic, transphobic, etc. and neither are the practices. So I think this also plays a large part in why Reform Jews have a problem with Jews from other movements, because they believe we're closed-minded.

I think these hard conversations need to be had so that we can come away understanding each other. I want Judaism to move past the need for movements, which I think we are, because part of me believes they do more harm than good and people never feel like they quite "fit" certain movements. I just hope that these conversations can be had in good faith.

[applesauce42069]

if your reform siddur has english translations but no transliteration GET TF OUT

[jewishautism]

I love Judaism more than I could EVER have the words for it. I stood in my synagogue and I was surrounded by friends, old and young. I saw my favorite person there. Saw people who haven't been to shul in a while. I got to meet new people. I got to sing V'shamru with everyone. I got to hear us laugh and giggle as we messed up the clapping beat. And my Rabbi stayed a little too long on the "Vah" sound so that we all of us laughed together. I love it. I love to see how much the community works together and wants our temple to last.

My Rabbi talked about the Torah portion and the up coming High Holidays. She talked about how we have to take the time to change and to get become a better person. This is our duty as humans. To quote something, she said, "We have obligations to other people, as they have obligations to us." We get better for ourselves and others around us. It's something we take on. To make the world a better place. I had a conversation with someone from shul at pride, and she said, "I think that's our job as Jews, to make this world a better place than it was when we were brought into it" And I don't think I'll ever stop thinking about that.

I am so early into my journey, but I have never felt so certain about something in my life than when I knew I was queer. This is my family. This is my community. Where I meant to be. I looked around as the toddlers ran around. At my new friends. At all, the recurring faces. At some new ones. At the people who I've started love with all my heart. At the faces of the future and so much past, we are bringing with us.

I nearly cried as I realized that is where I want to be. This is where I choose my life. My new Star of David charm, I just got that night, in my pocket, but not a new love in my soul. Just one that was confirmed.

We will forever be in Egypt because there is still so much to do. We have to join hands and march together. This is my home and my family. These are the people I want to be with as I march on to make this world a better place, and I make myself better, too. I am obligated to them. As they are obligated to me. This is something I am willing to carry and I want to carry. I will be hand in hand with ones I love as my soul guides me down this journey.

[godofsunflowers]

how I believe in god | a semi-religious jew

I believe in God the way you believe in a thought. I believe in Him as an idea, a story, an item passed down over the generations that has sentimental value.

I have never denied a God. I believe something is out there, but we as humans don't have a right to know what it is. I don't believe we are meant to know, but also that all religions have so much overlap and stolen information that they have to have all come from somewhere.

We are meant to grapple with God. It's an idea believed in Judaism, but I also believe that that is our role as worshipping humans. We should not follow religion like blind sheep, we should question it and reform it - because the Word of God that I need for my life is not what someone else needs. I've fashioned my own understanding of Judaism and God, because everyone reads the Word of God differently.

But even if I believed in Hashem in the fullest way I could, why would I put all my faith in him? I of course have some faith in him, but my faith is primarily in people. My family, my partners, my friends that are truly family. The more true I am to those people, the more true I am to myself, the closer I feel to Hashem; the more I feel like His divine spark shines through me, and I can use that light for the people in my life. I truly believe my girlfriend sees it, and my best friend that's more like a brother.

My faith in God is greatly tied to my faith in people. I think it's possible to see the divine in those you love, but also in the way you love yourself and how much you allow other people to see.

[my-jewish-life]

Happy Transgender Day of Visibility everyone! You are loved, you are awesome and you are perfect🏳️‍⚧️

[opossumconvert]

My list of questions that I created in my notes app after the first erev shabbat service:

How do guys with really short hair (close to bald) wear the kippah

Where are the hidden barretts (At the time of writing this I now know that they're called kippah clips) holding the kippah on some guys' heads

Drop the challah recipe

I want more grapes please

What can I do to study before the intro to Judaism course

How to hebrew

Is Jesus a prophet or just some guy

How do you get one of those seat markers with your name on it

[n7sloth]

Sorry for the long story. Skip if you don't care about religious stuff.

In roughly 2012, I was living in Chicago. At that time, I didn't consider myself religious. I'd been born Catholic, confirmed Protestant, weakly tried to dabble in witchcraft I didn't really believe in in my early 20s, and by 2012 I was 32 and just didn't believe in anything.

But some part of me *wanted* to, if that makes sense? I felt like something was missing. But nothing seemed to vibe.

So in summer of that year I was walking up the street headed to Millenium Park to just go and people watch for a bit, and I passed two nuns and a priest.

No, this post isn't what you're thinking now. But there's a point here. The point is that it was still summer, albeit late, and it was hot and humid. And here were these two young women and a young man, absolutely covered neck to toe in black, and the women had small head coverings. I felt stifled on their behalf. But here they were, laughing together and walking as if they didn't notice.

I wanted that sense of importance. I wanted something to mean enough to me that I was willing to be that uncomfortable. Does that make sense? Not that I wanted to suffer, but that it wouldn't *feel* like suffering, because I *believed* enough.

That bothered me for a few years. Then, kind of unbidden and unprompted a few years later, a little voice in the back of my mind suggested I look into Judaism. I spoke with a Jewish friend, but I didn't know what to ask. How was someone raised at minimum secularly Christian supposed to know what questions to ask to unlearn what I'd been taught?

I kinda got frustrated and let it go for another couple of years.

In 2021ish, during lockdown, I found a woman on TikTok who was live streaming her synagogues services (with their permission) and I fell in love. Everything about it felt like coming home; plus the music was just gorgeous.

In 2022 when isolation relaxed a little and some in-person services resumed, I found a Reform temple nearby and started attending services. I was immediately welcomed and treated as a friend and equal, even without being Jewish yet. I took intro to judaism twice, and in late 2023, I was invited to be a founding member of the temples first Pride group, for representation, education, and inclusion.

I was so honored. Of course I joined. We went through the process of being officially vetted and voted on by the Board, and became an official group. In June of this year, for the annual Pride Shabbat service, I was invited to be part of a small Q&A panel to help provide insight and education on how to support your queer brethren.

And then the rabbi left. And a new one came in.

Suddenly, one of my friends in the Pride group was denied membership into a women's group because her spouse wasn't Jewish and "it might make others uncomfortable". (She is in a straight/straight-passing marriage.) Other board members were present and heard this, and said nothing.

She brought it up to the new rabbi, who declared that the board had final say and could do as they pleased. So she left the shul entirely.

Later, another member reported that the board didn't "trust" the Pride group, because they "didn't know what they were up to". Despite having officers that could easily have answered any questions.

So I left, too. I no longer felt safe and welcomed. But I didn't want to give up, either.

I reached out to the rabbi who leads the shul i started with - the one I joined on TikTok. And while I haven't heard from her personally yet (because my dumb ass emailed during the High Holy Days) I'm still excited. Because at least I'm trying. Plus I've signed up to attend two of their HHD services.

Im not giving up on this. I *will* find someone who accepts me for who I am and is willing to teach me. This is what I've been chasing for 10 years now. I just want to come home.