Central Conference of American Rabbis
Seventh: Members of a Holy People, We Reach Out to
Every Jew
Members of the am
segulah, a people meant to be a treasure in the world,
we wish to strengthen our ties with Jews from all the
movements in Judaism. Reminded of our Sinai experience, we
seek to work together in mutual respect, aware of our many
serious differences, trying to understand the motivations
that lead to our divergence. While our solutions may
radically differ, we all face common problems. We have much
to learn from each other.
Perhaps our greatest common
concern is the consequences of the successful integration of
Jews into our society. While this often seems an invitation
to assimilation, our Reform commitment to help transform
society leads us to see this integration as a challenge to
expand individuals' knowledge and practice of Judaism.
Reform Judaism has opened the doors of Jewish life to varied
kinds of families, to gays and lesbians, to offspring of
Jewish fathers as well as Jewish mothers, to converts, to
all families who try to create from their religious
differences a Jewish home, and to others who have felt
uniquely welcomed by Reform. By making Jewish learning
available to all who desire it, we believe we can transform
assimilation and alienation into Jewish affirmation.
We are cheered that a half
century after the Shoah, Jewish life has been reborn
across Europe. Reform Jews are now connected to a worldwide
movement whose mission is to share a liberal experience of
Judaism wherever Jews may live. We pledge to help provide
Progressive congregations around the world with rabbinical
service, to share insights with each other, and to respect
our common membership in Kenesset Yisrael. We promise
to be vigilant in helping Jews across the globe protect
themselves against renewals of antisemitism and other forms
of discrimination.
Bluethread responds: Perhaps it is in this principle, which
focuses on reaching out to every Jew, rather than in
principle 8, that CCAR should make a statement about
reaching out to the Orthodox groups in Israel, so that the
distinction between acts of brotherhood and political action
is made clear.
Bluethread is very supportive of the second paragraph of this principle, which fosters strengthening our Jewish identity in this assimilationist society.
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3/18/99
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Principles copyright © 1998, Central Conference of
American Rabbis
Most recent update 11 Dec 1998
Bluethread ©Rosemarie E. Falanga, Cy H. Silver