CU8.3

=Grade 8 Lesson 3 (Template)=

__**TITLE**: **Reform Judaism: Modernizing the religion**__ __**GOALS**__: To explore the reasons for the creation of the Reform movement and the changes in beliefs and practices of Judaism that emerged; To begin filling in the table of comparative Jewish groups. __**MATERIALS**__: Chart of Jewish Varieties, etc.; Table of Comparative Judaism with column for traditional Orthodox Judaism (Mitdnagdim) already filled out; copies of Pittsburgh Platform; folders; list of proverbs __**LESSON**__: 1. __Gain the attention of the learner:__ • Decorate folders • Define revealed and practical (through observation & experience) knowledge • Deem one side of room revealed & one side practical; read aloud a proverb and everyone runs to a side; last one to a side reads the next proverb 2. __Relevant past learning__: Last lesson we looked at some of the different kinds of Jews during the 18th century in Europe including the Maskilim who were trying to integrate Jews into European secular and philosophical culture while at the same time maintain their beliefs and practices. • In groups, order sects of Judaism chronologically (first without chart; and then with chart) • Quiz question on chart & everyone put Pittsburgh Platform on chart 1885 3. __Introduce new material:__ Desire to make Judaism more rational and to further Jewish participation in modern non-Jewish culture resulted in the creation of Reform Judaism. It started out as a lay movement and later rabbis with secular as well as religious education took over the leadership. In many ways, the Reform Judaism movement modeled itself after its Protestant neighbors. The Reformers saw the decorous worship style of the Protestants as being more consistent with modern sensibilities. Also, those Reform Jews who lived in Germany in the 1800s wanted to be accepted by Christians as full German citizens and "emancipated" from the many legal restrictions on Jews. The beliefs of the Reform Movement were summarized in the Declaration of Principles in 1885 in a document called the Pittsburgh Platform. In a later lesson we will look at the views of the modern Reform Movement as described int eh Pittsburgh Platform of 1999.

The original Reform movement in the 19th century: a. Rejected authority of Talmud and Torah, their revelation at Sinai and those laws not relevant to modern life. Selectively cited passages from Biblical prophets as ethical guides while ignoring the threatening and violent tone that pervades much of the prophetic writings. Compare, for example, the famous quote about justice at Amos 5:24 to Amos' many threats of destruction upon various nations, for example the Moabites at Amos 2:1-3. b. Modified religious services to be more decorous, to include much less Hebrew in prayers, sermon in vernacular, choirs and organs, mixed seating, everyone quiet and paying attention to the rabbi, everyone at the same place in the service text. More like high Protestant services than traditional Jewish ones. c. Eliminated practices inconsistent with modern views and rationality including dietary laws, head covering, antiquated style of overly modest clothing, travel and other severe restrictions on Shabbat. d. Viewed Judaism as changing over time to meet changing needs of Jewish people. Declared the laws of the Talmud (//halakha//) to have been appropriate in the past but no longer relevant. e. Declared Jews are a religious community rather than a nation (Pittsburgh Platform of 1885, item 5). They wanted to be accepted as Americans (or, for those who lived in Germany, as Germans) of the Jewish religion, just like other Americans (or Germans) had their own religion. The phrase "Protestant, Catholics, and Jews" became universally recognized in the US and helped gain acceptance of this Reform idea of the Jews as just another religious group. Humanistic Judaism is closer to the traditional idea that Jews are bound by a common "peoplehood" rather than by a unifying religion. Reform is very different from traditional rabbinic Judaism. Would you still call them the same religion? even without focusing on the many Jews who reject both traditional and liberal religious Judaism. f. Reduction in the authority of the rabbi who is now seen more as a teacher and guide on matters of religion but no longer as a revered sage giving divinely-inspired instructions on every aspect of life. g. Cherry picked values they agreed with - be careful putting modern values onto ancient writings. For example, in the Pittsburgh Platform of 1885 (item 7) they say that reward and punishment in heaven and hell are not ideas rooted in Judaism although these have been central to traditional rabbinic Judaism since its beginning; they are harking back to the Torah itself, which has no such ideas although the Reform outlook rejects almost all the laws of the Torah. 4. __Provide guided practice__: Read Pittsburgh Platform aloud and fill in chart independently; correct chart together. 5. __Provide guided practice__: Values Auction—Values to stay in Judaism • Rules of the game: Students each get a piece of paper with a list of the different values. They individually rank the values according to their importance in Judaism. Each student gets a fixed amount of fake money to spend. 6. __Close the lesson__: Discussion: o Review original Reform Jewish values o What do we, as secular Jews, agree with and disagree with? o Personally, what values are most important to you? o What did you learn today?

Appendix 1. **__Vocabulary__** 2. **__References__**: (optional list of references, links and reading related to the lesson) Pittsburgh Platform of 1885 ([]) Pittsburgh Platform of 1999 ([]) Wikipedia Reform Judaism ([]) //A Provocative People: A Secular History of the Jews// by Rabbi Sherwin T. Wine //Judaism Beyond God// by Rabbi Sherwin T. Wine 3. List of Proverbs: A. Haste makes waste. P B. Pride is the mask of one’s faults. P C. Wear fringes on your garments. R D. Do not cook a kid in its mother’s milk. R E. Whoever does not try does not learn. P F. God forgives. R G. That which is despicable to you, do not do to your fellow. P H. The universe was created in seven days. R I. Pay a man on the day that he works; don’t withhold his wages. P

10. Leave the corners of your fields unharvested, so the poor can take food. P 