Union for Reform Judaism

• Founded: 1873
• Founder: Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise

The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), formerly known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, is the congregational arm of the Reform Jewish movement in North America. Founded by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise in 1873 in Cincinnati, Ohio, by 2019 the URJ represented approximately 2 million people in almost 825 congregations across North America. Reform Judaism is the largest Jewish denomination in the United States. The URJ provides programmatic, management, educational, and spiritual support to its member congregations. It is affiliated nationally with the Central Conference of American Rabbis (a professional association of Reform Jewish rabbis) and the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (a seminary for rabbis, cantors, educators, and communal professionals). It is affiliated internationally with the World Union for Progressive Judaism and the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism. The URJ is led by a president who is elected by a lay board of trustees that is overseen by a general assembly of over five thousand members who convene every two years.

History

Reform Judaism as a denomination developed against the backdrop of the European Enlightenment, during which Jews were gradually gaining rights as citizens. The first Reform congregation opened in Germany in 1810. At this stage, leaders such as Rabbi Abraham Geiger shaped a movement that made it easier for Jews to live as members of a modern society. Some of these early changes included using German instead of Hebrew in prayers, mixed-gender seating in synagogues, and shortening the observance of festivals to one day. Throughout the early 1800s, German reformers who immigrated to America brought Reform Judaism with them. In 1824, the first American Reform Jewish group was founded in Charleston, South Carolina. The denomination found its first great charismatic leader in 1846 when Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise came to the United States from Bohemia and joined congregation B’nai Yeshurun in Cincinnati. Rabbi Wise initially hoped that this new organization would come to foster a united, specifically American form of Judaism, yet doctrinal disputes led quickly to the establishment of the Conservative and Orthodox denominations.

The URJ flourished in the United States and Canada in the decades after 1873. Reform Rabbis adopted the Pittsburgh Platform in 1885, which articulated the tenets of American Reform Judaism, calling for Jews to adopt a modern approach to the practice of their faith. During these early years, the URJ established as affiliates special groups for the men and women of Reform Judaism (originally called Brotherhoods and Sisterhoods) and for Reform Jewish teenagers (the North American Federation of Temple Youth, founded in 1939).

Over the past several decades, the URJ has been led by four influential leaders. In 1943, Rabbi Maurice Eisendrath became president. During his three-decade tenure, the number of congregations in the Union more than doubled. During this time, the URJ moved its headquarters to New York City from Cincinnati and opened the first of many overnight summer camps for Reform Jewish youngsters. Rabbi Eisendrath encouraged Reform Jews to be involved in American politics. He was a strong advocate in favor of the American civil rights movement and an outspoken opponent of the war in Vietnam.

Rabbi Alexander Schindler became president of the URJ in 1973. His tenure was characterized by change in traditional Judaism’s strict doctrines concerning personal identity (i.e., "Who is a Jew?"). In 1979, the URJ adopted policies of outreach and embrace of intermarried couples. In 1983, the URJ declared that Jewish identity could be inherited from either a Jewish mother or a Jewish father, provided that the individual in question had demonstrated some affinity and commitment to that identification. Rabbi Schindler also worked to reverse a Jewish reticence toward conversion to Judaism that dated from the early Middle Ages.

In 1996, Rabbi Eric Yoffie was elected president of the URJ. His tenure focused on encouraging a renewed commitment among Reform Jews of the traditional Jewish virtues of Torah study and observance of the Sabbath. During this era, a new Reform Jewish prayer book (Mishkan T’filah) was published, the Women of Reform Judaism published the Women’s Torah Commentary, and the denomination as a whole moved distinctly in the direction of enhanced and heightened ritual observance.

In 2012, Rabbi Rick Jacobs succeeded Rabbi Yoffie as president of the URJ. Rabbi Jacobs focused on reaching Jewish people who no longer feel that synagogue affiliation answers their spiritual needs. He pursued this goal both by encouraging synagogues to become more hospitable and engaging, and by exploring alternative modes of Jewish engagement that may not depend upon the traditional synagogue model. A new Reform prayer book was also published in 2015, Mishkan HaNefesh, that was intended to be more inclusive, including for those in the LGBTQ community. At a board meeting in 2018, the URJ announced a resolution confirming its commitment to the World Zionist Organization's Jerusalem Program. In response to the 2023 Israel-Hamas War, the URJ adopted a nuanced stance on the conflict, stating its concern for Israel's security but also expressing fear for Palestinian civilians and hope for a two-state solution.

Beliefs

The Union for Reform Judaism seeks to promote the values and beliefs of Reform Judaism. Among the key tenets of Reform Judaism is the belief that the Hebrew Scriptures were divinely inspired yet written by human beings who acted in a historical context. Thus, Reform Jews have an obligation to interpret the teachings of scripture in the light of their own historical epoch. Reform Judaism also emphasizes a commitment to social justice and egalitarianism. The URJ has been at the forefront of the struggles for equal rights for women and those of different sexual orientations. In 1999, the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) adopted a platform that articulated the principles of Reform Judaism. These principles include such beliefs as "the reality and oneness of God, even as we may differ in our understanding of the Divine presence," "Torah is the foundation of Jewish life," and the belief the Jews constitute "a people aspiring to holiness, singled out through our ancient covenant and our unique history among the nations to be witnesses to God's presence."

Bibliography

"Declaration of Principles." Central Conference of American Rabbis, ccarnet.org/rabbis-speak/platforms/declaration-principles. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.

Gillman, Neil. Conservative Judaism: The New Century. Behrman, 1993.

"History of the Reform Movement." Union for Reform Judaism, www.urj.org/who-we-are/history. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.

Meyer, Michael A. Response to Modernity: A History of the Reform Movement in Judaism. Oxford University Press, 1988.

“Rabbi Rick Jacobs.” Union for Reform Judaism, urj.org/who-we-are/leadership-governance/rabbi-rick-jacobs. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.

Shimron, Yonat. “Reform Jews Support 'Just' War in Gaza But Call for Two-State Solution.” Religion News Service, 31 Jan. 2024, religionnews.com/2024/01/31/reform-jews-support-war-in-gaza-but-call-for-two-state-solution. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.

"A Statement of Principles for Reform Judaism." Central Conference of American Rabbis, ccarnet.org/rabbis-speak/platforms/statement-principles-reform-judaism. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.