RECONSTRUCTING JUDAISM PRINCIPLES
ISRAEL
Reconstructing Judaism Movement, Israel and Zionism
From our movement’s beginnings in the 1920s, we have expressed a deep commitment to the flourishing of Jewish life in the Land of Israel based on principles of democracy, Jewish religious pluralism, Jewish cultural renewal and the pursuit of compromise and peace with the Palestinians. In the decades since 1967, when Israel began its military rule over the Palestinians of the West Bank and Gaza and began building Jewish settlements there, the central organizations of our movement have approved multiple resolutions and published substantive reports calling for an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the following five principles:
INCLUSION
Inclusion is a core principle of Reconstructing Judaism. We strive to create communities where all people can experience Jewish life and Jewish community, to be embraced, supported and celebrated. Too many groups and individuals have historically been marginalized in Jewish spaces: LGBTQIA individuals, Jews of Color, people with disabilities, interfaith families, non-Jewish family members, those facing mental-health challenges and more. Barriers to participation harm not only the excluded but weaken the entire Jewish community. We hold that communities must do more than welcome; they must be open to true transformation. Read more: https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/congregational-resources/inclusion/
RACIAL JUSTICE
B’tzelem Elohim
Fighting for racial justice is a top priority for Reconstructing Judaism and is a natural extension of our Jewish values. The Torah’s very first and most central description of human beings is that we are all created b’tzelem Elohim — equally and uniquely in the image of God. This theology was radical in its time and remains radical today, despite the profound truth and simplicity of this claim. Black Lives Matter. The lives of our Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) neighbors and fellow Jews of Color matter. It is our obligation to do the holy work of racial justice so that the full humanity of all people may flourish and be fully honored. Read more: https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/racial-justice/
TIKKUN OLAM
Tikkun olam (social activism, or literally “world repair”) is an attempt to repair breaches of justice in our world. Tikkun olam is a central wellspring of spirituality and meaning for many contemporary Jews. The Reconstructionist movement has helped define the vanguard of social justice in the Jewish community, advancing causes from equality for women and LGBTQIA folks, to policy-shifting advocacy work in multi-racial, interfaith coalitions. The centrality of working for social justice was part of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan’s earliest vision for Reconstructionism. Tikkun olam continues to be a central pillar for our work to build a more just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive world and in our approach to Jewish life.
The Jewish protagonists of social idealism should realize that the Jewish religion came into being as a result of the first attempt to conceive of God as the defender of the weak against the strong and that it can therefore continue to serve as the inspiration in the present struggle. Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan
Read more: https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/congregational-resources/tikkun-olam/
Reconstructing Judaism Movement, Israel and Zionism
From our movement’s beginnings in the 1920s, we have expressed a deep commitment to the flourishing of Jewish life in the Land of Israel based on principles of democracy, Jewish religious pluralism, Jewish cultural renewal and the pursuit of compromise and peace with the Palestinians. In the decades since 1967, when Israel began its military rule over the Palestinians of the West Bank and Gaza and began building Jewish settlements there, the central organizations of our movement have approved multiple resolutions and published substantive reports calling for an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the following five principles:
- Securing Israel’s place in the Middle East as a Jewish and democratic state according to the vision expressed in its Declaration of Independence;
- Ending Israel’s military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza;
- Halting the expansion of settlements in those same territories;
- Establishing a democratic Palestinian state alongside Israel within final borders to be agreed by both parties; and
- Supporting Israeli and Palestinian negotiations seeking to achieve mutually agreed creative compromises to resolve the complex issues involving Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees.
INCLUSION
Inclusion is a core principle of Reconstructing Judaism. We strive to create communities where all people can experience Jewish life and Jewish community, to be embraced, supported and celebrated. Too many groups and individuals have historically been marginalized in Jewish spaces: LGBTQIA individuals, Jews of Color, people with disabilities, interfaith families, non-Jewish family members, those facing mental-health challenges and more. Barriers to participation harm not only the excluded but weaken the entire Jewish community. We hold that communities must do more than welcome; they must be open to true transformation. Read more: https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/congregational-resources/inclusion/
RACIAL JUSTICE
B’tzelem Elohim
Fighting for racial justice is a top priority for Reconstructing Judaism and is a natural extension of our Jewish values. The Torah’s very first and most central description of human beings is that we are all created b’tzelem Elohim — equally and uniquely in the image of God. This theology was radical in its time and remains radical today, despite the profound truth and simplicity of this claim. Black Lives Matter. The lives of our Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) neighbors and fellow Jews of Color matter. It is our obligation to do the holy work of racial justice so that the full humanity of all people may flourish and be fully honored. Read more: https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/racial-justice/
TIKKUN OLAM
Tikkun olam (social activism, or literally “world repair”) is an attempt to repair breaches of justice in our world. Tikkun olam is a central wellspring of spirituality and meaning for many contemporary Jews. The Reconstructionist movement has helped define the vanguard of social justice in the Jewish community, advancing causes from equality for women and LGBTQIA folks, to policy-shifting advocacy work in multi-racial, interfaith coalitions. The centrality of working for social justice was part of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan’s earliest vision for Reconstructionism. Tikkun olam continues to be a central pillar for our work to build a more just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive world and in our approach to Jewish life.
The Jewish protagonists of social idealism should realize that the Jewish religion came into being as a result of the first attempt to conceive of God as the defender of the weak against the strong and that it can therefore continue to serve as the inspiration in the present struggle. Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan
Read more: https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/congregational-resources/tikkun-olam/