matand
Admin
Admin
| Posts: 15 |   |
Karma: 0
|
Re:Observance - 2008/01/25 10:55
One of our rabbis writes:
"The short answer is that there isn't a problem. Being Reform and observing the mitzvot are very far from being incompatible.
However, I ought to add a little bit of detail.
First, you say that you are attracted by the traditions, sounds, flavours and ritual practices of the Orthodox. That applies to lots of people, particularly people whose upbringing (unlike yours) was orthodox. However, what you need to realise is that there is no one set of orthodox traditions, sounds, flavours and even ritual. Orthodoxy comes in many shapes and sizes - the traditions of minhag Anglia (the United Synagogue of a couple of generations ago) are not the same as those of Satmarer Chassidim which are very very different again from modern orthodoxy in Israel or Jews from North Africa. I make the point because Judaism - even orthodox Judaism - is far less monolithic than you think. Perhaps I should add that the orthodox tradition froze the list of mitzvot at 613 many centuries ago. But nobody - not even the orthodox rabbis who rejected you - observe all 613.
Second, there are traditions and rituals from which Reform has consciously departed because they are unethical - discrimination against women for instance. We are also creative - we see the value in traditional kashrut laws (providing current obsessions don't cause people to miss the wood for the trees) but we argue strongly that these traditions should be extended to include concern for animal welfare, the environment and so on. So, to be happy within Reform you need to be able to match your taste for the traditions, sounds, flavours and ritual practices that attracted you with the understanding that Judaism is a pluralistic tradition, in which many ways are ways of pleasantness and not everyone does things in exactly the same way. Please don't fall foul of British Jewry's besetting sin in which a person believes that anyone who is more traditionally observant than they are is meshugeh (mad) and anyone who is less observant than they are is a goy. You also need to remember that the traditions, sounds, flavours and rituals are aids, supports for the central focus of Judaism which is acting in an ethical way, doing good, helping to repair the world - as the Torah understands God: You shall be Holy for I the Eternal your God am Holy.
Good luck. I hope that you will soon be able to say of West London Synagogue: I have come to the right place. May your conversion bring you a great deal of satisfaction - and some ethical and spiritual challenges as well".
|
Forum 
there is a wide degree of observance in reform communities, from very observant people to people who don't really practice it at all. i'm somewhere in the middle