Reform Judaism for Teachers module - Touro Synagogue

Introduction
Lesson #3
Contributions of Reform Judaism
According to the Preamble to the 1999 CCAR Statement of Principles for Reform
Judaism, “The great contribution of Reform Judaism is that it has enabled the Jewish
people to introduce innovation while preserving tradition, to embrace diversity while
asserting commonality, to affirm beliefs without rejecting those who doubt, and to bring
faith to sacred texts without sacrificing critical scholarship.” A primary goal of this
lesson is to familiarize participants with three specific contributions of Reform Judaism
that have profoundly affected American Jewish life: the introduction of gender equality,
social action as a moral imperative and the Movement’s groundbreaking outreach
approach to intermarried couples and families.
An “Applying Your Learning” sheet appears at the end of the lesson. This can be
distributed to participants as an aid in helping them take their learning from this lesson
back to their own classrooms.
Enduring Understandings
To be an effective teacher in the Reform Movement depends on my ability to understand
and transmit to my students the unique values, principles and contributions of the
Movement to the Jewish people and to the world.
Essential Questions
• What is Reform Judaism and what are its unique values, practices, and
contributions?
• What knowledge about Jewish texts and Jewish thought is necessary to ensure
the Jewish literacy of the next generation of Jewish adults?
Union for Reform Judaism-Department of Lifelong Jewish Learning
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