Denominationalism and Revivalism in Reformed Judaism: Historic and Personal

America is and always has been a place of religious diversity.  People with different religions and beliefs have been immigrating to America from different countries across the world since the birth of the nation. Because different religions are together in a nation with religious freedom, common themes have arose in American religious history.  Among the many themes that have risen out of this history, two in particular can be connected to my Mother’s personal religious views. First there is denominationalism.  Denominationalism split Reformed Judaism from the original practices of Orthodox Judaism, allowing my Mother to practice a religion that suits her and her family’s lives.  The second theme is revivalism.  Revivalism shined a light on the importance of Jewishness which compelled my Mother to raise my brothers and me to be Jewish as well. Denominationalism and revivalism are themes that reflect the history of Reformed Judaism in America, and can also explain my Mother’s desire to pass down the traditions of Judaism to her children.

Denominationalism is “the division of one religion into separate groups, sects, or schools of thought.”¹ Although a denomination may have a distinguished label, it is still thought of as “separate yet not separated” from the original religion.²  Denominations share similar creeds, codes and cultus as their main church, but differ in community and some of their practices. Denominationalism in America is prevalent within a majority of religions and has been caused by many different reasons. Some groups like the Presbyterians and the Anglo-Protestants became a denomination of Protestantism because they claimed that their denomination had restored the original religion by wiping away the effects of time.³ There were also denominations like Baptists and Arminianism that formed from liberal form of the Protestant religion.⁴  Reformed Judaism, however, did not separate themselves from Orthodox Judaism for reasons of restoration and liberalism.  As stated in my previous blog, the Reformed Jews split from Orthodox practices because of the Enlightenment in Europe. The Enlightenment allowed the Jews to leave the ghettos, which gave them a desire to assimilate into society.  This challenge of assimilation is the main reason why some Orthodox Jews were willing to give up some of the strict practices of the Talmud in order to create a reformed practice.  Although Reformed Judaism is a denomination of Judaism, it still has many of the same characteristics of the Orthodox tradition. Reformed Judaism and Orthodox Judaism both recognize the Torah and the Talmud as the central teachings of Judaism, but the difference between the two denominations is how they approach these texts.  Reformed Judaism does not abide by the rules of the Talmud and focuses more on the religion and ethnic aspects of the religion, while Orthodox Jews is much more religious and strict, following the Talmud and all the old traditions.⁵ Due to the many denominations in not only Judaism, but in the majority of religions, people in America have the freedom to choose what religion suits them best.   My grandfather, David, was not lucky enough to have this religious freedom and ended up resenting the Jewish faith because he was forced to practice Orthodox Judaism.  My mother, on the other hand, was able to choose what denomination of Judaism she wanted to practice.  Because she had this freedom to practice a religion that fits her and her family’s lifestyle, she found it appropriate to pass these traditions down to my brothers and I. Another reason why my Mother was adamant about passing down the Jewish traditions could be an outcome of the Jewish revivalist movement.

When one thinks about revivalism in American context, they probably think about the First Great Awakening, the Second Great Awakening and the Great Revival, not a Jewish revival movement.  Revivalism is a term that refers to a specific period of increased spiritual interest or renewal.  The First Great Awakening, Second Great Awakening, and the Great Revival were periods where leaders such as Charles Finney, George Whitefield and Timothy Dwight would preach powerfully the word of God, leading to mass conversions and newfound beliefs.  These events are similar to the Jewish revival movement because there is an effort to increase interest in Judaism, but are different because the Jewish revival movement is subtler then the Great Awakenings.  The Jewish revival movement began in response to the Holocaust.⁶ The Holocaust was a mass genocide of the Jewish people during World War II in Nazi Germany.  About 6 million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust, which devastated the Jewish population around the world.  After the Holocaust, the Jewish population was at an all time low and the Jewish people were terrified of anti-Semitism.  In order to combat the loss of 6 million Jews and the fear of anti-Semitism, a Jewish revival movement began.  The Jewish revival movement began when young Jews assumed leadership, created dozens of organizations, and inspired masses of followers.⁷ These organizations helped cultural and religious renewal, and promoted Jewish education. One of the largest, most powerful Jewish revival organizations today is Taglit-Birthright Israel. Birthright Israel is a non-profit organization that sponsors free trips to Israel for Jewish young adults.  The main goal of this organization is to provide the participants with a newfound, strong emotional tie to Judaism and Israel in hope that they will continue the Jewish traditions and pass it down to their children. Another aspect of the Jewish revival movement is the acknowledgement within Jewish communities that they must pass down the traditions of the religion or they will be lost.⁸ This relates to my mother because passing down the traditions of Judaism to her children was one of the main reasons she decided to start practicing the religion again.

            It is apparent that both themes, denominationalism and revivalism, are illustrated in the history of Reformed Judaism, which connects to the reason why my Mother decided to raise my brothers and me Jewish. Reformed Judaism is a denomination of Orthodox Judaism, which has allowed its members to experience a more reformed practice.  This reform appealed to my Mother because it suits her life style as well as her family.  The Jewish revivalism movement has made the Jewish community more aware that their religion and traditions could be lost if they do not actively try and maintain it.  The revivalism movement also explains why my Mother felt it was her obligation to pass down Judaism to my brothers and me.

¹ Catherine Albanese, America Religions and Religion, (Boston, Massachusetts: Cengage Learning, 1999), 91.

² Albanese, 91.

³ Albanese, 112.

⁴ Albanese, 97.

⁵ Leora Batnitzky, How Judaism Became a Religion, (Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2011), 79.

⁶ Eitan Fishbane, and Jonathon Sarna, Jewish Renaissance and Revival in America, (Waltham, Massachusetts: Brandeis University Press, 2011), 19.

⁷ Fishbane and Sarna, 139.

⁸ Fishbane and Sarna, 145.