A Tribute to Classical Reform

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Union for Reform Judaism

A Tribute to Classical Reform
July 28, 2010
By Rabbi Eric Yoffie | Defining Reform | Jewish History (13 comments)

by Rabbi Eric Yoffie
Originally published in Reform Judaism magazine

Reform Jews like to divide themselves into camps, the most prominent being "traditional" versus "classical." Having grown up in a Reform congregation where the worship services were primarily in Hebrew, virtually all of the men wore kippot, and we observed two days of the major festivals, I identify more with the former. Yet I do not believe that the line between the two is as sharp as some would have us believe.

Classical Reform values such as universal ethics and intellectual rigor remain an integral part of who we are as a Reform Movement. Unapologetically cerebral, resting on a foundation of rationalism, Classical Reform attaches importance to thoughtful, well-prepared preaching, and expects rabbis to deliver the "message of Israel" with clarity and oratorical skill.

Classical Reform also graces our congregations with an enduring aesthetic sensibility. As Rabbi David Posner of Congregation Emanu-El in New York City has pointed out, the defining characteristic of Reform Judaism in the 19th century was not the absence of head coverings but wonderful music: powerful and awe-inspiring pieces for choir and organ scored by some of Europe's greatest composers or their students, many of whom were Jews. In that era, the new sound represented a radical break from customary synagogue music. Few of our synagogues still make use of organs and choirs in the Classical Reform style, but from time to time I hear the majesty of the great Classical Reform hymns, and I am filled with praise for those who care so deeply about the dignity of our worship.

We live in an era in which both rabbinic preaching and liturgical music are much less formal than they once were. Far more emphasis is also given to ritual practice and Jewish peoplehood--trends I have endorsed. Nonetheless, Classical Reform Jews bring a great deal to the Reform mix. Our commitment to reason and to ethics is the fruit of their efforts. Their devotion to beauty and decorum in Reform prayer still guides us, even if it is resisted by some and expressed differently by others. The Pittsburgh Platform--the defining statement of Classical Reform principles--is as relevant today as when it was issued in 1885.

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the founding of Reform Judaism in Germany, a good time to offer words of appreciation for the vibrant and revolutionary Judaism our Reform founders brought into being. As we celebrate this important milestone, let us all pay tribute to Classical Reform Judaism's enduring influence.

Tags: Classical Reform, Jewish history, Reform Judaism

Comment

Comments

Jordan Friedman said:

Thank you so much for this, Rabbi Yoffie. I am relieved to hear that someone high up in the Movement still has kind words for Classical Reform. It really means a lot. I was brought up in a VERY traditional, non-Classical reform congregation in the 90s and early 2000s, but recently upon entering College I discovered the existence of Classical Reform through research relating to my love of Classical music, specifically the pipe organ. My love and interest expanded from the music to the greater ideals and practices associated with Classical Reform. I'm a rare bird indeed for feeling this way at age 19, and if I could somehow help to effect a partial return to many of the ways of Classical Reform, I would do it in a heartbeat. I fully respect and understand the preferences of those who advocate for more traditional observance--I only wish that this sort of thing could exist as a choice alongside CR. In all honesty, this will never happen--the two "ways" will never again co-exist with equal following. This fact is the only thing keeping me from the Rabbinate. Instead, I can only hope to offer my resources as a musician to help delay the inevitable demise of the venerable CR music tradition--I've already nearly given up on the non-musical aspects of CR. As it is, most of the best music from the German/Early American tradition is only heard in the occasional concert, and rarely used in services. It would be nice if a few otherwise "Traditional" Reform congregations could be persuaded to install real pipe organs or restore the ones they already have and use some old music, even if only the Hebrew settings. I have seen very Traditional, mostly Hebrew services with the old music by Sulzer and Lewandowski, and it works quite well. Actually, some of the old Italian Renaissance music like Rossi's settings of the Hebrew liturgy meld better with more Traditional services than the 19th century German stuff does, since they a more exotic, modal flair to them. They might be more palatable to some because they lack the WASPy, "Protestant" sound that so many criticize.

July 28, 2010 12:01 PM

Larry Kaufman said:

Rabbi Yoffie does a better job singing the praises of Classical Reform than I see in most of the writings of its practitioners. Although he mentions its cerebral and rational nature and its universalism, he particularly praises its esthetic -- the dignity of worship, the grandeur of its music, and the clarity of its oratorical messaging.

He might also have mentioned its concern for social justice, its pioneering egalitarianism, and its contribution in helping to Americanize the mid-nineteenth century immigrants from central and western Europe.

Unfortunately, in the writings of those who would keep the Classical tradition alive, I too frequently find a derogation of what Rabbi Yoffie characterizes as the more traditional arm of Reform, primarily in seeming to scold the mainstream for its use of a prayer language (Hebrew) that most of the worshippers do not understand, and an approach to the service itself that is less formal in all its elements than they would prefer.

Just as we tell our Orthodox critics, so too we sometimes need to remind the Classical camp that eilu v'eilu divrei elohim chayim, these AND these are the words of the living God -- or, to paraphrase the ads the Progressive movement has run in Israel, there's more than one way to be (Reform) Jewish.

July 28, 2010 12:32 PM

Steve Naman said:

Thank you to Rabbi Yoffie for his acknowledgememt of Classical Reform Judaism and many of its exemplary qualities. This should be a welcome editorial to those dedicated Jews who founded and funded so many of our congregations and who have often felt disenfranchised within their own houses of worship. There is hopefully room for all of us under the tent of Reform Judaism and possibly rabbis and lay leaders around the country will take some guidance and understanding from this editorial and provide for the needs of this integral constituency within their congregations.

On behalf of many of us in the American Council for Judaism, thank you.

July 28, 2010 1:40 PM

Jim Gelbort said:

Thank you for noting the 200th anniversary, earlier this month, of the dedication of the first modern Jewish Temple. Many may not realize just how old the Reform movement is, and I suggest that a blog mention is insufficient institutional recognition of the occasion.
Our strain of Judaism is rooted in the understanding that, throughout our history, Jews have used reason and discourse to find meaning in, and share, God's revelation - and that we can do the same. Furthermore, regardless of where and how we live, we can participate in the Mission of Israel, as a faith community and extended family, to illuminate the unity of God for all humankind. For me, as for many others, these elements are the substance of Reform Judaism; while musical genre or preaching style reflects mere fashion. Perhaps, if it is to last another two centuries, the movement would do well to recognize, teach, and celebrate its founding principles and pay less attention to dividing into camps.

July 29, 2010 10:47 AM

B.H. Levy, Jr. said:

The Society for Classical Reform Judaism organized a bicentennial pilgrimage to Germany, which was completed just two weeks ago, to mark the 200th anniversary of the founding of Reform Judaism. Fifteen Reform rabbis and thirty-five lay persons travelled from the U.S. and the U.K to Germany to commemorate the dedication in July 1810 of the first modern Reform Temple, which was constructed by philanthropist Israel Jacobson in the town of Seesen, Westphalia. That event inaugurated the religious reforms that spread through the European and American Jewish communities – worship services in the vernacular, enriched by choral and instrumental music, with sermons relating Jewish ideals to contemporary life in a free, open society. On July 16, 2010, a plaque memorializing the establishment of Jacobstempel was dedicated in a prominent location in Berlin’s Mitte borough at a ceremony conducted by the mayor of Seesen and a member of Berlin’s House of Representatives. The SCRJ pilgrimage included stops in Seesen, Hamburg and other landmarks of the Movement’s early history, while also offering moral support to the reborn Jewish community in Germany today. SCRJ is pleased to have been able to celebrate this historic occasion of importance to Reform Jews throughout the world.

August 4, 2010 11:16 PM

Marcia Sherman said:

THANK YOU RABBI YOFFIE FOR YOUR WONDERFUL ARTICLE ON CLASSICAL REFORM. I AM AN 81 YEAR OLD WHO WAS RAISED IN A CLASSICAL REFORM TEMPLE LED BY MY BELOVED RABBI PHILIP BERNSTEIN. I AM STILL A MEMBER OF THAT CONGREGATION.HOWEVER, I MISS MY TRADITIONS:THE LITTLE BLACK PRAYER BOOK WITH THE POETIC PRAYERS WE MEMORIZED AS CHILDREN AND THE HYMNS OF SULZER AND LEWANDOWSKI. I WAS SO DELIGHTED WHEN IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT OUR TEMPLE WOULD BE HAVING A CLASSICAL SERVICE USING THE OLD PRAYER BOOKS,THE ORGAN AND MY FAMILIAR HYMNS.
I WAS SO HAPPY DURING THE SERVICE UNTIL THE END WHEN THE RABBI ASKED THE CONGREGATION THEIR OPINION OF THE SERVICE. I HEARD WORDS "COLD',"BLAND" "LIKE WHITE BREAD" WITH THE RABBI NODDING IN AGREEMENT. I CAN STILL FEEL THE PAIN IN MY HEART AS I SAT THERE AND LISTENED. SO WHEN I READ YOUR ARTICLE I CRIED. SOMEONE UNDERSTOOD.YOU VALIDATED MY TRADITION AND BROUGHT HONOR WHERE THERE HAD BEEN DENIGATION.THANK YOU AGAIN.

August 22, 2010 3:38 PM

Frank Hytken said:

Classical Reform Judaism provides a wonderful option, especially for young Jewish families today. The English language service is inspirational for many of us who find praying in our own language to be more meaningful. With services in English, everyone can participate, regardless of whether they are fluent in Hebrew or know none at all. That is a matter of great importance when about half of marriages are with people who were not raised as Jews and consequently have no fluency in Hebrew and are highly unlikely as adults to ever become fluent. If we really want to win over new family members to our faith, there needs of be an option where newcomers can be first class Jews. And by freeing up the time and resources expended on Hebrew study, all Jews can devote their religious education to matter of substance and to social action which are the heart of Reform Judaism.

August 27, 2010 1:51 PM

Hineni said:

Mr. Hytken wants us to devote our religious education to matters of substance and to social action. He does not tell us what he considers to be matters of substance, nor what aspects of social action he considers important. Thus we can't tell what, other than minimizing Hebrew, he considers the heart of Reform Judaism.

As Rabbi Yoffie and others have commented, Classical Reform places great value on a certain aesthetic quality in services, universalistic values, rationality, and prayer primarily in English. Modern Reform, on the other hand, places great value on informality, participatory worship, and connectedness to other Jews across time and space facilitated by our common language, Hebrew.

Mr. Hytken suggests that the Classical Reform approach is more suited to winning over the hearts and minds of newcomers to the Jewish family, but the facts on the ground don't seem to confirm his theory. Given the influx of family members with non-Jewish backgrounds, it would be expected, if Mr. Hytken was right, that congregations would be feeling pressure to move towards the Classical approach -- but in the marketplace, we see the opposite taking place.

While our congregations may not always make "healthy" decisions, they are not suicidal, and they stay alive by being responsive to the needs of their members. What I see as the heart of Reform Judaism is serving the intellectual, spiritual and social needs of those who want to draw close to the Jewish tradition as viewed through the prism of today. Reform Judaism is nothing if not eclectic, drawing from the best of our own Jewish tradition and from the compatible values of the world in which we live.

August 27, 2010 3:21 PM

Mark Tasch said:

I acknowledge that I'm on the lost side of current history, but "participatory worship" in a language that I don't understand is a meaningless contradiction in terms. I decided some years ago that I would no longer utter words that I either don't understand or don't believe. Is God really gratified to hear us vocalize sounds that are meaningless to us?

August 29, 2010 10:15 PM

Misnogid said:

Mark Tasch asks if God is really gratified to hear us vocalize sounds that are meaningless to us.

I would ask if God is really gratified to hear us vocalize sounds that are meaningful to us.

If some find meaning in community (participating with others regardless of language barriers) or in mystery (accepting metaphor and/or searching beyond the limits of current comprehension), I say more power to them. And if others want to stay put at their current level of understanding and belief, more power to them as well.

Since we cannot know what gratifies God, we can each strive to find meaning in our own way, without seeming to criticize those who seek another way.

August 30, 2010 12:50 PM

Mark Tasch said:

"Misnogid" (whoever he or she may be) makes some good points, and I should not have presumed that other people find sounds to be meaningless just because they are in a language that they don't understand. I would like to point out, though, that advancing one's "level of understanding and belief" can occur with the language that one does comprehend and without contorting liturgical statements in an attempt to try to believe them.

August 30, 2010 9:02 PM

Larry Kaufman said:

"Thou hast been our protector and our savior in every trial and peril." (Union Prayer Book, 1945)

In 1945, we knew about the death camps, and met the above sentence in the language we all comprehended. How could we believe this liturgical statement in the face of 6 million "witnesses" to the contrary?

Liturgy is not about comprehension -- it is about helping us address that which is beyond comprehension. The Classical Reformers understood this, just as they understood the need to convey it poetically. Poetry, not just liturgical poetry, asks us to live with metaphor, and to read beyond the simple meaning of the words on the page. Thus the ability of our forebears, 65 years ago, to read the words I cited without feeling the need for contorting the liturgical statement into something they could believe.

If the march of progress means we have lost that skill, shame on us.

August 31, 2010 12:25 PM

Mark Tasch said:

I understand mystery, poetry, and metaphor. If I have implied that other people should not believe what I do not believe, or should not utter prayers that they do not believe on some level, then I was in error. All that I should have said was that I, myself, am not willing to utter prayers whose clear meaning expresses a theological concept that I clearly do not accept. For me (and perhaps for me, alone) there is a difference between the ability "to read beyond the simple meaning of the words on the page" and the willingness to proclaim things that defy my credulity. I understand that there can be layers of meaning beyond the words, but the words, themselves, also have meaning.

August 31, 2010 2:13 PM