A New Vision of Reform Judaism for the 21st Century

“After two centuries of emphasizing personal autonomy and human freedom,” Rabbi Leon Morris avers, Reform Judaism “can declare victory in that campaign.” Today, Jews of all denominations know that “they are free to make choices in all areas of their lives.” Reform rabbis have instead the more difficult task of helping their flocks “navigate what to do with this freedom.” And, in Morris’s view, this task has become more difficult than ever in a world very different from the one to which the movement’s pioneers sought to reconcile Jewish tradition. Morris lays out a vision of what the current moment requires in this moving speech. (Video, 24 minutes. A text of the speech is available at the link below.)