Reform Jews are on the more liberal side of Judaism. However, Reconstructionist Judaism, rather than Reform Judaism, is most religiously liberal denomination of Judaism. Reform Judaism has been moving closer towards Conservative Judaism as more congregations have adopted more Jewish traditions, rituals and use of Hebrew. However, there are still a significant number of "conservative" Reform congregations seeking to conserve and preserve the original liberal practices and tenets of the Reform movement.
The Reform movement was the product of the emancipation in Europe which found fertile ground for growth in the United States and other democratic nations in the late 19th and 20th centuries.
The most dramatic difference in Reform Judaism from Orthodox is that Jewish Law is not considered binding. The movement started out merely trying to change the role of liturgy and the sermon, but it met with such opposition from the traditionalist approach that it proclaimed that new times made for a radical transformation.
Born in the era of rationalism, it began in a universalism and perfectibility of humankind based on the words inspired by the Prophets. However, after the Holocaust, humankind's perfectibility was in great doubt. Accordingly, Reform's goals became less universal and are based on the survival of the Jewish people in its confrontation with modernity.
It approaches a problem by considering what Jewish Law says about it and then applies a modern rational solution. For example, under traditional Jewish law, women were not considered to have the same religious obligations as men. However, Reform thinkers consider as absolute the full equality of women who are permitted and encouraged to partake in religious events as equals and are encouraged to become Rabbis and Cantors(liturgical singers officiating at worship services).
In terms of theology, Reform is very interested in ideas about God (the
Orthodox generally accept God as a given and do not explore the nature of God). There are several schools of thought of God as nature, as infinite, as finite (with limitations) and as existential (mystical and personal), among examples.
Early Reform Thinkers Were Negative toward Jewish Law
They made a distinction between ethical and ritual mitzvot, considering the ritual mitzvot as old fashioned. They compared the laws of keeping Kosher(dietary laws) as kitchen Judaism. After the social acceptance of German Jews with Russian and Polish Jews with their more traditional influences and after the Holocaust which shook the ideals of the rational thinkers, they accepted more traditional Judaism as strengthening Jewish survival.
Insofar as Israel is concerned, they call for Immigration to Israel for those who wish it, but they maintain that Reform Judaism can be practiced anywhere.
The Reform movement established itself in American through its organizational abilities. It established an organization, the Union of American Hebrew Congregations in 1873, its Rabbinic college (Hebrew Union College) in 1875 and its Rabbinic Association in 1889.
Yes. Orthodox Jews do "everything by the book". Reform Jews do anything they want.
Reform Jews have only 1 seder instead of 2.
Reform Judaism had its origins in the Ashkenazi community, but there are plenty of Ashkenazi Orthodox Jews and plenty of Reform Jews with Sephardic backgrounds. In Europe, you can find Liberal synagogues (analogous to the Reform movement in the United States) that are dominated by Sephardic Jews, predominantly in French speaking countries that welcomed many Algerian Jews after the collapse of French North Africa.
orthodox Jews are traditional and reform Jews have mordenised their traditional ways
Orthodox follow halacha; Reform don't.
Yes. My maternal grandmother was Orthodox and married a Reform Jew and she switched to Reform Judaism.
Orthodox Jews are the people that want to keep tradition. Reform want 2 change things. I think that Orthodox Jews chose to break away from orthodox tradition and become reform Jews because they didn't like the whole tradition of orthodox Jews and all the rules they had to stick to such as observe all 613 laws as strictly as possible. So I think they changed so that they could have a bit more freedom from all these rules although there were still rules being reform Jews but at least if they change to reform Jews it changes (reform means change things).
There is no such thing as the "reform church" or a church of any kind in Judaism.
There is no such thing as a "reformed" Jew. It is called "reform Jew". Reform Jews celebrate passover as a commoration of the exodus of the ancestors of the Jews from Egypt and into freedom, which is the same meaning passover has to Conservative and Orthodox Jews.
No. Every year the Orthodox Jewish population seems to be shrinking. Reform Jews is now the largest group of Jews.
The Reform Jews are not, strictly speaking, entirely Jewish anymore, whereas the Orthodox Jews are traditional and believe in the sanctity of the prayers and building.
No, the Reform and Liberal movements has the largest number of followers.