Beyond Yiddishkeit: The Struggle for Jewish Identity in a Reform Synagogue

Contents

Contents Acknowledgments IX Introduction 1 1. The Transformation ofJewish Identity 9 Traditional Jewish Society 10 The Religious Dimension 10 The Individual and the Group 12 The Power of the Past 13 The Move to Modernity 14 The Dissolution of Traditional Jewish Society 14 Alternative Jewish Paths 16 The American Experience 19 Tradition and Modernity: A False Dichotomy 23 2. Temple Shalom: Setting and Reform Context 27 Temple Shalom Today 28 The Membership 28 Professional Staff 29 Organizational Structure 29 The Religious School 30 The Reform Movement in America 31 3. Ideology and Identity 41 Liberalism 41 Social Activism 51 The Jewish Tradition 52 The Yarmulke Controversy 53 The Question of Jewish Content 56 Summary and Conclusions 61 Contents 4. Ritual and Identity 65 The Ritual Context 66 The Sabbath Service 68 The Prayerbook 68 The Normative Ritual 73 The Chaverim Service: Ritual of Reversal 85 Analysis 87 5. Community and Identity 97 The Construction of Community: Uniqueness and Identity 99 The Temple Shalom Family 100 Differentiation from the Jewish Community 101 Style 105 Temple Shalom as Community 110 6. Conclusions 119 The Sacralization of Identity 119 The Liberal Ethic 121 Universalism and Individualism 121 Rationality 126 Secularism 128 The Construction of a New Ethic 130 Notes 135 Glossary 141 Bibliography 143 Index 155 ...