What is Reconstructionism?

A progressive, contemporary, and engaging approach to Jewish life.

A progressive and contemporary approach to Jewish life, based on the teachings of Rabbi Mordecai M. Kaplan (1881-1983), Reconstructionism was for many years the “left-wing” of the Conservative movement, and gradually emerged as an independent fourth movement in American Jewish life, marked formally by the founding of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia in 1968.

• Reconstructionist Judaism is based on a naturalistic, rather than a super naturalistic, understanding of Judaism. We understand Judaism to be the product of the religious experience of the Jewish people through history, rather than the “divine revelation” of God. Put differently, Reconstructionism sees Jewish tradition, culture, and religion as having grown “from the ground up” instead of from the “[mountain-]top down.” Reconstructionists believe that Judaism is more than a religion: it is the evolving religious civilization of the Jewish people.
• While we do not take the Torah literally, we do take it seriously, as a record of the discovery by our ancestors of the essential moral principles and laws of society through which we are made fully human. We are respectful of traditional Jewish observances but also open to new interpretations and forms of religious expression; tradition has “a vote, but not a veto.”
• Unlike Orthodox and Conservative Judaism, Reconstructionism does not view Jewish law (halakhah) as binding, although Jewish tradition is respected. Unlike Reform Judaism, Reconstructionism retains a more traditional approach to Jewish religious practice and places a greater emphasis on ritual observance and the centrality of Jewish peoplehood. Where Reform emphasizes individual autonomy, Reconstructionism emphasizes the importance of religious community and the role of custom (minhag) in shaping patterns of observance.
• While Reconstructionists hold diverse ideas about God, and have differing conceptions of God, we are united by a belief in God. We share an emphasis on Godliness – those hopes, beliefs, and values within us that impel us to work for a better world. Our new prayer book series (Kol Haneshamah) speaks of God beyond the gender issues of male/female, and beyond the traditional metaphor of “king of the universe.” For example, in our prayer books God is addressed as, among other things, “The Healer,” “The Teacher,” “The Just One,” and “The Presence.”
• The Reconstructionist movement today numbers over 100 congregations and havurot, and over 300 rabbis have been ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College since it opened its doors in 1968.

Adapted from Rabbi Richard Hirsh, September 2002

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Links to Reconstructionist Organizations:

Jewish Reconstructionist Federation (JRF) Founded in 1955, JRF represents a democratic, pluralistic, inclusive, and growing movement, with over 100 member communities in North America and around the world. JRF provides a wide array of services to its affiliates. National and regional offices offer consultation on all key areas of congregational life, including youth and adult education, leadership development, outreach and community-building initiatives, fundraising, and budgeting as well as musical, liturgical, and other resources. A broad selection of books of contemporary Jewish interest are published by the Reconstructionist Press.

Find Reconstructionist congregations in your area »

No’ar Hadash (Hebrew for "New Youth") Hebrew for "New Youth," No'ar Hadash is the Reconstructionist Youth Movement. Connecting teens from JRF communities across North America, No'ar Hadash provides congregational consulting, youth group planning services, and regional and North American youth events and also an 11th grade Israel Experience.

Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC) An accredited rabbinical school dedicated to the renewal of the rabbinate in the North American Jewish community. RRC offers rabbinic, cantorial, and masters degree programs and is home to KOLOT: The Center for Jewish Women's and Gender Studies, Hiddur: The Center for Aging and Judaism, and the Center for Jewish Ethics.

Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association (RRA) The professional association of Reconstructionist rabbis.