Resources on Reconstructionism
"Where Was God?" - Lesson Plan On Natural Disasters and Parashat Noah
During disasters and their aftermaths, many people wonder about God’s role in their suffering. This lesson seeks to explore God’s role in tragedy from a Jewish Reconstructionist perspective. This lesson is intended for children ages 8-12.
How Can Reconstructionists Pray?
How does a non-supernatural notion of God fit together with the practice of prayer? Rabbi Jacob Staub explores their intersection.
Nothing Neutral About It: Inspired by Reconstructionist Judaism in Switzerland
Paul Piwnicki, a Polish-born, German-raised scientist and Jew-by-choice, credits Reconstructionist thought with helping him develop a personal theology and practice. Piwnicki’s story highlights the influence of Reconstructionist ideas and thinkers, even in countries lacking Reconstructionist congregations.
If God Is Good, Why Do Pain and Suffering Exist?
The question is an old and venerable one: If God is good, and God is all-knowing, and God is all-powerful, then why is there so much pain and suffering in the world? Rabbi Jacob Staub explores this longstanding question.
Light Through The Cracks
Rabbi Deborah Waxman reflects on finding spiritual equilibrium in a time of shifting sands.
Liturgy and Prayer Leadership: Distance Learning Session
This distance learning conference call explores the dynamics of worship and the human impulse to pray, some of the deep structures of Jewish prayer services, and specifically Reconstructionist liturgy.
Kaplan and the Meaning of Ritual: Reconciling the Mind and the Heart
The author reflects on the way Mordecai Kaplan's philosophy helped him see Jewish ritual as spiritually meaningful and, at the same time, intellectually honest.
Author Interview: Guide to Jewish Practice
Interview with Rabbi David Teutsch, Ph.D., about the issues addressed in the new Guide to Jewish Practice
Reconstructionism Explained
What is Reconstructionist Judaism? Its essence is contained in the phrase, “Judaism is the evolving religious civilization of the Jewish people.” Unpacking this phrase, we find five simple keys to understanding the philosophy and beliefs of Reconstructionist Judaism.
A Hasidic Lens on Parashat Bo
In this short talk, Rabbi Lester Bronstein brings 18th and 19th-century Hasidic thought into dialogue with contemporary Reconstructionist theology.
A New Approach to the Rules Shaping Shabbat Practice
Congregation B’nai Israel in Willimantic, Connecticut underwent a long communal Reconstructionist process to decide on congregational rules for Shabbat practice. This is the result.
Yigdal: A Reconstructionist Examination
Yigdal, one of the most beloved of the medieval piyyutim (liturgical poems) summarizes the thirteen principles of the Jewish faith as formulated by Moses Maimonides (RaMBaM; late 12th century C.E.). Reconstructionists often proudly assert that when we pray with a Reconstructionist siddur, we feel that we can 'say what we mean and mean what we say,' because our liturgical language reflects Reconstructionist theology. How might a Reconstructionist interpret the words of Yigdal in this way?
Exploration of God Beliefs: A Teen Program
This pilot program for Jewish teen education provides several activities for exploring and sharing beliefs about God.
A Child's Biography of Mordecai Kaplan
This short biography of Mordecai Kaplan is written for children from 5th to 9th grade.
For The Sake Of The World
Rabbi Toba Spitzer grapples wtih the traditional notion of Jewish chosenness, arguing that our Torah is integral to the maintenance and perfection of this world—even as we acknowledge that other people’s teachings, other people’s truths, are also a path to redemption. It matters that Judaism survives—not just for our own sake, but because it’s good for the world, and because we have unique work to do.
