[HANASHIR:5552] RE: Adonai s'fatai tiftakh

[BEBWH <BEBWH...>]

In a message dated 3/24/2000 10:15:08 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
Ketzev2 (at) aol(dot)com writes:

<< Sometimes it is not so important to prove our opinions the way we do >>

Oh no. I started something bad and now Adrian will have to write us a letter 
which I alone but the rest of you don;t deserve. I apologize. Please forgive 
me. I really try to keep my seldom sent comments free from personal opinions 
as I know this list grew from a wonderful program at a wonderful place. A 
place  that shaped my entire life and lifestyle to this day and a place that 
I remember fondly almost everyday through this list.  There was no opinion 
stated when I wrote that one of the goals of reform in Germany was to make 
our services and our practices more appealing to the Jewish masses. Changes 
were made in practice that enabled our Jewish grandparents and great 
grandparents to function in the greater (non Jewish) world without the noose 
of Halacha around their necks. One could justify eating business luncheons 
(or other meals) in non kosher restaurants, interacting with Jews or non Jews 
on Shabbos who live further than walking distance, keeping our stores open on 
Shabbos etc etc. This is history, not opinion. I hope that Reform Jews today 
have not lost track of the motivations of the early founders. What famous 
event happened where shrimp was served to the delegates...just to prove the 
laws of kashrut were non relevant anymore? The Pittsburgh Platform???? Reform 
has often taken it upon itself to bash the orthodox whenever possible. I 
still have a pamphlet at home published by the CCAR called What You Should 
Know About Chabad which tells all kinds of untrue things about Chabad and why 
they should not but your local reform temple should benefit from your 
chartitable contributions. My dear rabbi who confirmed me wrote two horrible 
articles one of which became a cover stroy in Reform Judaism bashing the 
orthodox world. I know you will say there were "reformers" in every 
generation of our history. This is not necessary, not for this list and not 
the intent of this writer. There have been places in the world where Jews 
have practiced all types of variations on Judaism. Even the Baal Shem Tov was 
a rabbi with a new message not well accepted at first.  There will always be 
such movements within Judaism but lets not say Reform Judaism conforms to the 
 traditional practices of Judaism in its services, eating habits, dress codes 
or observance of mitzvot. It is not traditional if we are measuring by the 
Jewish yardstick. It is a variation..totally. There is no belief in Torah 
M'Sinai, there is no reliance on the rabbinite to decide halacha because 
there is no halacha. And please notice, I've never said it's good or 
bad...that would be an opinion... and we'd all get a letter. 

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