Reform and Conservative Judaism in Israel: Aims and Platforms

Reform and conservative judaism have had an institutional presence in Israel for over ten years. The platform further indicates those social problems in Israel which require the application of these precepts as commandments. As the movement Coordinator said at the conference of the World Union of Progressive Judaism, only after the Reform movement defines itself, can it putforth its "calling card" and place claims before the Israeli public. What the Reform movement has done, in this regard, is to formulate a platform which emphasizes what it is, rather than what it is not. The degree to which the Reform movement in Israel is more "open" to the larger society is particularly demonstrated by its adoption of the principle of Klal Yisrael in determining which mizvot are to be kept. The platform formulated by the Reform movement may eventually help it to attract new members and achieve further growth.