Yom Kippur 2007: Jews who hate Reform Jews
By Bradley Burston
The Scene: A spinning class at a smartly appointed gym at a kibbutz in the Judean Hills, a few days before Yom Kippur. The instructor has yet to arrive. "We have a minyan, we can begin anyway," says one member of the class.
"Wait," says another, astride his exercise bike. "Women aren't counted in a minyan."
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"Reform Jews do count women in the minyan," says a woman in the class. The man on the bike is unmoved. "The Reformim aren't Jews," he says.
There are those among us Jewish Israelis, whether we define ourselves as traditionalist or secular-as-Stalin, who cannot abide Reform Judaism and those who choose to practice it.
"I have to admit that the pseudo-spiritualism that the Reform Jewish synagogue manufactures is foreign to me," wrote Gafi Amir in an opinion column in Yedioth Ahronoth this week.
Taking a shot at the "neo-secular, particularly those who congratulate themselves for being enlightened and pluralistic," Amir decided that their level of religious observance will not include the commandments of fasting and searching one's soul.
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Now, moving right past the spinning-class-come-theological-debate, I find this fascinating because I’ve really struggled with my own reactions to Reform Judaism. It weirds me out that it’s a movement that doesn’t even attempt to have standards. I just…don’t get it, I guess.
On the other hand, hate is a pretty strong word. I don’t hate Reform Jews, and I don’t really get people who are way offended by them. By definition they're the least threatening group ever, right? So what’s all the animosity about?