Reform Judaism

Also known as: Liberal Judaism

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Mar 15, 2024 • Article History

Category: History & Society

Key People:: Leo Baeck; Kaufmann Kohler; Abraham Geiger; Samuel Hirsch

Related Topics:: Judaism; Columbus Platform

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Reform Judaism, a religious movement that has modified or abandoned many traditional Jewish beliefs, laws, and practices in an effort to adapt Judaism to the changed social, political, and cultural conditions of the modern world. Reform Judaism sets itself at variance with Orthodox Judaism by challenging the binding force of ritual, laws, and customs set down in the Bible and in certain books of rabbinic origin (e.g., the Talmud). The movement began early in the 19th century, in Germany, with appeals from laymen for an updating of the Jewish liturgy and other rituals. With the liberation of Jews from their ...(100 of 678 words)

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