Reform and Progressive Judaism

Finding books in the Catalog

To find books on Reform Judaism, do a browse subject search in the catalog under: Reform Judaism
You can also combine Reform Judaism in a keyword search with other topics. For example, there isn't one subject heading for "Reform Responsa" but you can do a combination keyword search for the subject "Reform" and the subject "Responsa." Similarly to find liturgy from the Reform movement do a keyword search under the subject "Reform" and the subject "siddur" (or haggadah, mahzor, etc.)

Finding books on the Shelves

Books that are written on the history, beliefs, or customs of Reform Judaism are shelved in the BM 197 section. Books on individual congregations are shelved in BM 225 (arranged by city). Books that discuss the Reform view of any specific topic are generally shelved with other books on that topic.

Selected Web Sites

North American Reform Organizations

Reform Judaism
Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) Home 
Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR)
Union of Reform Judaism (URJ, was UAHC)
American Jewish Archives 
Religious Action Center (RAC)

World Wide Reform/Liberal/Progressive Organizations

World Union for Progressive Judaism
Israeli Movement for Progressive Judaism
Union for Progressive Judaism (New Zealand, Australia, and Asia) 
Union of Liberal & Progressive Synagogues (Great Britain)
Union of Jewish Congregations of Latin America and the Caribbean (UJCL)
Liberaal Jodendom in Nederland 
Progressive Judaism in Germany, Austria and Switzerland

Online Texts & Resources

Platforms adopted by the CCAR
http://www.ccarnet.org/documentsandpositions/platforms/

• Declaration of Principles, 1885 Pittsburgh Conference
• The Columbus Platform : the Guiding Principles of Reform Judaism (1937)
• Reform Judaism : A Centenary Perspective, adopted at San Francisco, 1976
• Reform Judaism & Zionism: A Centenary Platform, adopted in Miami, Florida, June 24, 1997
• A Statement of Principles for Reform Judaism, adopted at the Pittsburgh Convention , May 1999

Topical Index of Reform Responsa / compiled by Rabbi Steven Ross Chatinover
http://ccarnet.org/documentsandpositions/responsa/

FAQ's (Frequently asked Questions)

Where is the Reform responsa? and is there an index?
There is not a separate section for Reform responsa, it is shelved with the responsa of all the other streams of Judaism. Books which include works by many authors, or are put out by a committee, are shelved in BM 522 A1. Books written by a single author are shelved in BM 522.xx (where the xx is a code for the first letters of the author's last name). They should appear on the shelf in alphabetical order by the author's last name (or first name, if there is no last name). So, books by Solomon Freehof are in BM 522.36 R, works by Walter Jacob BM 522.5 A, works by the CCAR in BM 522 A1 [note that the call numbers may vary by campus.] There is an incomplete index available online at: http://ccarnet.org/documentsandpositions/responsa/

Books of responsa on a specific topic are usually shelved with other books on the topic. You can find them in the catalog by doing keyword searches for the subject "responsa" and subject or anywhere search for the topic, e.g. "aging" or "conversion."

Works about responsa literature are shelved in BM 523.

Where is the journal Reform Judaism? 
BM 197 R3.83 (generally in the folio, or oversized area - ask your local librarian)

Where is the Hebrew Union College Annual?
BM 11 H4

Where is the CCAR Journal?
BM 197 A1C2.2

Where are the Reform prayer books? or Rabbi's manual?

Prayer books for just one service (Arvit, Shaharit, etc.) or just one holiday (Sabbath, Rosh HaShanah, etc.) are shelved in the BM 675 section with a code for the name of the service or holiday (Arvit = A7.8, Sabbath=S3, etc.). Reform prayers will have Z6.6-Z6.69 added to the call number after the code for the service.

Rabbi's manuals are shelved in BM 676.

Several early American Reform Jewish prayerbooks are available online.

Are there any handy reference books?
Reform Judaism in America : a biographical dictionary and sourcebook / edited by Kerry M Olitzky, Lance J. Sussman, and Malcolm H. Stern. Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 1993.

The Reform Judaism Reader : North American Documents / Michael A. Meyer, W. Gunther Plaut. New York, NY : UAHC press, 2001.

Jewish living : a guide to contemporary Reform practice / by Mark Washofsky. New York : UAHC press, 2000.

If you have any further questions about finding information on this, or any other topic, ask your local HUC-JIR librarian or email  us.