When Building Anew: Remaking Jewish Institutions
Steven Windmueller, Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of Jewish Communal Studies
In his blog for “The Times of Israel,” Dr. Windmueller presents core organizing principles for remaking legacy Jewish institutions, arguing that reform succeeds or fails less on the merits of the change itself than on how the change process is designed. He stresses the importance of identifying the real problem before designing the fix, creating a shared diagnosis, assessing the risks of maintaining the status quo, and recognizing that resistance to change is rational and political. Applying these principles to the Jewish communal and religious landscape, Windmueller explores denominational fluidity, new rabbinic and membership models, innovation from the fringes, demographic shifts, rising antisemitism, and the broader question of what forms American Jewish religious practice and institutions will take in the years ahead.