In its unsigned editorial on May 5, "The False Choice Between Safety and the Economy", The New York Jewish Week points to the "Reopening Our Institutions" document produced by Reconstructing Judaism and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association. The editorial highlights the Reconstructionist movement's values-based approach to questions pertaining to reopening religious institutions, and championed our movement's focus on pikuakh nefesh (saving lives) above all other concerns.
Values-Based Decision Making
Related Resources
Framework for Jewish communities to consider in returning to in-person communal activity
Based on our understanding of the science and the advice of experts, we, rabbis of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, strongly come down on the side of pikuach nefesh - preserving lives. Therefore, we are issuing these guidelines in preparation for the upcoming Passover holiday and in awareness of the likelihood of continued concern over disease spread at this time.
Reconstructing Judaism has just rolled out Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations with the intention of hosting difficult, groundbreaking conversations that are nevertheless mutually respectful and supportive. We invite you to visit Evolve and to join the conversations!
This manual will help you use all three volumes of A Guide to Jewish Practice to boost your adult and teen education programming in meaningful ways.
What does Judaism teach us about how to respond to accusations of harassment or assault?
Our third Reconstructing for Tomorrow conversation with Rabbi Deborah Waxman focused on unpacking the ideological and practical differences between the Reconstructionist and Reform movements.
In our second Network for Network Builders session, we discussed the values that drive our work and identified strategies for weaving our values into building networks.
In our second session of Reconstructing for Tomorrow, we were led in a discussion about the spiritual and tangible ways we can integrate ecological values into our Jewish lives.
In our third session with author Abigail Pogrebin, we talked about taking an "Elijah moment" at our Passover celebrations: enacting change in the world in an effective and fulfilling way.
Our first session of Reconstructing for Tomorrow, led by Rabbi Deborah Waxman, began the difficult and exciting task of grappling with the history of the Reconstructionist movement and the questions of Jewish peoplehood in the future.
Rabbi David Teutsch, Ph.D., discusses the role of the free press in the Jewish community and American society, and what Jewish values can teach us about journalistic ethics.
Rabbi David Teutsch, Ph.D., discusses the role of the free press in the Jewish community and American society, and what Jewish values can teach us about journalistic ethics.
Interview with Rabbi David Teutsch, Ph.D., about the issues addressed in the new Guide to Jewish Practice
Congregation B'nai Israel in Willimantic, Connecticut underwent a long communal Reconstructionist process to decide on congregational rules for Shabbat practice. This is the result.
Rabbi Jeremy Schwartz explores the role of text study in Reconstructionist congregations' decision-making process, with several case studies. This article is excerpted from the Guide to Jewish Practice.
A list of traditional and contemporary values shaping the process of Values-Based Decision Making. This article is excerpted from the Guide to Jewish Practice.
Values-based decision making (VBDM) provides a way for individuals and groups to think through and express their policies, procedures and behavior, informed by Jewish values and contemporary insights. It has been used within the Reconstructionist movement for more than 20 years and is most recently embodied in A Guide to Jewish Practice.
In this talk, Rabbi Jacob Staub describes what makes Reconstructionist communities unique. Recorded in November 2014 at Congregation Kehillat Israel in Pacific Palisades, California. A full transcript is included.
A case study of congregational values-based decision making around Shabbat practice
