This is the book that American Jews and particularly American Reform Jews have been waiting for: a clear and informed call for further reform in the Reform movement. In light of profound demographic, social, and technological developments, it has become increasingly clear that the Reform movement will need to make major changes to meet the needs of a quickly evolving American Jewish population. Younger Americans in particular differ from previous generations in how they relate to organized religion, often preferring to network through virtual groups or gather in informal settings of their own choosing. Dana Evan Kaplan, an American Reform Jew and pulpit rabbi, argues that rather than focusing on the importance of loyalty to community, Reform Judaism must determine how to engage the individual in a search for existential meaning. It should move us toward a critical scholarly understanding of the Hebrew Bible, that we may emerge with the perspectives required by a postmodern world. Such a Reform Judaism can at once help us understand how the ancient world molded our most cherished religious traditions and guide us in addressing the increasingly complex social problems of our day. Rabbi Kaplan’s accessible and compelling exploration of the makings, markings, and current state of Reform Judaism provides an informative, comprehensive tour for both those new to the subject and those familiar with it. Kaplan surveys contemporary scholars, American Reform leaders, and “everyday” people who have come to Reform Judaism from other traditions or have become more aware of their identities as Reform Jews to personalize his presentation of history, social anthropology, and theology. Kaplan also does a fine job of explaining facts and discussing experiences. With a focus on individuals who reside elsewhere than the Northeastern U.S. seaboard and his own current association with a synagogue in Jamaica, the often exaggerated points of geographic and cultural connections fall away and give this book a feeling of broadness. An ideal candidate for those who find intellectual nurture in books like Martin Gilbert’s Jews in the Twentieth Century (2001) or simply wonder what exactly is this thing called being Jewish means for many in the twenty-first century. --Francisca Goldsmith Rabbi Dana Kaplan traces the ways in which Reform Judaism has met the challenges of living in a secular society and sets forth his view of what it must do moving forward. He argues that a tent so big it includes every point of view is too vague to win the souls of today's young people. Kaplan's book is a warning that, despite its expensive buildings and trained professional staffs, the Reform movement may not be able to sustain itself unless it can articulate a reason for its existence.Rabbi Jack ReimerBest Jewish Books 2013 J Weekly of Northern California The New Reform Judaism covers questions of belief and practice, including what we could and should believe and how we might develop a coherent theology acceptable to most Reform Jews. In clear prose filled with interesting stories, the narrative explains why it is difficult to define "Judaism" from an essentialist point of view and how we can use a polythetic understanding of religion to build a clear description of Reform Judaism.  To illustrate the difference between and essentialist definition and a polythetic understanding, consider these two cases: a clock is a device that tells time whereas a frog is a reptile that has a certain number of common characteristics but is not necessarily green and does not necessarily jump from lily pad to lily pad!  The book includes discussions of how Reform Judaism should be observed, bringing three test cases: Kashrut, Shabbat, and marriage and divorce.  These cases are interesting in their own right and can be used in a congregational context to get a stimulating discussion going.  I argue that many of the Reform objections to specific Jewish laws are protests of conscience.  Religious laws that violate out ethical sensitivities will not be acceptable to us under any circumstances.  But where does this ethical sensitivity come from?  I also describe the revival of traditional practices and the various attempts to promote specific ritual behavior.  Here the reader will see the names of some of the best known Reform rabbis of the previous generation including Rabbi Solomon Freehof, who paraphrased Mordecai Kaplan's Reconstructionist dictum that, "the past has a voice, not a veto." Freehof called for "guidance rather than governance." Beginning on page 148, the text describes how the UAHC responded to the, "unprecedented challenge" of antinomianism and anomie.  As early as 1997, Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie said, "This is the single most momentous hour in the history of our movement.  We must now decide whether our Reform heritage will be permitted to wither, or if it will be handed over to generations to come." The book describes the "revolution" that has take