The New Reformist In American Judaism And Zionism Movement

The Reform Judaism and Zionism were both born on the way where the Jewish saught for national self-salvation——solving the Jewish Problem. At first, the American Reform Judaism inherited the tradition of the German Reform Judaism who stoutly rejected Zionism. But with the transformation of the world political situation and the development of the Reform itself, some of the principles which the Reform adhered to had unadapted to the need of the times then and there, and the Reform Judaism gradually lost its sharm. In order to save their region, some of the Reform rabbis again aimed at their tenets. As a result, a new clique——the Neo-Reform which partly regressed to classical Judaism appeared in the history of the Hebrew, and one of the most prominent characteristics is their recognition of Zionism. Then the Neo-Reform Judaism took an active part in the cause of Jewish restoration——founding a national state, and played an most important role. Ater the Israel State was founded the New-Reform still came into great effect in this country'security, economy and culture development. But whithin the Reform Judaism the debate about Zionism between the Neo-Reform and the Classical Reform never ceased. The argues included that weather it was appropriate to establish a Jewish national state in Palestine, weather Israel State was legal and so on. To some extent, their difference affected the development of the New-Reform itself, and as well as the thought of the Post-zionism. This thesis defines the birth and the development of the the Amerian New-Reform, but it focuses on the Neo-Reform's standpoint on Zionism so that it can help to those who are interested in the American Reform Judaism deeply know about the relationship between the Zionism Movement and the Neo-Reform. Simutaneously, it is also an example and has realistic significance in the study of the American Jew. This thesis includes three parts which are the introduction, the text and the conclusion.In the introduction, I first express why this subject is chosen and what the significance is, as well as the Reform's statdus and influence in Judaism. In addition, I narrative the study actuality on the subject home and abroad. At the end of this part, my thread and methods of the study are talked about.There are three chapters in the text in which I respectively discuss the birth of the American Reform Judaism, the New-Reform's viewpoint on Zionism, and the support which the New-Reform affording to the Zionism Movement.In the first chapter, firstly I essentialize the American Reform Judaism's birth and main thought, and point out that the American Reform is the European Reform's succession and development. In the next two sections, the New-Reform's birth and development in America are respectively discussed.The second chapter and the third chapter is the core of the thesis. In the second chapter, I deeply analyze the Classical Reform's and the New-Reform's viewpoints by using the comparative analytic method, and point out that the New-Reform'appearance is historically inevitable. In the first section, I expatiate the Zionism Movement; in the second section I compare the Classical Reform's and the New-Reform's viewpoints on the Zionism Movement in order to argue that the New-Reform in support of the Zionism Movement is necessary; in the third section I comparatively analyze the New-Reform's and the activists'(only a few in the Reform Judaism) attitudes on Palestine—Israel issue and the Israel State in order to account for the influence of their divergence in Palestine—Israel issue and the importance of New-Reform for the Israel State.In the third chapter I discuss the Reform in material support of the Zionism Movement. There are two sections in which I respectively illuminate the New-Reform's effect in the establishment and the development of the Israel.In the conclusion I affirm the New-Reform's historical achievement, and make an expectation of the development of the New-Reform.