I feel so lucky to be the full-time rabbi of the Reform Congregation in Lake Norman (www.lakenormanjc.org) but also to be a part of a community in the Lake Norman region that is blessed with a liberal/Reform and a conservative choice.
If one is a Conservative Jew, Beth Shalom of Lake Norman can provide an intimate setting in which more traditional and ritually conservative Jews can connect and find support in navigating the ins and outs of Conservative Judaism (dietary laws, halakhah, t’fillin, mikveh, etc.)
Our Reform/liberal Congregation (as written in the Movement’s Statement of Principles) enables the Jewish People and individuals to embrace “innovation while preserving tradition, to embrace diversity while asserting commonality, to affirm beliefs without rejecting those who doubt, and to bring faith to sacred texts without sacrificing critical scholarship.”
Reform Judaism recognizes the realities that Jews face in the 21st century, and seeks to facilitate authentic connection with Jewish culture, religion, and tradition. Reform Judaism helps individuals and families as they strive for religious meaning, moral purpose and a sense of community.
See the following link for the full “Statement of Principles of the Reform Movement” adopted in Pittsburgh in 1999.
http://ccarnet.org/Articles/index.cfm?id=44&pge_prg_id=4687&pge_id=1656
An Excerpt from “A Commentary on the Principles of Reform Judaism”
The rise in mixed marriage and the embrace of Jews of patrilineal descent (children of one Jewish parent who were raised as Jews) had changed the demographics of the Reform Movement, contributing to a growing desire for increased learning, spiritual expression, and guidelines for Reform ideology. Women’s increased influence in the Movement (from three women ordained in 1976 the number had grown to over 250 by 1999) had changed much of the language and approach of Reform, and the Movement had pioneered in opening doors of Jewish life (including ordination) to gay and lesbian Jews.
Reform Judaism is moving forward and can lead the way in revitalizing Judaism in the 21st century.
Reform Judaism is committed to:
The complete equality of women and men in Jewish life.
Reaching out to all Jews across ideological and geographical boundaries.
Inclusivity: providing a home for all who seek a Jewish experience. Our movement is enriched by those who choose to convert to Judaism and the non-Jewish partners raising Jewish children.
For the full text see: http://ccarnet.org/Articles/index.cfm?id=45&pge_prg_id=4687&pge_id=1656
I look forward to the months and years ahead as we build a vibrant Jewish congregation, with a home of our own, in the Lake Norman and North Charlotte region. Join us on this adventure: www.lakenormanjc.org.
If you are looking for a conservative congregation Beth Shalom of Lake Norman is a loving and warm congregation: www.bslkn.org
