Reform Judaism

American  

noun

1. Judaism as observed by Reform Jews.

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Reform Judaism British  

noun

1. a movement in Judaism originating in the 19th century, which does not require strict observance of the law, but adapts the historical forms of Judaism to the contemporary world Compare Orthodox Judaism Conservative Judaism

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Reform Judaism Cultural  

1. The most liberal branch of Judaism. In Reform Judaism, all of the Jewish law, or Torah, is subject to adaptation to fit modern circumstances. In the United States, Reform Jewish congregations have more members than those of the other two branches of Judaism. (Compare Conservative Judaism and Orthodox Judaism.)

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Etymology

Origin of Reform Judaism

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Smoke could be seen billowing from Temple Israel, one of the largest Reform Judaism congregations in the country, after the attack and fire engines were on the scene.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

After the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter, Isaac Mayer Wise, an early leader of Reform Judaism, published an editorial titled “Silence, Our Policy.”

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2025

He saw the evolution of Reform Judaism in the modern era as very much in line with the broader Jewish tradition, which he said had always been changing.

From New York Times • Dec. 10, 2023

“We have learned that preparation matters,” Larry Glickman, director of congregational shared services for the Union for Reform Judaism.

From Washington Times • Sep. 24, 2023

Reform Judaism, recognizing the results of Biblical research and the law of religious progress, adopted the prophetic view of the sacrifices.

From Jewish Theology by Kohler, Kaufmann