Contemporary American Reform Responsa [Paperback]

Walter Jacob (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 25, 1988

More than 200 responsa offering practical guidance in all areas of life.

Product Details

• Paperback: 322 pages
• Publisher: CCAR Press (February 25, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881230030
• ISBN-13: 978-0881230031
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #866,322 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #39 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Judaism > Law

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wisdom of the Ages - Today, October 16, 2001

By 

Arthur Gershman (Alexandria, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Contemporary American Reform Responsa (Paperback)

This book is an essential tool on the bookshelf of any Reform Rabbi.
It represents the modern answer to the Responsa method, a millenia-old Jewish tradition of answering important contemporary questions which are not specifically treated by the Torah or its interpretive texts. The methodology employed attempts to determine the principles underlying the source material and apply the principles to the issue presented. As applied to present day questions within the Reform Jewish movement, typically a congregant of a synagogue whose rabbi is a member of the Central Conference of American Rabbis is referred to the Responsa Committee with the question which the member rabbi himself feels unqualified or uneasy in answering. The question is then posed, perhaps in a more suitable reformulation, to the Responsa Committee by the Chairman, who then gathers the answers of the Committee members and synthesizes a draft of the Responsum which is circulated to the Committee members.
When is abortion permitted? Should smoking be banned in the synagogue building? What are the sources for matrilineal and patrilineal descent? What is the Jewish reaction to AIDS? Do we recite `kaddish for a convicted criminal? May human blood be sold for medical purposes? 202 such questions are answered in this volume.
My favorite question and response is "Does a clone have a soul?" On the way to answering the question, the rabbi gives a thumbnail sketch of the mystical Jewish thinking on the soul, certainly food for thought.
If you are a Rabbi, or just want to know how they think, this is the book for you.