The responsa literature, in which rabbis answer questions about halachah (Jewish law), is a vast treasury reaching back nearly fifteen centuries; Reform rabbis have been writing responsa since the 1800s. In Reading Reform Responsa, Rabbi Mark Washofsky, PhD, presents a deep dive into this literature, boldly arguing that Reform Judaism is indeed a movement fundamentally based on halachah. By inviting and guiding readers to understand Reform responsa with a critical eye, he shows that our movement has always been informed by Jewish law as well as Reform history. A teacher and mentor of generations of students at Hebrew Union College--Jewish Institute of Religion, Rabbi Washofsky gives us a peek inside his classroom, making Reform responsa---and their history, framing, and context---engaging and accessible for all.

Reform Responsa for the Twenty-First Century: Sh'eilot Ut'shuvot is the latest in an ongoing series of Reform Responsa. Drawing from the breadth of traditional and modern Jewish texts, law, and ideology, this two volumes set addresses over seventy contemporary topics, including conversion of adopted children, fertility treatments, patrilineal descent, issues of synagogue management, social justice activism, interfaith marriage, and rituals of death and mourning.
 

Reform Responsa for the Twenty-First Century: Sh'eilot Ut'shuvot is part of an ongoing series of Reform Responsa. Drawing from the breadth of traditional and modern Jewish texts, law, and ideology, this two volumes set addresses over seventy contemporary topics, including conversion of adopted children, fertility treatments, patrilineal descent, issues of synagogue management, social justice activism, interfaith marriage, and rituals of death and mourning.