Liberal Judaism

Progressive Judaism in its liberal and reform-oriented form is one of the denominations within the Jewish religious community. Its origins can be found primarily in Germany in the 18th and 19th centuries and go back to the ideas of Moses Mendelssohn, Israel Jacobson, Leopold Zunz, Abraham Geiger and Zacharias Frankel.

A Jew is someone who descends from a Jewish mother or who converted to Judaism according to halachic rules, i.e. rules laid down in religious law.

Jewish women and men have equal rights in all religious matters including the ordination of women as rabbis, all people are equal regardless of marital status or sexual orientation.

The service takes place in Hebrew as well as in the local language. The commandments are conveyed in the communities, but the execution is left to the responsible decision of the individual.

Also characteristic of progressive Judaism is a commitment to democracy and social justice within and outside the Jewish community, as well as an open attitude towards non-Jewish society.

Up until the Shoah, Liberal Judaism made up the majority of Jews in communities in Germany. The Jewish reform-oriented, liberal and progressive communities in Germany are organized in the UPJ, the Union of Progressive Jews in Germany and worldwide in the World Union for Progressive Judaism.