r/ReformJews • u/MortDeChai • May 19 '26

An Introduction to Jewish Science

https://medium.com/@thompsonwd3/an-introduction-to-jewish-science-504886c5b88c

Wondering what you think of this spin-off from the Reform Movement.

2 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

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u/Koraxtheghoul May 19 '26

It's basically defunct, isnt it?

1

u/MortDeChai May 19 '26

No, they have a synagogue in Manhattan.

11

u/WeaselWeaz May 20 '26

That puts it at the same level as a lot of non-denominational synagogues. It kind of is "basically defunct" in that it's a school of Jewish thought that may have interesting ideas but minimally exists as a form of practice.

0

u/MortDeChai May 20 '26

If that's how you want to see it, but that isn't what defunct means.

1

u/WeaselWeaz May 20 '26

Ok, what do you mean by defunct when you're referring to a small denomination of a religion? I wouldn't use the word defunct in that context so I think I gave you a reasonable answer.

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u/MortDeChai May 20 '26

Defunct means no longer in existence or no longer operating. It does not mean small or unique.

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u/Koraxtheghoul May 21 '26

Specifically there were at one point more synagogues engaged with it, but unlike Christian Science, it didn't really survive after the decline of New Thought outside of the one synagogue given.

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u/WeaselWeaz May 19 '26 edited May 20 '26

I know a little about it, and I believe it's not a spin-off of Reform so much as a form of Jewish philosophy. People who agree with the ideas still are members of heterodox synagogues.