Why don't the Reform Jews get along with the Orthodox?

Question

I've never understood it. I have found that the Reform hate the Orthodox and vice-versa.

Realize, this was one of the problems during the Holocaust. The eastern and western European Jews didn't get along and did not 'gang' up against the Nazi's. Why can't everyone within a religon just get along?

Answer 1

Oh Kevo, I think you're wrong about that. Even if the reform and orthodox had ganged up, they were no match for the German political force. Without outside help, they were doomed. The Americans knew about the death camps and chose to do nothing. No country opened its gates and took the numbers of people necessary to get them out.

Some orthodox, but not everyone, refer to the Reform as the Deformed. That's sad. In Israel, it's hard to get a conversion unless you convert to orthodoxy, and a lot of people leave the country to convert. Given the huge numbers of Russian Jews who have unclear lineage, this is a real problem. The orthodox also feel that the reform are intermarrying and won't be a problem in a hundred years, as they'll have died out. Maybe they're right. The reform dislike that orthodox men don't allow women on the bimah -- I think they're right there.

As the expression goes, "Why can't we call just get along?"

Answer 2

Well, I've never seen hatred of orthodox by reform, but the reason they don't get along is that they really don't consider that each group is following the same religion. Orthodox do not consider any other group of Jews to be Jewish. While reform, conservative and reconstructionist do not feel this way about the other groups, they do all feel that "their" way of Judaism is the correct form.

Answer 3

Many do get along,but it is like the Liberal/Modernist/Progressivist vrs. Traditional/Orthodox/Conservative split among Christians. There are different emphases,presumptions,views of revelation and authority,approaches to the Bible,liturgical and worship traditions,views of society and the like.
Many people just fear "the Other" and are threatened.Traditionals feel Progressivists are traitors to the heritage and the morals and basic message and the Progressivists feel that the Traditionals are obsurantists imposing retrograde morals,attitudes,beliefs and practices.
There is an even bigger gap between Orthodox and completely secular Jews. With the growth of antisemitism and"Zion-hate",Jews need to dialogue and cooperate with each other more than ever,IMHO.

Answer 4

judaism is more of a race than a religion.
converting to judaism is supposed to be very difficult.

reform jews make it quite easy, they also are very lax on many of the laws.

orthodox jews feel that you are either jewish or you are not. to them, reform jews essentially arent really jewish. you cannot water down judaism.

Answer 5

You just described every religion in which there is a disagreement.

Answer 6

It's all about the ham