Reading Reform Responsa

Rabbi Washofsky gifts us with a series of informed and sensitive discussions of how Reform Jews should think about and act on specific moral and ritual issues. In doing so, he graphically demonstrates that Reform Judaism's emphasis on personal autonomy is complemented by its insistence that Jewish tradition must play a role in individuals' choices if these decisions are to be not just one's own opinion, but also a recognizably Jewish one.
--Rabbi Elliot Dorff, PhD, Past Chair, Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, Rabbinical Assembly

Rabbi Mark Washofsky offers us a fascinating entry into and analysis of the Reform Movement's engagement with Jewish law, practice, and values. Where responsa analyze the issues and concerns implicit in a question of immediate practicality posed to a Jewish legal authority, Washofsky analyzes the body of over 1,300 Reform responsa promulgated since the early nineteenth century, pointing out the intellectual and ethical approaches employed, as well as the traditional, philosophical, and scientific resources marshalled to arrive at a persuasive answer. A wonderful read in its own right, this book provides an insider's look at modern liberal Jewish religious thought in action.
--Rabbi Amy Scheinerman, author of The Talmud of Relationships

Drawing on his deep mastery of classical halachic literature, Reform religious culture, and modern secular legal theory, Mark Washofsky offers insightful and compelling analyses of some of the Reform Movement's most important responsa. Washofsky's special ability to combine rigorous scholarship with his characteristic dry humor, engaging storytelling, and accessible writing style makes Reading Reform Responsa an essential study companion for anyone---clergy, academics, and laypeople alike---who is interested in learning or teaching Reform Judaism's rich tradition of halachic discourse. By inviting the reader to be not just an observer but also a participant in the reasoning and argumentation of responsa, Washofsky teaches us what it means to think halachically in a uniquely Reform way.
--Rabbi A. Brian Stoller, Senior Rabbi, Temple Beth-El of Great Neck, NY

Those curious about the tradition of responsa in the Reform tradition, or merely about the intersection of Jewish law and modern life, will find much here of interest. A substantial but accessible guide to reading and applying Reform responsa.
-- Kirkus Reviews

Rabbi Washofsky and the CCAR Press have given us a fine gift. The book, especially the introduction, should open the world of Jewish law for students and lay leaders, and scholars should appreciate its contribution to the field.
--Fred Isaac, Association of Jewish Libraries

There is no one more qualified to take on this analysis than the author, Rabbi Mark Washofsky. ... Washofsky presents a compelling and important vision of the intellectual underpinnings of Progressive Jewish life: a vision of our Judaism as scholarly and informed, committed to both personal autonomy and the detail of Jewish life, one in which we firmly claim the full breadth of our rich textual heritage as our own.
--Rabbi Josh Levy, Leo Baeck College