Our Reform Musical Tradition: Some Personal Reflections
Rabbi Howard A. Berman
Executive Director, The Society for Classical Reform Judaism
The Choir of the Pestalozzistrasse Synagogue, Berlin, Preserves the Great German Reform Musical Tradition
One of the most distinctive dimensions and enduring legacies of the Classical Reform tradition is the great repertoire of liturgical music that our Movement has created over the past two centuries. The early Reformers were guided by the overarching themes of our history – affirming Judaism’s characteristic integration of uniquely Jewish values and observance within the broader social environments in which our people have lived. They fully embraced the cultural and intellectual progress of the modern age as inherently compatible with Jewish tradition and identity. These values were the context for the emergence of new expressions of Jewish life and worship that reflected the different artistic and cultural settings of modern Europe and America
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This spring, the Cincinnati campus of HUC-JIR and the Society for Classical Reform Judaism will celebrate the fourth year of a partnership that has enabled a new generation of rabbinic students to encounter the distinctive principles and traditions of the Reform Jewish heritage. In addition to the ongoing scholarship opportunities, liturgical resources, and annual seminars sponsored by the Society, this milestone will be marked by a special conference on the theme “reclaiming and renewing our heritage” with a variety of programs exploring the legacies of leading pioneers of the Movement. 
tradition and the great musical heritage of the Reform synagogue in German, the United States and contemporary Israel.
