Reconstructionist Judaism (1930s - Present) - Religious Group
Religious Family: JudaismReligious Tradition: Judaism
Description: Reconstructionist Judaism is a movement fueled by the thought of professor Mordecai M. Kaplan, a conservative rabbi who argued for a whole new approach to Judaism as an evolving civilization; it began with the publication of his book Judaism as a Civilization in 1934. In the 1940s and 1950s, the Jewish Reconstructionist Foundation began to take shape, the rabbinical college was founded in 1954, and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association was formed by its graduates. Kaplan was excommunicated by Conservative Jews for his edits to the prayer book in 1945. His followers remain socially progressive and have drawn near to Reform Judaism.
Official Site: https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/, https://www.rrc.edu/, https://therra.org/index.php
Connections: Reconstructionist Judaism
| Group (Active) | Group (Defunct) | Other |
Maps: Reconstructionist Judaism1
Adherence Rate per 1,000 (2020)
Congregations (2020)
Top 5 Reconstructionist Judaism States (2020)1 [View all States]
| Rank | State | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District Of Columbia | 1 | 554 | 0.80 |
| 2 | Oregon | 5 | 3,346 | 0.79 |
| 3 | Delaware | 1 | 483 | 0.49 |
| 4 | Vermont | 1 | 292 | 0.45 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 9 | 3,124 | 0.44 |
Top 5 Reconstructionist Judaism Counties (2020)1 [View all Counties]
| Rank | County | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bennington County, VT | 1 | 292 | 7.82 |
| 2 | Hampshire County, MA | 1 | 959 | 5.91 |
| 3 | Polk County, OR | 1 | 397 | 4.54 |
| 4 | Orange County, NC | 1 | 537 | 3.61 |
| 5 | Cheshire County, NH | 1 | 235 | 3.07 |
Top 5 Reconstructionist Judaism Metro Areas (2020)1 [View all Metro Areas]
| Rank | Metro | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bennington, VT Micro Area | 1 | 292 | 7.82 |
| 2 | Keene, NH Micro Area | 1 | 235 | 3.07 |
| 3 | Eugene-Springfield, OR Metro Area | 1 | 1,072 | 2.80 |
| 4 | Medford, OR Metro Area | 1 | 500 | 2.24 |
| 5 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA Metro Area | 1 | 581 | 1.97 |
Sources
1 The 2020 data were collected by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB) and include data for 372 religious bodies or groups. Of these, the ASARB was able to gather data on congregations and adherents for 217 and on congregations only for 155. [More information on the data sources]
