Jewish Renewal

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Pronunciations

Jewish Renewal (JOO-ish rih-NOO-uul) listen

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Definitions

  • n. A movement born in the early 1970s that seeks to reinvigorate Judaism with ancient, mystic Kabbalistic, Hasidic, and musical practices.

Example Sentences

  • "So I've attended services at the three main shuls in town (Orthodox, Conservative and Reform). However, someone was telling me they had some relatives who went to this Jewish Renewal shul. They didn't really seem to know a lot about it, except that it was 'full of older hippies.'" (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • English

Who Uses This

  • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education

Regions

  • North America

Dictionaries

  • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).

Notes

  • "The Jewish Renewal movement is epitomized by the havurah and inspired by the neo-Hasidism of Martin Buber, Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, and others. Important tenets include equality for men and women in Jewish life, rediscovery of meditative traditions in Judaism, the healing of the earth and society, and respect for learning from other spiritual paths. The umbrella organization is ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, formed from the merger of P’nai Or Religious Fellowship and The Shalom Center. ALEPH publishes a quarterly journal, New Menorah, and oversees a network of Jewish Renewal communities with about 40 local havurah and synagogue affiliates in the United States." (JPS)

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