CCAR Responsa

Reform Responsa

The Reform responsa provide answers to questions about Reform Judaism and Jewish living. Unlike resolutions, which are adopted by vote at a CCAR convention, responsa provide guidance, not governance. As a body of literature, the responsa published by the Reform Movement reveal a broad consensus as to mainstream Reform Jewish thinking on important issues facing contemporary Judaism. Individual rabbis and communities retain responsibility, however, to make their own determinations as to the stance they will take on individual issues.

At this time, we are pleased to be able to offer on-line the Topical Index of Reform Responsa compiled by Rabbi Steven Ross Chatinover and the texts of five sets of responsa

The most recent responsa published by the CCAR Responsa Committee, identified and indexed by the symbol NYP, are not yet in print. Nine additional responsa, marked [NEW]

, were added 2/13/2004.

The latest responsa about to appear in print in Teshuvot for the 1990's, edited by W. Gunther Plaut and Mark Washofsky, are identified and indexed by the symbol TFN.

Responsa published in New American Reform Responsa, Solomon Freehof, 1980, are identified by the symbol NARR

Responsa published in American Reform Responsa, American Reform Responsa, Walter Jacob, ed, 1983. are identified by the symbol ARR

Responsa published in Contemporary American Reform Responsa, Walter Jacob, ed., 1987, are identified by the symbol CARR

Earlier volumes of Reform Responsa will be scanned into digital form and made available on this Website in the coming months.

Browse the entire Index (The Index is about 161KB and may take up to a few minutes to download; please be patient.)
See the Guide to Sources for interpretation of symbols and notation in the Index

Some time in the future, we plan to provide on-line access to additional collected responsa.

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