Two basic documents of reform judaism: Pittsburgh and Columbus platforms

This study aims to examine religious transformation of the Jews in the context of declarations at the Pittsburgh (1885) and Columbus (1937) Platforms which were assembled by Reform rabbis in order to discuss new perspectives in religious issues. In the second half of the nineteenth century, with the mass immigration of the European Jews to America, the intellectual centre of Reform Movement moved from Germany to America and achieved a remarkable success. Introductory information will be provided about the genesis and development of Reform Judaism for a better comprehension of the declarations of Pittsburgh and Columbus Platforms. The social, political, and cultural backgrounds of the Pittsburgh and Columbus Platforms constitute one of the subjects of this study; however the main focus will be the persons and their ideas who organised the platforms and played a decisive role to articulate main principles of the declarations. The ideological change between the two declarations constitutes an important aspect of the study. Key Words: Judaism, Reform Judaism, Reform Movement, Pittsburgh Platform, Columbus Platform