The founding of Reform Judaism in Israel marked a milestone in its evolution as a religious movement. In its initial formation, Reform Judaism rejected Zion as a central religious concept. The movement has since adopted resolutions supporting Zionism and is now a member of the World Zionist Organization. Reform Judaism now has an institutional presence in Israel that includes synagogues, schools, and kibbutzim. And yet, having "returned" to Zion, it is in Israel that the movement faces the greatest challenge regarding its religious identity and legitimacy. The large number of Reform Jews in the United States, as well as the formal separation of religion and state, preclude the question of religious legitimacy from arising in that country. It is in the Jewish state that Reform Judaism as a religious movement is questioned. Yet delegitimation of Reform Judaism in Israel would have a more powerful impact on American Jews, and Jews elsewhere, than in Israel itself. Israel is a central component of Jewish identity for many American Jews. Aside from the material contribution they make to Israel, their provision of support reinforces their Jewish identity. The manner in which Israel questions the identity of Reform Jews affects their attitude toward the Jewish state. Questioning the legitimacy of Reform rabbis and of the conversions they perform at least indirectly questions the Jewish authenticity of Reform Jews. This can lead to a backlash of ill will against Israel and, indeed, alienation. The net effect is that the unity of the Jewish people, klal yisrael, is undermined.

The purpose of this article is to analyze the Reform movements development in Israel in light of the conservative, traditional, and occasionally hostile environment it encounters. As we shall see, Reform Judaism in Israel is very much intertwined with the Reform movement in the United States, and thus what happens to the movement in Israel impacts on developments in the United States.

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