Classical Reform Judaism

In its first few decades, worship at Congregation Shaarai Shomayim was more or less orthodox in style.  German was the language of services, of the religious school, and of the congregation’s records.  Typical of its time, Shaarai Shomayim struggled to find a style of religious practice that would reflect Jewish traditions and be amenable to American life.

It was Shaarai Shomayim’s first professional rabbi, 20-year old European trained Morris Ungerleider who came to Lancaster in 1884, who nudged the congregation toward Classical Reform Judaism.  Begun in Germany in the 1780’s, Reform Judaism had come to the United States by the middle of the 1800s.

Nathan Glazer, in his 1971 book American Judaism, characterizes 19th century Reform as “the religion of economically comfortable Jews who wanted to be accepted by the non-Jewish world.“  At Shaarai Shomayim, gradual changes in Jewish practice had begun in the 1870s: men and women sat together; organ music and a choir began accompanying services; men rarely wore tallitot and some removed their hats; English began supplanting German and Hebrew in services.  Just before Rabbi Ungerleider left Lancaster in the fall of 1888, the congregation passed a formal resolution adopting Reform Judaism.

It is likely that there never were B’nai Mitzvah at Shaarai Shomayim until the 20th century.  Old records and minutes of the congregation do not mention any.  By 1878 Confirmation became the right of passage for children of the congregation and unlike Bar Mitzvahs at the time, both boys and girls were confirmed from the beginning.

It was not until 1933 when Rabbi Daniel Davis conducted the Bar Mitzvah of Leonard Peitzman (the father of Past President Judy Shenk) that the traditional Jewish life cycle event returned to our congregation.  In 1961 Rosanne Miller, now Roseanne Selfon, became Shaarai Shomayim’s first Bat Mitzvah.  Today B’nai Mitzvah are significant rights of passage in the lives of our young congregants, and Confirmation is celebrated at the time of student’s high school graduation.

Continue reading, Tradition & Change; or view the previous section, Dedication of Duke Street Temple.