Reddit reviews Exploring Judaism: A Reconstructionist Approach
We found 5 Reddit comments about Exploring Judaism: A Reconstructionist Approach. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Used Book in Good Condition
This is a decent intro. I also suggest Judaism as a Civilization. It lays out Kaplan's understanding of Judaism pretty thoroughly, and what he thinks the other denominations get wrong.
As for their services, I've heard everything from indistinguishable from Conservative to hippies completely disconnected from tradition. From what I read in the book I just suggested, a large amount of their membership is observant, just not in an Orthodox way. (For example, something like 30% say they keep kosher, but their understanding of kosher may be more lenient (don't need two sets of dishes), disregard certain Rabbinic restrictions (like poultry and dairy mixtures), or include environmental or animal rights provisions that would make Orthodox kosher food treif to them.) I think if you wanted to be traditional in your observance in a Recon setting, you'd be able to, assuming you found a congregation on the more traditional side liturgically.
While it is not reform, one book I really enjoyed was Exploring Judaism: A Reconstructionist Approach by Rebecca T. Alpert. I think it might be good to take a broad look at different approaches to Judaism to find one of best fit before conversion process. Rabbi Kaplan's teachings were a radical departure from Orthodox in his day, while often conflated with Reform its lineage is actually quite different.
I feel like the sermon ended with a question that Reconstructionist Judaism attempts to answer, but I've never actually been to a Reconstructionist shul before (too far), soo I'm saying this based off the book I'm reading, Exploring Judaism.
I think converts should read works from all across the Jewish perspective. Especially the "very different sort."
How else is anyone supposed to know what they believe if they don't know or understand what they don't? It's not an informed decision if you're not informed.
On that note...
Exploring Judaism: A Reconstructionist Persepctive.
Choosing a Jewish Life (liberal, leaning Reform)
To Pray as a Jew (Orthodox)
OP: Go wild. Read across the spectrum. Read things you agree with and things you don't. Read stuff you don't understand yet. Ask questions about what you read. Read, read, read!
https://www.amazon.com/Everything-God-Radical-Nondual-Judaism/dp/1590306716 is a great book purely about Judaism practiced with a non-dual understanding of G!d
https://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Judaism-Reconstructionist-Rebecca-Alpert/dp/093545750X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1499893449&sr=1-1&keywords=a+reconstructionist+approach
is about reconstructionism in general but goes over the reconstructionist view on G!d which is largely non-dual, and a lot more exploratory on how G!d exists than the more rigid sects.