Classical Reform Temple to Hold High Holiday Services in New Venue

Susan Wolf Dudley (right), founder of the Classical Reform Temple, stands with her daughter, Jill Dudley Cohen, treasurer, at Martin's Valley Mansion in Cockeysville, where they will be holding High Holiday services this year. (Photo by Steve Ruark)

For many years, Baltimorenative Susan Wolf Dudley prayed by herselfin her Pikesville residence with an old Reform siddur, or prayer book.

“After a while, Iwas lonely and sad, and I arranged to rent a room so others could join me,” shesays.

Dudley started the Classical Reform Temple, with the first service ever at Pikesville’s Grey Rock Mansion drawing more than 100 people. The group promotes rationality, understanding and inclusion in its approach to what is generally known as classical Reform Judaism.

The Classical Reform Temple is a congregation without walls. For 18 years, the group has hosted free Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services in the auditoriums of Pikesville and Owings Mills high schools, using a service created from the Reform movement’s old Union Prayer Book. Services generally last an hour and are led by members of the community.

For the first time, the Classical Reform Temple’s High Holiday services will be held this year at Martin’s Valley Mansion in Cockeysville, and all are welcome. Among those who will be in attendance will be Rabbi Jeremy Fierstein, director of UMBC’s Hillel, who will be available to worshipers for weddings, funerals and other occasions.  

Jmore recently spoke with Wolf Dudley and lay leader DonnWeinberg about the Classical Reform Temple and its mission.

Jmore: Explain the objective and essence of the Classical Reform Temple?

Dudley: Judaism is anancient religion that remains relevant today and was the origin of monotheismin the world. Classical Reform modified many traditions that did not make sensein the modern world.

Our approach to Judaism is that we must be educated and informed aboutwhat our prayers mean and why we observe. In other words, ours is a rationalapproach to the worthwhile messages of Judaism. If something doesn’t makesense, we don’t observe it.

What does a typical High Holiday service at the Classical Reform Templelook like?

It’s free and you don’t have to reserve seats. We have generations offamilies attending services together. We hire a policeman to keep us all safe.

In the past, we’ve had between 500 and 1,000 people observe the HighHolidays with us in the Classical Reform tradition. The Shema is said in Hebrew; the Kaddishis in Aramaic. In English, we read our words of thanks and praise to the OneGod.

At the conclusion of our Rosh Hashanah prayers, we sing Ein Keloheinu and Irving Berlin’s “GodBless America,” and we hand out candy. At Yom Kippur services, we have acellist who plays Kol Nidre. It’sexquisite.

What’s emphasized inthe services?

We focus on living fairly, kindly, justly and thoughtfully. I hopepeople can finally understand what Judaism stands for. For us, it is not aboutcloaking oneself in holiness — by way of dress or diet or performing ancientrituals — and by avoiding the company of those who do not hold the samebeliefs.

Donn, What about this approach resonates with you?

Weinberg: I’m a Jewish person whohas never enjoyed the typical synagogue services. They take too long, they areextremely repetitive and mostly in Hebrew, which I don’t understand. Even whenI read the translations, I found it very unsatisfying.

When Susan put together a one-hour service for the High Holidays — allin English — I found it meaningful. It emphasized ethical aspects of Judaismand the kinds of people we should be as Jews. And the Classical Reform Templeservice avoids all of the repetition you would normally see.

It’s meaningful for the modern American Jew.

This year’s Classical Reform Temple services will be held at Martin’s Valley Mansion, 594 Cranbrook Rd. in Cockeysville, on Rosh Hashanah, Sept 30, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and on Yom Kippur, Oct. 9, from 1 to 2 p.m. For information, contact Susan Wolf Dudley at dudleys1818@gmail.com.

Anna Lippe is a Washington, D.C.-based freelancewriter.

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