- 90- Walter Jacob

Perspective" adopted by the Central Conference of American Rabbis in 1976. There he discusses both autonomy and the diversity in Reform Judaism as well as the extreme positions taken by Alvin Reines and Jakob Petuchowski . He avoids the traditional term halakhah as he feels that its use is often misleading because it creates a sense of authority which does not or should not exist. For him it is only a series of traditions of the past which may create ties with other Jewish groups but which are not authoritative. He feels feels that any other use of the term halakhah is

"intellectually irresponsible and perhaps even deceitful."

Borowitz continues by stating that he is not sure how discipline can be reestablished in the group devoted to personal autonomy; he does not find halakhah compatible with Reform Judaism. That position is expressed equally clearly in his book.(39) As he views the Jewish world, he feels that volunteer observance by the individual is the only hope for our age. His criticism of some other movements within the Jewish community like the Conservative Judaism had already been anticipated by Mordecai Kaplan a generation earlier. His analysis of the extremes of Reform Judaism is equally critical and he does not find them acceptable either. So he returns to the existentialist covenantal position."This approach does not restore Jewish law to us or the sense of discipline action connected with law. I do not see how we can do that theoretically or practically. Law and autonomy are incompatible as long as we are not in the days of the Messiah. We modern Jews , therefore, stand in a post-halakhic situation. This is one of the keystones of our liberalism. Yet it is important to overcome the anarchy which autonomous individualism can lead