Chapter 6

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WRITING RESPONSA: A PERSONAL JOURNEY Walter Jacob

RR som responsa have almost two centuries of tradition behind them. Despite the ambivalence expressed by some radical reformers in Europe and North America , responsa appeared from virtually the beginning, and we have seen ourselves as a continuation of the rabbinic tradition in a modern garb.! This literature, in our hands, has adapted the traditional patterns and been written in the vernacular as well as Hebrew .

My portion of this work has covered three decades, and my effort has been directed toward giving the halakhah a more central role within the Reform movement as a vehicle for setting standards and boundaries without eliminating the inherent flexibility of Reform Judaism . This halakhic approach will also bring us into a more focused discussion with the other branches of Judaism I have been aware of the positions taken by my predecessors in Germany , Hungary , and North America , especially the work of Solomon B. Freehof , my mentor and friend, who broadened the Reform interest in the halakhah beginning with his two volumes entitled Reform Jewish Practice and Its Rabbinic Background sixty years ago and continuing through a series of responsa volumes in English , without, however, writing about the theoretical basis for his efforts.’ I have been interested both in writing responsa and going beyond responsa, which led to the founding of the Freehof Institute of Progressive Halakhah, a joint venture with Moshe Zemer . The volumes of the Institute complement the responsa literature as they provide a systematic discussion of issues. They differ from responsa as they do not present decisions but provide the basis for educated decision making.

For me interest in responsa began at the Hebrew Union College library in a very modest way. As a first— year rabbinic student