Reform Jew

noun

1. a Jew who adheres to a system of religious worship adapted from Orthodox Judaism to meet the demands of contemporary life, frequently simplifying or rejecting traditional religious law and custom.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Reform Jew¹

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

The former disability rights attorney, Reform Jew and lifelong progressive said she does not support Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

From Los Angeles Times

Ruth Bohm Belmont was a Reform Jew who would go to synagogue on high holidays, but the family wasn’t very observant.

From Washington Post

Horowitz, a Reform Jew, said she had read about the Abayudaya just as she and a friend from Boston were planning a safari to Uganda.

From Seattle Times

A chronically underslept Reform Jew, I usually dozed through the sermon.

From New York Times

"This is very much of a piece of what it means to be a Reform Jew."

From US News