Some years ago, Amy Alcott, the noted American golfer, made the following statement: “I am a Reform Jew. Therefore I see no reason not to play golf on Yom Kippur.” Amy Alcott described Reform Judaism with the usual distorted stereotype.

To her and to so many others, both within and outside Reform congregations, Reform Judaism stands for nothing. In their view, there are no rules, no restrictions, no commandments, and no standards. It is ultra-minimalist Judaism.

This caricature of Reform Judaism once led a Conservative rabbi to ask me the question: “What do you Reform Jews have to do to violate the Sabbath?” We need to ponder the reasons why so many people believe that Reform Judaism is a religion without requirements. Therefore, we need to ask ourselves: “Can a Reform Jew be religious?

First, a bit of background. Reform Judaism began two centuries ago as a revolt against Orthodoxy. Many of us at that time tended to define Reform Judaism as a negation of Orthodoxy. Instead of stating what we stood for, we were proud to declare what we didn't stand for. We said: “Because we're Reform, we don't need to keep Kosher, we don't need to observe Shabbat, we don't need to wear yarmulkes.”

Furthermore, at one time, we Reform Jews were biased against ritual. We believed all that was religiously important was ethics. We asserted that of all of the laws of Judaism, only the Ten Commandments were binding on us.

All the rest, especially those laws regulating our diets and our Sabbath and festival observance, were seen as transient and insignificant. The ideal of a Reform Jew was to become a good person. Kindness was important, but Kiddush was irrelevant.

In addition, we once thought that religion should appeal only to the mind. Rituals are a crutch in our religious life, we said. In other words, we admitted that we could affirm the central value of human liberty from slavery we learn at Passover but we don't need to eat matzah in order to prove it.

And finally, for a long time, we Reform Jews strongly maintained the freedom of each individual Reform Jew to decide for himself and herself what to practice and what not to practice. Orthodox Jews understand that God alone makes that decision and every commandment is mandatory.

In Reform, by contrast, we argued that the individual is the ultimate authority to determine which rituals to accept and which to reject. Unfortunately, this unfettered individual freedom led too many Reform Jews to choose little or nothing.

Over the last few decades, there has been a dramatic shift in Reform Jewish attitudes. First of all, we are no longer rebelling against Orthodoxy. We now realize that Orthodox Judaism is our source. We have outgrown our adolescent revolt against the traditional Judaism of our grandparents and great-grandparents. Instead, we are looking with greater appreciation at the religious way of life that our ancestors prized and cherished.

Furthermore, we have learned that ethics alone will not nurture our souls. Ethical values need concrete ceremonial expression. Otherwise we have a disembodied, colorless, and bland Judaism.

We need a Seder to help us value freedom. We need a fragile sukkah to remind us how frail and precarious life can be. We need a Yahrzeit candle to mark the anniversary of the death of our loved ones and to recall their valuable legacy.

Then, too, we have become aware that a purely intellectual or cerebral form of Judaism by itself will leave us spiritually hungry. Religion must nourish our souls. It must speak not only to our heads but also to our hearts.

We Reform Jews still insist on our individual freedom. No tribunal of Rabbis and no Temple Board can control the way we choose to live our Jewish religious lives. But we now realize that we must use this freedom responsibly, not frivolously. We can't decide which Jewish practices to accept or reject on the basis of convenience or on a foundation of ignorance.

Responsible Reform Jews don't choose whether or not to practice a particular ritual cavalierly. We ideally study and investigate a broad array of Jewish legal and historical sources before arriving at a conclusion. Reform stands for an open mind, but certainly not a vacant mind. Our personal choice must not be based on some whim or fancy, but on a serious confrontation with our tradition.

In making our religious decisions, we need to use these three questions as a guide:

1. Does this traditional practice or belief give my life more spiritual depth?

2. Does it aid me in linking myself to other Jews?

3. Does it teach me something ethical?

For example, in our observance of Passover, there are numerous traditional demands. Tradition forbids us from eating all forms of Hametz, or leavened products, like bread, cakes, and cereals. Ashkenazic Jews, which most of us are, broaden this prohibition to include corn, peas, certain beans, and rice.

The house must be totally free of Hametz, or products with leavening. Dishes and utensils which are Kosher for Passover must replace our regular dishes and utensils.

Which of these restrictions do we accept as Reform Jews? I am almost certain that most of us won't want to follow all of these rules. A Reform Jew who accepts fewer of them is not necessarily less religious or pious than one who practices all of them. It all depends on how seriously each of us has done our religious homework.

Therefore, Reform Judaism is much more than the distorted notion Amy Alcott, who defended her right to play golf on Yom Kippur by asserting that she is a Reform Jew. Reform Judaism is drastically different from what it was 50-60 years ago. It no longer means a flight from Orthodoxy, a spurning of ago-old Jewish ritual, and a quest for the least demanding and the most expedient form of Judaism.

Rather, Reform Judaism is a serious, searching and probing religion. It is a religion that celebrates our right to choose. However, it insists that we make that choice only after examining and wresting with the imperatives of our tradition. Thus, on this basis, it is possible to answer our initial question and say, with conviction, “Yes, it is, indeed, possible for a Reform Jew to be religious!” Amen.

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