The New Reform Torah Commentary
Jews have kept the Torah alive and relevant through the millennia by interpreting it anew in each generation. Now it’s our turn.
In 2020, the CCAR began work on the New Reform Torah Commentary, the first-ever complete Reform translation of the Torah with multilayered commentaries for the 21st century. Scheduled for publication in 2029, this project builds on a rich history of Reform scholarship: In 1981, The Torah: A Modern Commentary, edited by Rabbis Gunther W. Plaut, z”l, and Bernard J. Bamberger, z”l, broke new ground. And in 2008, The Torah: A Women’s Commentary, edited by Rabbis Tamara Cohn Eskenazi, PhD, and Andrea L. Weiss, PhD, z”l, won awards as a revolutionary multivocal feminist text.
The New Reform Torah Commentary will be Torah for our time.
Jews in our pews, around study tables, and online are embracing new identities, asking different questions, and engaging with text in new ways. This new Commentary will include a wide range of voices reflecting the beautiful diversity within our big tent. Ideas by contemporary thinkers, cultural figures, and Jews across the spectrum of race, gender, and identity will stand alongside the classical sages. And a virtual component will enable everyone to share their own insights in real time.
Merging the ancient with the new, we’ll honor tradition while expanding the conversation.
Ancient words. New insights. Torah for today and tomorrow.
Be part of this once-in-a-generation text that will shape the Reform Movement (and Jewish life and learning!) for decades to come.
The New Reform Torah Commentary
Jews have kept the Torah alive and relevant through the millennia by interpreting it anew in each generation. Now it’s our turn.
In 2020, the CCAR began work on the New Reform Torah Commentary, the first-ever complete Reform translation of the Torah with multilayered commentaries for the 21st century. Scheduled for publication in 2029, this project builds on a rich history of Reform scholarship: In 1981, The Torah: A Modern Commentary, edited by Rabbis Gunther W. Plaut, z”l, and Bernard J. Bamberger, z”l, broke new ground. And in 2008, The Torah: A Women’s Commentary, edited by Rabbis Tamara Cohn Eskenazi, PhD, and Andrea L. Weiss, PhD, z”l, won awards as a revolutionary multivocal feminist text.
The New Reform Torah Commentary will be Torah for our time.
Jews in our pews, around study tables, and online are embracing new identities, asking different questions, and engaging with text in new ways. This new Commentary will include a wide range of voices reflecting the beautiful diversity within our big tent. Ideas by contemporary thinkers, cultural figures, and Jews across the spectrum of race, gender, and identity will stand alongside the classical sages. And a virtual component will enable everyone to share their own insights in real time.
Merging the ancient with the new, we’ll honor tradition while expanding the conversation.
ABOUT the Commentary
Guiding Principles
Read the values that guide this historic endeavor.
Donors and Dedication Opportunities
Join those who are supporting the project and leave a lasting legacy.
Scholarship
Meet the editors, contributors, and staff behind the Commentary.
Get involved!
Help us pilot the commentary and access the latest opportunities to be part of history.
Your generosity fuels new Torah
Thanks to supporters across the Jewish world, we’re half-way to our goal of funding this monumental project.
There are still opportunities to dedicate sections in honor of your congregation, community, or a beloved person, or in memory of loved ones.