Options.

I had this thought today:

The trouble (from where I'm sitting) with Reform Judaism is that the perception within Reform Judaism is that Reform Judaism is about less. Less rules, less to follow, less to whatever. When really, imagine if the focus within Reform Judaism was about options.

Two things led me to having this thought:

1) Conservative Judaism, seems to have more focus on options, whereas Reform seems to focus more on paring down. I met a couple recently who attend a conservative shul because they love that congregation, he wears tzitzit because he finds it meaningful, the do not keep particularly kosher, etc. They base their observance on what feels meaningful to them rather than level of properness within their community, what others are doing or not, etc. Ayway, I liked them.

2) I heard a woman say to her son at an event this weekend, "No, honey, you don't get to wear tzitzi, we're Reform." I find this problematic because the implication is that Reform Judaism is lazy, apathetic Judaism.

What if Reform Jews aimed their focus on options rather than this stripped-down Orthodoxy? Like maybe in such a Reform shul, it wouldn't be "weird" for a girl to dress frum, but say, not keep Shabbes to the letter? I see inherent flaws with this thought I'm having, but it seems like it might also be individually empowering, which is sort of our thing as Jews anyway.