Reform Judaism or Jewish-Lite?

Upon studying the Reform Judaism websites and reading the article, "What Does Reform Judaism Stand For?", I find myself torn between two theories on the movement. (I would like to point out that I was raised in a conservative synagogue, the sect which can't seem to decide what to do with itself but I'll address this in my next post on conservative judaism). On one hand, I really like the platforms reform judaism takes. As a bleeding heart liberal, custom to bitching about republicans while sporting anti-bush bumper stickers with a starbucks latte in hand (hell of a run-on sentence but who cares) I can safely enjoy its political agenda. Gender equality? Awesome! Homosexual rights? Hell yes! Intermarriage, fair enough. No one can complain about these (unless you're a republican who can't function without fox news telling you what to do).

However, I feel that with these all of these liberties we may be losing our Jewish hertiage. I mean, once you accept serving roast beef, crab, ice cream and shrimp at your synagogue for your youth organization, where does it end? Granted, my family doesn't keep kosher but we expect that a synagogue, a symbol of our jewish faith should. It's like they're trying to please a wide audience rather than focusing on a single demographic.

Perhaps I'm just talking out of my ass but I feel that some people are abusing "choice through knowledge" to the point when there isno significant difference between these jews and gentiles. Now, don't take my cynical rant as hate speech, I'm perfectly fine with the platform of reform judaism, I just think we should place more of an emphasis on the "judaism" rather than the "reform".

-Rachel Wyman

PS: I found it interesting that we have fewer men are becoming involved in the reform jewish community. Does that mean we are starting to lose the gender equality platform of the movement?