Our Story
For many years, Baltimore native, Susan Wolf Dudley, prayed by herself in her Pikesville residence with an old union prayer book. Susan started The Reform Temple, Inc. with the first service ever at Pikesville’s Grey Rock Mansion drawing more than 100 people.
Now, Susan Wolf Dudley is joined with between 500 and 1,000 people, observing the High Holidays in the Classical Reform tradition for a one hour service — all in English. The Classical Reform Temple is a congregation without walls.
For over 18 years, the group has hosted free Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services in the auditoriums of Pikesville and Owings Mills High Schools as well as Martin’s Valley Mansion in Cockeysville, using a service adapted from the Reform movement’s Original Union Prayer Book.
It’s free. No reserved seats. Generations of families attend services together. We also employ security guards to keep us safe.
Our Mission
We promote rationality, understanding and inclusion in its approach to what is generally known as Classical Reform Judaism.
We focus on living fairly, kindly, justly and thoughtfully. We hope people can finally understand what Judaism stands for. For us, it is not about cloaking oneself in holiness — by way of dress or diet or performing ancient rituals — and by avoiding the company of those who do not hold the same beliefs.
The important thing is that the services be meaningful and understandable and keep up with the times. Through the temple we try to make people feel welcome.
Judaism is an ancient religion that remains relevant today and was the origin of monotheism in the world. Classical Reform modified many traditions that did not make sense in the todays world.
Our approach to Judaism is that we must be educated and informed about what our prayers mean and why we observe. In other words, ours is a rational approach to the worthwhile messages of Judaism.
