Religion: Jews with Nobody to Worship

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Polydoxy is starting small, though Reines maintains that many Jews subscribe to its beliefs without realizing it. The Institute of Creative Judaism, formed in 1971 to promote Reines' philosophy, so far has enlisted only 75 rabbis and ten synagogues. Congregation Or Ami in Richmond, Va., the first synagogue formed to practice polydoxy, began six years ago with six families and now has 100, many previously unaffiliated with any synagogue. The movement has also spread overseas. Rabbi Anthony Holz, who recently returned from a congregation in Pretoria, South Africa, summarizes his polydox outlook: "Fifty percent of what we know is wrong, and we can never know which fifty percent."