I had a fascinating conversation with Rabbi Lance Sussman this morning. He pointed me toward some very interesting sources. The first is Isaac Leeser's Catechism for Jewish Children (which I found on a fascinating blog Jewish-American History on the Web), which is the 1863 version of an 1839 educational guide for Jewish children, which he based on Dr. Eduard Kley of Hamburg's 1814 Catechismus Der Mosaischen Religion. His argument for a creed and his translation of the Maimonidean creed can be found here. It should be noted that Leeser says that creed is not sufficient for salvation and the purpose of a creed is that:

The firm faith in and admission of acknowledged truths will best promote a correct course of life; for by being impressed with holy feelings we will be best able to withstand temptations and the inclination to sin inherent in man.

Leeser is on the more Orthodox side. [He also argues for a Jewish creed in two editorials here and here.]

The second, which I am further researching, is from the Reform (or Reformed) Community of Israelites of Charleston, South Carolina. In the seventh issue of the first volume (October 1843) of The Occident and American Jewish Advocate, Nathaniel Levin begins a series on the history of the Jewish community of Charleston. In issue number nine (December 1843), Levin speaks of the foundation of the Reform Community of Israelites and makes the following note about creed:

The most peculiar part of their ritual is the ten articles of faith adopted by the society, which emanated from enlarged, liberal, and enlightened views, for it was optional with any member of the society, either to believe, or reject them; for in the preface to their volume is this remarkable passage: "Let each one believe or reject what his heart and understanding (at once humbled and enlightened by divine goodness) may rationally dictate to be believed or rejected."

What more could you want in a Reform creed? Actually, I admire the idea - that the creed is there not to be accepted without thought, but as a starting point of a discussion. I believe with a perfect faith that ideas must be struggled with, rather than blindly accepted or blithely rejected.

Levin continues:

Their creed embraced but ten articles, differing in almost every point with the creed of the great Maimonides. We have selected three of the articles for the perusal of our readers, which are as follows. Article 7. reads thus:

"I believe with perfect faith that the laws of God as delivered by Moses in the Ten Commandments are the only true foundation of piety towards the Almighty, and of morality among men."

Article 8.—"I believe with a perfect faith, that morality is essentially connected with religion, and that good faith towards all mankind is among the most acceptable offerings to the Deity."

Article 10.—"I believe with a perfect faith that the Creator (blessed be his name) is the only true Redeemer of all his children, and that he will spread the worship of his name over the whole earth."

More information on the Charleston community and what many consider the birth of the American Reform movement can be found in an article on the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life website.

Do we already have a Reform Jewish Creed?

Is this - the "Principles for Reform Judaism" - a creed (albeit a very long one)?

Adopted at the 1999 Pittsburgh Convention Central Conference of American Rabbis May 1999 - Sivan 5759 See Commentary on the Principles for Reform Judaism

Preamble
On three occasions during the last century and a half, the Reform rabbinate has adopted comprehensive statements to help guide the thought and practice of our movement. In 1885, fifteen rabbis issued the Pittsburgh Platform, a set of guidelines that defined Reform Judaism for the next fifty years. A revised statement of principles, the Columbus Platform, was adopted by the Central Conference of American Rabbis in 1937. A third set of rabbinic guidelines, the Centenary Perspective, appeared in 1976 on the occasion of the centenary of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations and the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Today, when so many individuals are striving for religious meaning, moral purpose and a sense of community, we believe it is our obligation as rabbis once again to state a set of principles that define Reform Judaism in our own time.

Throughout our history, we Jews have remained firmly rooted in Jewish tradition, even as we have learned much from our encounters with other cultures. The great contribution of Reform Judaism is that it has enabled the Jewish people to introduce innovation while preserving tradition, to embrace diversity while asserting commonality, to affirm beliefs without rejecting those who doubt, and to bring faith to sacred texts without sacrificing critical scholarship.

This "Statement of Principles" affirms the central tenets of Judaism - God, Torah and Israel - even as it acknowledges the diversity of Reform Jewish beliefs and practices. It also invites all Reform Jews to engage in a dialogue with the sources of our tradition, responding out of our knowledge, our experience and our faith. Thus we hope to transform our lives through (kedushah), holiness.

"Creed" from Merriam-Webster On-Line

Creed

Pronunciation:

\ˈkrēd\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English crede, from Old English crēda, from Latin credo (first word of the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds), from credere to believe, trust, entrust; akin to Old Irish cretid he believes, Sanskrit śrad-dadhāti

Date:

before 12th century

1: a brief authoritative formula of religious belief
2: a set of fundamental beliefs ; also : a guiding principle

Why is creed only about God? A reaction to Milton Steinberg's Basic Judaism

When talking about creed in Reform Judaism (cf this article from the soc.culture.jewish faq), the first citation is always from section one (Creeds) of chapter 4 (God) of Milton Steinberg's classic, Basic Judaism. It reads, "By its nature, then, Judaism is averse to formal creeds which of necessity limit and restrain thought." (p.35)

However, I would recommend reading the whole section to put this quote into context. The chapter, you will note, is about God. Steinberg examines the idea of creed in a serious manner, but as an introduction into his discussion of God. I would suggest that we can create a creed that, while referencing God, is not solely a statement of theology (more on this later).

I would suggest that we go back to the beginning of the section -

For the past one hundred and fifty years a quiet debate has been going on among Jewish theologians over the question: Are there dogmas in Judaism? Does it have a set of beliefs, authoritatively formulated, which the individual Jew must accept if he [sic] wishes to be a communicant in good standing in the Jewish religion? (p. 31)

- and, placing the word "Reform" before each citation of Jewish or Judaism, take this as a challenge to ourselves: Is there a set of beliefs, authoritatively formulated, which the individual Reform Jew must accept if s/he wishes to be a communicant in good standing in the Reform Jewish religion (or better yet "a good Reform Jew")?

Can "informed choice" be a belief? The progressive nature of Jewish history? These are the areas that I hope to explore - and commonalities I hope to find.

A good place to start...

I always like to start with either the Encyclopedia Judaica or the classic (1906-10) Jewish Encyclopedia. The latter is in the public domain and here is the entry entitled Articles of Faith.