Identity as a Philosophical Problem: Designing of Religious Identity in Progressive Judaism (by the Example of Moscow Community Le-dor Va-dor)

This study explores religious identity in Progressive Judaism. The main aspects of the identity of Progressive Judaism were found by researching the example community of «Le-Dor Va-Dor» (Moscow). In Moscow’s religious space, the community of Progressive Judaism plays an important role within the Jewish population, which, due to globalization processes, is increasingly turning to religion as a factor of their identity. The cultural context of the country in which a community exists influences the creation of a specific identity, which is different from the Western European and American identities. Thus, it is important to reveal identity features in a single country. By analyzing the strategy of constructing the identity of representatives of Progressive Judaism, it is possible to identify the most significant constants related to a person’s identity inside a multi-religious modern society. The main problem of the research is the philosophical concept in Progressive Judaism that sets the boundaries of the identity of this community. However, in a practical level (the level of individual communities) this concept is transformed depending on social, political, and other factors. Thus, the main purpose of the study is to define aspects and boundaries of the identity of Progressive Judaism in Russia (through the example community Le Dor Va Dor, Moscow). The work consists of three chapters that respectively solve the tasks posed in the study: 1. To analyze the modern methodological approaches in the study of religious identity. 2. To identify the philosophical concept of Progressive Judaism, embodying the image of identity. 3. To reconstruct the boundaries of the identity of representatives in the progressive community of Le-dor Va-dor (Moscow) using the data of biographical interviews.