Conservative Judaism (also known as Masorti Judaism in Israel and Europe) is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s. The Masorti movement is the name given to Conservative Judaism in the State of Israel. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

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The principles of Conservative Judaism include:^[1]

• A dedication to Halakha. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut " Who is a Jew? " (Mihu Yehudi? ?מיהו יהודי is a basic question about Jewish identity. This article focuses on the Etymology of the word Jew. Biblical and Middle Eastern origins The Jews in their land The Jewish ethnonym in Secular Jewish culture embraces several related phenomena above all it is the Culture of secular communities of Jewish people but it can also include Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Although Jews and religious leaders share a core of monotheistic principles Judaism has no formal statement of principles of faith such as a Creed or Catechism In Judaism, the name of God is more than a distinguishing title See also Old testament, Septuagint, Targum, Peshitta The Tanakh (תַּנַ"ךְ (taˈnax or; also Tenakh or Tenak is term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to Nevi'im (נְבִיאִים "Prophets" is the second of the three major sections in the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, between the Ketuvim (כְּתוּבִים "writings" is the third and final section of the Tanakh ( Hebrew Bible) after Torah and Nevi'im This article is about commandments in Judaism For the Jewish rite of passage see Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah Mitzvah ( Hebrew: מצוה See also Mitzvah See also Biblical law in Christianity The 613 Mitzvot ("commandments" (also " 613 Mitzvos The Talmud ( Hebrew: he תַּלְמוּד is a record of Rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law For the Gregorian dates of Jewish Holidays see Jewish holidays 2000-2050. Jewish services ( Hebrew: תפלה, tefillah; plural תפלות, tefillos or tefillot; Yinglish: davening Tzedakah ( צדקה) is a Hebrew word commonly translated as charity, though it is based on a root meaning Justice Jewish ethics stands at the intersection of Judaism and the Western philosophical tradition of Ethics. Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. Minhag ( Hebrew: מנהג "custom" pl minhagim) is an accepted tradition or group of traditions in Judaism. Midrash ( Hebrew: מדרש plural midrashim, lit "to repeat" is a Hebrew term referring to the not exact but comparative ( homiletic See also Judaism by country Jewish ethnic divisions refers to a number of distinct communities within the world's ethnically Jewish population Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim ( Hebrew: אַשְׁכֲּנָזִים, ˌaʃkəˈnazim sing Sephardi Jews ( Hebrew: ספרדי, Standard Səfardi Tiberian Səp̄arədî; plural Mizrahi Jews or Mizrahim, ( also referred to as Edot HaMizrach (Communities of the East are Jews descended Jewish population refers to the number of Jews in the world Precise figures are difficult to calculate because the definition of " Who is a Jew " remains a Jewish population centers have shifted tremendously over time due to the constant streams of Jewish refugees created by expulsions persecution and officially sanctioned killing This article deals with the practice of Judaism and the living arrangement of Jewish people in the listed countries The History of the Jews in the Land of Israel begins with the ancient Israelites (also known as Hebrews) who settled in the Land of Israel. The history of the Jews in the United States has been influenced by waves of immigration primarily from Europe inspired by the social and economic opportunities of the United Iraqi Jews are Jews born in Iraq or of Iraqi heritage The history of the Jews in Iraq is documented from the time of the Babylonian captivity c Spanish Jews once constituted one of the largest and most prosperous Jewish communities under Muslim and Christian rule in Spain, before they The history of the Jews in Portugal is directly related to Sephardi history a Jewish ethnic division that represents communities who have originated The history of the Jews in Poland dates back over a Millennium. Jews have lived in Germany, or " Ashkenaz " at least since the early 4th century, through both periods of tolerance and spasms of The Jewish community of Bosnia and Herzegovina has a rich and varied history surviving World War II and the Yugoslav Wars, after having The history of the Jews in the Americas dates back to Christopher Columbus and his first cross- Atlantic voyage on August 3, 1492 The history of the Jews of Argentina harks back to the days of the Spanish Inquisition and Portuguese Inquisition when Jews fleeing persecution settled in what A Brazilian Jew ( Portuguese: Judeu Brasileiro) is a Brazilian person of full partial or predominantly Jew ancestry or a Jew-born person residing in Brazil Jewish immigration to Latin America began with seven sailors arriving in Christopher Columbus 's crew Jewish Cubans, Cuban Jews, or Cubans of Jewish heritage, have lived on the island of Cuba for centuries Jews have been present in El Salvador since the early 19th Century. Jews have lived in Mexico since the times of the Inquisition. Jewish Nicaraguans or Nicaraguan Jews (Judío Nicaragüense are Nicaraguans of Jewish Ancestry who were born in or have immigrated to Nicaragua The History of the Jews in Venezuela dates to the middle of the 17th century when records suggest that groups of Marranos (Spanish and Portuguese descendants of baptized The Jewish community in France presently numbers around 600000 according to the World Jewish Congress and 500000 according to the Appel Unifié Juif de France and is The first written records of Jewish settlement in England date from the time of the Norman Conquest, mentioning Jews who arrived with William the Conqueror Canada has the world's fourth-largest Jewish population According to the Canada 2001 Census, there are an estimated 351000 Jews currently living in Canada The history of the Jews in Australia began with the transportation of a number of Jewish Convicts aboard the First Fleet in 1788 when History of the Jews in Hungary concerns the Jews of Hungary and of Hungarian origins Indian Jews are a religious minority of India. Judaism was one of the first non- Dharmic religions to arrive in India in recorded history Jews {ref|name|§}} have lived in the geographic area of Asia Minor (modern Turkey) for more than 2400 years There have been organized Jewish communities in Greece for more than two thousand years Since Biblical times the Jewish people have had close ties with Africa beginning with Abraham 's sojourns in Egypt, and later the Israelite captivity under The beginnings of Jewish history in Iran date back to late biblical times Jews and Judaism in China' have had a long history Jewish settlers are documented in China as early as the 7th or 8th century CE, but may The history of Jews in the territory of the present-day Republic of Macedonia began in Roman times when Jews first arrived in the region in the The history of Jews in Romania concerns the Jews of Romania and of Romanian origins from their first mention on what is nowadays Romanian territory By type List of Jewish historians List of Jewish scientists and philosophers List of Jewish nobility Crypto-Judaism is the secret adherence to Judaism while publicly professing to be of another faith people who practice crypto-Judaism are referred to as "crypto-Jews" Rabbi (pronunciation, although in English usually) in Judaism, means a religious ‘teacher’ or more literally ‘my great one’ when addressing any master Orthodox Judaism is the formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently subjected to vandalism and the insertion of personal opinions Reconstructionist Judaism is a modern American-based Jewish movement based on the ideas of the late Mordecai Kaplan (1881 – 1983 Karaite Judaism or Karaism (ˈkærəˌaɪt ˈkærəˌɪzəm) is a Jewish movement NOTE The word sect should not be used without defining it first and Humanistic Judaism is a movement within Judaism that emphasizes Jewish culture and history—rather than belief in God—as the sources of Jewish identity Jewish Renewal is a recent movement in Judaism which endeavors to reinvigorate modern Judaism with mystical, Hasidic, Musical and Alternative Judaism or Agnostic Judaism refers to a variety of groups whose members while identifying as Jews in some fashion nevertheless do not practice Rabbinical The Jewish languages are a set of Languages that developed in various Jewish communities around the world more notably in Europe, West Asia, and Yiddish (yi [[wiktייִדיש ייִדיש]] yidish or yi [[wiktאידיש אידיש]] idish, literally "Jewish" is a nonterritorial High Judæo-Persian dialects are a subgroup of Persian dialects spoken by the Jews of Iran Judæo-Aramaic is a collective term used to describe several Hebrew -influenced Aramaic and Neo-Aramaic Languages History The Judæo-Arabic languages are a collection of Arabic dialects spoken by Jews living or formerly living in the Arab world; the term also refers to Jewish history is the History of the Jewish people, faith, and culture. This is a timeline of the development of Judaism and the Jewish people. Jewish leadership has evolved over time Since the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE there has been no single body that has a leadership The history of Ancient Israel and Judah is known to us from classical sources including Judaism 's Tanakh or Hebrew Bible (known Etymology The Hebrew name given in Scripture for the building is Beit HaMikdash or "The Holy House" and only the Temple in Jerusalem is referred to by this name The Babylonian captivity, Babylonian exile, is the name typically given to the deportation and exile of the Jews of the ancient Kingdom of Judah to Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the See also Religious significance of Jerusalem Since the 10th century BCE Jerusalem in Judaism has been the holiest city, focus and spiritual centre of This is a partial timeline of major events in the History of Jerusalem:; 1800 BCE: The Jebusites build the wall Jebus ( Jerusalem The Hasmoneans (/hæzməˡniən/ חשמונאים Hashmonaiym, Audio were the ruling dynasty of the Hasmonean Kingdom ( 140 &ndash 37 BCE The Sanhedrin (סנהדרין συνέδριον ''synedrion'', "sitting together" hence " assembly " or "council" was an assembly Schisms among the Jews are cultural as well as religious They have happened as a product of historical accident geography and Theology. The word Pharisees ( lat. pharisæ|us, - i) comes from the Hebrew פרושים perushim from פרוש parush, meaning "separated" This article discusses the traditional views of the two religions and may not be applicable all adherents of each The historical interaction of Judaism and Islam started in the 7th century CE with the origin and spread of Islam in the Arabian peninsula. The Jewish diaspora ( Hebrew: Tefutzah, "scattered" or Galut גלות "exile" Yiddish: tfutses) the presence The History of Jews in the Middle Ages (approximately 500 CE to 1750 CE can be divided into two categories Also not to be confused with Subbotniks or Sabbatarians. Note Most Sabbateans during and after Sabbatai Zevi were Jews Hasidic Judaism (also Chasidic, etc from the Hebrew: he '''''חסידות''''', Chassidus, meaning "piety" from the Hebrew Haskalah ( Hebrew: השכלה "enlightenment" "education" from sekhel " Intellect " "mind") the Jewish Enlightenment Jewish question Jewish emancipation was the abolition of discriminatory laws as applied especially to Jews in Europe in the nineteenth century the recognition of Jews The Holocaust (from the Greek el ''ὁλόκαυστον'' (el-Latn holókauston holos, "completely" and kaustos, "burnt" also known as Aliyah ( refers to Jewish Immigration to the Land of Israel (and since its establishment in 1948 the State of Israel) For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The State of Israel (מדינת ישראל Medinat Yisrael) was established in 1948 after nearly two thousand For other uses see Israel (disambiguation The Land of Israel ( Hebrew: אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל Eretz Yisrael) is Note This article is about the movement See Orthodox outreach, Reform outreach, and Conservative outreach for more information about the rabbis See also Antisemitism, History of antisemitism, New antisemitism The persecution of Jews has occurred many times in Jewish history. Antisemitism (alternatively spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism; also rarely known as judeophobia) is the Prejudice against or hostility The history of antisemitism, hostile actions or discrimination against Jews as a religious or ethnic group goes back many centuries Jewish political movements refer to the organized efforts of Jews to build their own political parties or otherwise represent their interest in politics outside of History of Zionism|Timeline of Zionism|World Zionist Organization|Zionist political violence Zionism is an international political movement that originally supported the Labor Zionism ( Labour Zionism, ציונות סוציאליסטית tsionut sotsialistit) can be described as the major stream of the Left wing of the Revisionist Zionism is a nationalist faction within the Zionist movement Religious Zionism, or the Religious Zionist Movement (a branch of which is also called Mizrachi) is an ideology that combines Zionism and religious The General Zionists (ציונים כלליים Tzionim Klalim) were centrists within the Zionist movement and a political party in Israel World Agudath Israel (The World Jewish Union usually known as the Aguda, was established in the early twentieth century as the political arm of Ashkenazi Torah Judaism Jewish feminism is a movement that seeks to improve the religious legal and social status of women within Judaism and to open up new opportunities for religious experience Politics of Israel takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Israel is Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law . . [as a] guide for our lives";^[1]
• A deliberately non-fundamentalist teaching of Jewish principles of faith;
• A positive attitude toward modern culture; and,
• An acceptance of both traditional rabbinic modes of study and modern scholarship and critical text study when considering Jewish religious texts. Fundamentalism refers to a "deep and totalistic commitment" to a belief in and strict adherence to a set of basic principles (often Religious in nature a reaction Although Jews and religious leaders share a core of monotheistic principles Judaism has no formal statement of principles of faith such as a Creed or Catechism Rabbi (pronunciation, although in English usually) in Judaism, means a religious ‘teacher’ or more literally ‘my great one’ when addressing any master

Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism, developed in 1850s Germany as a reaction to the more liberal religious positions taken by Reform Judaism. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently subjected to vandalism and the insertion of personal opinions The term conservative was meant to signify that Jews should attempt to conserve Jewish tradition, rather than reform or abandon it, and does not imply the movement's adherents are politically conservative. Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favour Tradition, where tradition refers to various religious cultural or nationally defined Because of this potential for confusion, a number of Conservative rabbis have proposed renaming the movement^[2], and outside of the United States and Canada, in many countries including Israel^[3] and the UK^[4], it is today known as Masorti Judaism (Hebrew for "Traditional"). The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page

History

Like Reform Judaism, the Conservative movement developed in Europe and the United States in the 1800s, as Jews reacted to the changes brought about by the Enlightenment and Jewish emancipation. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently subjected to vandalism and the insertion of personal opinions The Age of Enlightenment or The Enlightenment is a term used to describe a phase in Western philosophy and cultural life centered upon the eighteenth century Jewish question Jewish emancipation was the abolition of discriminatory laws as applied especially to Jews in Europe in the nineteenth century the recognition of Jews In Europe the movement was known as Positive-Historical Judaism, and it is still known as "the historical school. "

Positive-historical Judaism

Positive-Historical Judaism, the intellectual forerunner to Conservative Judaism, was developed as a school of thought in the 1840s and 1850s in Germany. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Its principal founder was Rabbi Zecharias Frankel, who had broken with the German Reform Judaism in 1845 over its rejection of the primacy of the Hebrew language in Jewish prayer. Rabbi (pronunciation, although in English usually) in Judaism, means a religious ‘teacher’ or more literally ‘my great one’ when addressing any master Zecharias Frankel ( 30 September, 1801 – 13 February 1875) was a Bohemian-German Rabbi and a historian who studied the historical development Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently subjected to vandalism and the insertion of personal opinions In 1854, Frankel became the head of the Jewish Theological Seminary of Breslau, Germany. Wrocław (Breslau Vratislav Vratislavia or Wratislavia Yiddish: ברעסלוי) is the chief City of the historical region of Lower Silesia At the seminary, Frankel taught that Jewish law was not static, but rather has always developed in response to changing conditions. Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law He called his approach towards Judaism "Positive-Historical," which meant that one should have a positive attitude towards accepting Jewish law and tradition as normative, yet one should be open to developing the law in the same fashion that it has always historically developed. Normative has specialized meanings in several academic disciplines Frankel rejected the innovations of Reform Judaism as insufficiently based in Jewish history and communal practice. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently subjected to vandalism and the insertion of personal opinions However, Frankel's use of modern methods of historical scholarship in analyzing Jewish texts and developing Jewish law set him apart from neo-Orthodox Judaism, which was concurrently developing under the leadership of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch. Torah im Derech Eretz (תורה עם דרך ארץ - Torah with "the way of the land" is a philosophy of Orthodox Judaism articulated by Rabbi Samson Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch ( June 20, 1808 – December 31, 1888) was the intellectual founder of the Torah im Derech Eretz

Conservative Judaism in America

In the latter half of the 19th century, the debates occurring in German Judaism were replicated in America. Conservative Judaism in America similarly began as a reaction to Reform Judaism's rejection of traditional Jewish law and practice. The differences between the more modern and traditional branches of American Judaism came to a head in 1883, at the "Trefa Banquet" - where shellfish and other non-kosher dishes were served at the celebration of the first graduating class of Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati. Shellfish is a Culinary and Fisheries term for those aquatic Invertebrate animals that are used as Food: various species of molluscs The Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (also known as HUC, HUC-JIR, and The College-Institute) is the oldest Jewish The adoption of the radical Pittsburgh Platform in 1885, which dismissed observance of the ritual commandments and Jewish peoplehood as "anachronistic", created a permanent wedge between the Reform movement and more traditional American Jews. The Pittsburgh Platform is a pivotal 19th century document in the history of the American Reform Movement in Judaism that called for Jews to adopt a modern approach

Jewish Theological Seminary

In 1886, Rabbis Sabato Morais and H. Pereira Mendes founded the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) in New York City as a more traditional alternative to HUC. Sabato Morais (Leghorn Italy April 13, 1823 - Philadelphia PA November 11, 1897) was an Italian-American Rabbi Henry Pereira Mendes (1852–1937 was an American Rabbi who was born in Birmingham, England and died in New York. The Seminary's brief affiliation with the traditional congregations that established the Union of Orthodox Congregations in 1898 was severed due to the Orthodox rejection of the Seminary's academic approach to Jewish learning. The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (UOJCA more popularly known as the Orthodox Union, or OU, is one of the oldest Orthodox Jewish At the turn of the century, the Seminary lacked a source of permanent funding and was ordaining on average no more than one rabbi per year.

The fortunes of Conservative Judaism underwent a dramatic turnaround when in 1902, the famed scholar Solomon Schechter accepted the invitation to become president of JTS. Solomon Schechter שניאור זלמן שכטר ( December 7, 1847 - November 19[[ 915]] was a Moldavian born Romanian and English Under Schechter's leadership, JTS attracted a distinguished faculty and became a highly regarded center of Jewish learning. In 1913, the Conservative Movement founded its congregational arm, the United Synagogue of America.

Conservative Judaism enjoyed rapid growth in the first half of the 20th century, becoming the largest American Jewish denomination. Its combination of modern innovation (such as mixed gender seating) and traditional practice particularly appealed to first and second-generation Eastern European Jewish immigrants, who found Orthodoxy too restrictive, but Reform Judaism foreign. After World War II, Conservative Judaism continued to thrive. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The 1950s and early 1960s featured a boom in synagogue construction as upwardly-mobile American Jews moved to the suburbs. A synagogue (from Greek: grc συναγωγή transliterated synagogē, "assembly" he בית כנסת beit knesset, "house of South San Jose (cropjpg||thumb|A suburban development in San Jose California. Conservative Judaism occupied an enviable middle position during a period where American society prized consensus.

Rise of Reconstructionism

The Conservative coalition splintered in 1963, when advocates of the Reconstructionist philosophy of Mordecai Kaplan seceded from the movement to form a distinct Reconstructionist Judaism. Mordecai Menahem Kaplan ( June 11, 1881 &ndash November 8, 1983) was a Rabbi and the founder of Reconstructionist Judaism Reconstructionist Judaism is a modern American-based Jewish movement based on the ideas of the late Mordecai Kaplan (1881 – 1983 Kaplan had been a leading figure at JTS for 54 years, and had pressed for liturgical reform and innovations in ritual practice from inside of the framework of Conservative Judaism. Frustrated by the perceived dominance of the more traditionalist voices at JTS, Kaplan's followers decided that the ideas of Reconstructionism would be better served through the creation of separate denomination. In 1968, the split became formalized with the establishment of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College ( RRC) is located in Wyncote Pennsylvania, about 10 miles (16 km north of central Philadelphia.

Modern Conservative Judaism

In the 1970s and early 1980s, Conservative Judaism was divided over issues of gender equality. Gender equality (also known as gender equity, gender egalitarianism, or sexual equality) is the goal of the Equality of the Genders In 1973, the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards voted, without adopting an explanatory responsum, to permit synagogues to count women toward a minyan, but left the choice to individual congregations. The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards is the central authority on Halakha (Jewish law and tradition within Conservative Judaism; it is one of the most active Responsa ( Latin: plural of responsum, "answers" comprise a body of written decisions and rulings given by Legal scholars in response to questions A minyan (מנין lit to count number; pl minyanim) in Judaism refers to the Quorum required for certain religious After a further decade of debate, in 1983, JTS voted to admit women for ordination as Conservative rabbis, also without adopting an explanatory responsum. Some opponents of these decisions left the Conservative movement to form the Union for Traditional Judaism. The Union for Traditional Judaism is an ostensibly non-denominational Jewish educational outreach and communal service organization

In 2002, the Committee adopted a responsum that provides an official religious-law foundation for its past actions and articulates the current Conservative approach to the role of women in Judaism. ^[5]

In December 2006, a responsum was adopted by the Committee that approved the ordination of gay and lesbian rabbis and permitted commitment ceremonies for lesbian and gay Jews (but not same-sex marriage), while maintaining the traditional prohibition against anal sex between men. In the English language, gay is an Adjective that in modern usage refers to Homosexuality. A lesbian is a Woman who is romantically or sexually attracted only to other women Same-sex marriage (also referred to as gay marriage) is a term for a legally or Socially recognized Marriage between two people of the same Anal sex most often refers to the sex act involving insertion of the Penis into the Rectum. ^[6] An opposing responsum, that maintained the traditional prohibitions against ordinations and commitment ceremonies, was also approved. Both responsa were enacted as majority opinions, with some members of the Committee voting for both. This result gives individual synagogues, rabbis, and rabbinical schools discretion to adopt either approach. ^[7]

Ziegler School

In the 1990s, the American Jewish University (Formerly the University of Judaism) in Los Angeles established the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies as an independent rabbinical school. The American Jewish University, formerly the separate institutions University of Judaism and Brandeis-Bardin Institute, is a Jewish non-denominational The Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, informally known as the "Ziegler School" or simply "Ziegler" is the graduate program of study leading to Ordination as Conservative

Concern About Movement Direction

At the time of the 1990 National Jewish Population Survey, Conservative Judaism remained the largest denomination in America, with 43 percent of Jewish households affiliated with a synagogue belonging to Conservative synagogues (compared to 35 percent for Reform and 16 percent for Orthodox). The National Jewish Population Survey (NJPS most recently performed in 2000-01 is a representative survey of the Jewish population in the United States sponsored In 2000, the NJPS showed that only 33 percent of synagogue-affiliated American Jews belonging to Conservative synagogue. For the first time in nearly a century, Conservative Judaism is no longer the largest denomination in America. At the same time, however, certain Conservative institutions, particular day schools, have shown significant growth. Conservative leaders agree that these contrasting trends indicate that the movement has reached a crossroads as it heads into the 21st century.

Beliefs

For much of the large movement's history, Conservative Judaism avoided publishing systematic explications of the Jewish principles of faith. Although Jews and religious leaders share a core of monotheistic principles Judaism has no formal statement of principles of faith such as a Creed or Catechism This was a conscious attempt to hold together a wide coalition.

In 1988, the leadership council of Conservative Judaism finally issued an official statement of belief, Emet Ve-Emunah: Statement of Principles of Conservative Judaism. In accord with classical rabbinic Judaism, it agrees that Jews must hold certain beliefs. However, it holds that the Jewish community never developed any one binding catechism. A catechism (ˈkætəkɪzəm κατηχισμός is a summary or exposition of Doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament Thus, it is difficult if not impossible to pick out only one person's formal creed and hold it as binding. Instead, Emet Ve-Emunah allows for a range of Jewish beliefs that Conservative rabbis believe are authentically Jewish and justifiable.

Thus, Emet Ve-Emunah affirms belief in God and in the divine inspiration of the Torah; however it also affirms the legitimacy of multiple interpretations of these issues. term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to Atheism, Trinitarian views of God, and polytheism are all ruled out. Atheism SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных Polytheism is belief in or worship of multiple Gods (usually assembled in a pantheon) together with associated Mythology and Rituals Conservative Judaism explicitly rejects relativism, yet also rejects fundamentalism. Compare Moral relativism, Aesthetic relativism, Social constructionism, Cultural relativism, and Cognitive relativism. Fundamentalism refers to a "deep and totalistic commitment" to a belief in and strict adherence to a set of basic principles (often Religious in nature a reaction

God

Conservative Judaism affirms monotheism. For the Celtic Frost album see Monotheist (album In Theology, monotheism (from Greek grc [[wiktμόνος μόνος]] Its members have varied beliefs about the nature of God, and no one understanding of God is mandated. God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Among the beliefs affirmed are: Maimonidean rationalism; Kabbalistic mysticism; Hasidic panentheism (neo-Hasidism, Jewish Renewal); limited theism (as in Harold Kushner's "When Bad Things Happen to Good People"); organic thinking in the fashion of Alfred North Whitehead and Charles Hartshorne, also known as process theology (such as Rabbis Max Kaddushin and William E. Kaufman). Moses Maimonides ( March 30 1135 – December 13 1204) also known as the Rambam, was a Rabbi, Physician, and Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. Hasidic Judaism (also Chasidic, etc from the Hebrew: he '''''חסידות''''', Chassidus, meaning "piety" from the Hebrew Panentheism (from Greek (pân "all" (en "in" and (Theós "God" "all-in-God" is a belief system Jewish Renewal is a recent movement in Judaism which endeavors to reinvigorate modern Judaism with mystical, Hasidic, Musical and Harold S Kushner is a prominent American Rabbi aligned with the progressive wing of Conservative Judaism. When Bad Things Happen to Good People (ISBN 1-4000-3472-8 is a 1981 book by Harold Kushner, a Conservative Rabbi. Alfred North Whitehead, OM ( February 15 1861, Ramsgate, Kent, England &ndash December 30 1947, Charles Hartshorne ( June 5, 1897 &ndash October 9, 2000) was a prominent American philosopher who concentrated primarily on the Philosophy Process theology is a school of thought influenced by the metaphysical Process philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947 William E Kaufman is a Rabbi, a Philosopher, and an author of several books and academic articles

Mordecai Kaplan's religious naturalism (Reconstructionist Judaism) used to have an influential place in the movement, but since Reconstructionism developed as an independent movement, this influence has waned. Mordecai Menahem Kaplan ( June 11, 1881 &ndash November 8, 1983) was a Rabbi and the founder of Reconstructionist Judaism Reconstructionist Judaism is a modern American-based Jewish movement based on the ideas of the late Mordecai Kaplan (1881 – 1983 Papers from a recent Rabbinical Assembly conference on theology were recently printed in a special issue of the journal Conservative Judaism (Winter 1999); the editors note that Kaplan's naturalism seems to have dropped from the movement's radar screen. The Rabbinical Assembly (RA is the international association of Conservative Rabbis The RA was founded in 1901 to shape the ideology programs and practices of the

Revelation

Conservative Judaism allows its adherents to hold to a wide array of views on the subject of revelation. Many Conservative Jews reject the traditional Jewish idea that God literally dictated the words of the Torah to Moses at Mount Sinai in a verbal revelation, but they hold the traditional Jewish belief that God inspired the later prophets to write the rest of the Tanakh. Moses ( Latin: Moyses,; Greek: grc Mωυσής in both the Septuagint and the New Testament; Arabic: ar موسىٰ The Biblical Mount Sinai is an ambiguously located mountain at which the Hebrew Bible states that the Ten Commandments were given to Moses by Revelation is the act of revealing or disclosing (see etymology or in the theological perception making something obvious and clearly understood through active or passive communication In Religion, a prophet (or prophetess) is a person who has encountered the Supernatural or the divine and serves as an intermediary See also Old testament, Septuagint, Targum, Peshitta The Tanakh (תַּנַ"ךְ (taˈnax or; also Tenakh or Tenak is Many Conservative Jews believe that Moses was inspired by God in the same manner as the later prophets.

Conservative Jews who reject the concept of verbal revelation believe that God revealed his will to Moses and other prophets in a non-verbal form — that is, God's revelation did not include the particular words of the divine texts.

Conservative Judaism is comfortable with the higher criticism, including the documentary hypothesis, the theory that the Torah was redacted from several earlier sources. Historical criticism or higher criticism is a branch of literary analysis that investigates the origins of a text as applied in Biblical studies it naturally The movement's rabbinic authorities and its official Torah commentary (Etz Hayim: A Torah Commentary) affirm that Jews should make use of modern critical literary and historical analysis to understand how the Bible developed.

Jewish law

Main article: Conservative Halakha

Conservative Judaism views halakha (Jewish religious law) as normative and binding. Conservative Judaism views Halakha ( Jewish law) as normative and binding Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law Examining Jewish history and rabbinic literature through the lens of academic criticism, Conservative Judaism believes that halakha has always evolved to meet the changing realities of Jewish life, and that it must continue to do so in the modern age. Jewish history is the History of the Jewish people, faith, and culture. Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense can mean the entire spectrum of Rabbinic writings throughout Jewish history

This view, together with Conservative Judaism's diversity of opinion concerning divine revelation, accounts for some of the diversity and disagreement in the Conservative movement's halakha. When considering changes to halakha, Conservative Judaism's rabbinical authorities may rely on historical analysis as well as religious considerations. As Solomon Schechter noted, "however great the literary value of a code may be, it does not invest it with infallibility, nor does it exempt it from the student or the Rabbi who makes use of it from the duty of examining each paragraph on its own merits, and subjecting it to the same rules of interpretation that were always applied to Tradition". ^[8]

See also: Conservative responsa

Views of other Jewish denominations

Conservative Judaism contrasts itself with other denominations through two major areas of distinction:

Revelation of Torah

Concerning the degree of revelation of Torah Conservative Judaism assumes that Orthodox Jews accept direct verbal revelation of the Torah. Conservative responsa are the body of Responsa literature of Conservative Judaism (also known as Masorti Judaism) (Many Orthodox philosophers do not agree with this characterization, see Breuer, Berkovits, Soloveitchik, Kook, or Fox) However, Conservative Judaism rejects the Reform view, that the Torah was not revealed but divinely inspired. A number of notable people are known by the surname Breuer Carolyn Breuer, German musician Eric Breuer, Swiss archaeologist and historian Soloveitchik (סולובייצ'יק (also Soloveichik) is a surname In contrast to both, most Conservative positions affirm the divine but nonverbal revelation of written Torah as the authentic, historically correct Jewish view. In this view, Oral Torah is considered inspired by Torah, but not necessarily of a straightforward divine origin. According to Rabbinic Judaism, the oral Torah, oral Law, or oral tradition ( is the oral tradition received in conjunction with the written Torah

Interpretation of Halakha

Concerning interpretation of Halakha (or Jewish law): because of Judaism's legal tradition, the fundamental differences between modern Jewish denominations also involve the relevance, interpretation, and application of Jewish law Jewish law and tradition. Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law Conservative Judaism believes that its approach is the most authentic expression of Judaism as it was traditionally practiced. Conservative Jews believe that movements to its left, such as Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism, have erred by rejecting the traditional authority of Jewish law and tradition. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently subjected to vandalism and the insertion of personal opinions Reconstructionist Judaism is a modern American-based Jewish movement based on the ideas of the late Mordecai Kaplan (1881 – 1983 Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law They believe that the Orthodox Jewish movements, on the theological right, have erred by slowing down, or stopping, the historical development of Jewish law: "Conservative Judaism believes that scholarly study of Jewish texts indicates that Judaism has constantly been evolving to meet the needs of the Jewish people in varying circumstances, and that a central halakhic authority can continue the halakhic evolution today. Orthodox Judaism is the formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized " (Soc. Culture. Jewish Usenet Newsgroup FAQ) The Conservative movement makes a conscious effort to use historical sources to determine what kind of changes to Jewish tradition have occurred, how and why they occurred, and in what historical context. With this information they believe that can better understand the proper way for rabbis to interpret and apply Jewish law to our conditions today. See also under Modern Orthodox Judaism. Modern Orthodox Judaism (or Modern Orthodox or Modern Orthodoxy) is a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize traditional observance

Mordacai Waxman, a leading figure in the Rabbinical Assembly, writes that "Reform has asserted the right of interpretation but it rejected the authority of legal tradition. Orthodoxy has clung fast to the principle of authority, but has in our own and recent generations rejected the right to any but minor interpretations. The Conservative view is that both are necessary for a living Judaism. Accordingly, Conservative Judaism holds itself bound by the Jewish legal tradition, but asserts the right of its rabbinical body, acting as a whole, to interpret and to apply Jewish law. " (Mordecai Waxman Tradition and Change: The Development of Conservative Judaism)

Conservative Judaism views the process by which Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism make changes to Jewish tradition as potentially invalid. Thus, Conservative Judaism rejects patrilineal descent and would hold that a child of a non-Jewish mother who was raised as a Reform or Reconstructionist Jew is not legally Jewish and would have to undergo conversion to become a Jew. Patrilineality (aka agnatic kinship) is a system in which one belongs to one's father's lineage it generally involves the Inheritance of property names or titles Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religious identity or a change from one religious identity to another The Conservative movement is committed to Jewish pluralism and respects the religious practices of Reform and Reconstructionist Jews. For example, the Conservative movement recognizes their clergy as rabbis, even if it does not necessarily accept their specific decisions. Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given Religion.

Conservative Judaism accepts that the Orthodox approach to halakhah is generally valid. Accordingly, a Conservative Jew could satisfy their halakhic obligations by participation in Orthodox rituals. Orthodox Judaism is the formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized

Movement organization

In the more limited sense of the term, Conservative Judaism is a unified movement; the international body of Conservative rabbis is the Rabbinical Assembly (RA), the organization of synagogues is the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ), and the primary seminaries are the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTS) in New York City and the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the American Jewish University (formerly the University of Judaism) in Los Angeles. The Rabbinical Assembly (RA is the international association of Conservative Rabbis The RA was founded in 1901 to shape the ideology programs and practices of the The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ is the primary organization of synagogues practicing Conservative Judaism in North America The Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, informally known as the "Ziegler School" or simply "Ziegler" is the graduate program of study leading to Ordination as Conservative The American Jewish University, formerly the separate institutions University of Judaism and Brandeis-Bardin Institute, is a Jewish non-denominational Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Conservative Judaism outside the USA is often called Masorti Judaism; Masorti rabbis belong to the Rabbinical Assembly ^[9]

Affiliated seminaries outside the USA include the Marshall Meyer Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano in Argentina, and Machon Schechter (in Jerusalem. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the )

Many Jews both inside and outside of this formal Conservative movement identify Conservative Judaism as a worldview which is significantly larger than the USCJ and RA. Sociologically and religiously, there is social and religious overlap between the USCJ, the Union for Traditional Judaism, and much of the Chavurah movement. The Union for Traditional Judaism is an ostensibly non-denominational Jewish educational outreach and communal service organization A chavurah or havurah (חבורה Hebrew: "fellowship" plural chavuroth) is a small group of like-minded Jews A growing number of congregations which are not affiliated, but which identify themselves as "post-denominational," practice traditional Judaism while emphasizing equal roles for women, for example as prayer leaders. ^[10] Rabbis trained at JTS and the Ziegler School often serve these synagogues and chavurot, and members of these synagogues and chavurot often pray at, or are members of, USCJ synagogues.

Conservative Jewish Day Schools

Conservative Judaism has had a large impact on education in America. Many conservative schools dot the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Solomon Schecter day schools, including The Epstein School in Atlanta, Georgia, are an example. Solomon Schechter שניאור זלמן שכטר ( December 7, 1847 - November 19[[ 915]] was a Moldavian born Romanian and English The Epstein School is a parochial Jewish day school in Atlanta, Georgia, and part of the Solomon Schechter chain of schools

Important figures

• Bradley Shavit Artson - Dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the American Jewish University(formerly the University of Judaism), author, theologian, and public speaker
• Ben Zion Bokser - Rabbi, halakhic expert, scholar, and community leader. Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson (born 1959 is an author speaker and the Dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the American Jewish University in Los The Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, informally known as the "Ziegler School" or simply "Ziegler" is the graduate program of study leading to Ordination as Conservative The American Jewish University, formerly the separate institutions University of Judaism and Brandeis-Bardin Institute, is a Jewish non-denominational Ben Zion Bokser, (1907-1984 was one of the major Conservative rabbis of America
• Elliot N. Dorff - Professor of philosophy at the American Jewish University(formerly the University of Judaism) professor, theologian, member of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards
• Arnold Eisen - Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary
• Shya Finestone - Shaare Zion Congregation Religious Affairs Committee (Canada)
• Louis Finkelstein - Talmud scholar
• Zecharias Frankel - founder of positive-historical Judaism. Elliot N Dorff (born 24 June 1943) is a Conservative rabbi a professor of Jewish Theology at the American Jewish University (formerly The American Jewish University, formerly the separate institutions University of Judaism and Brandeis-Bardin Institute, is a Jewish non-denominational The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards is the central authority on Halakha (Jewish law and tradition within Conservative Judaism; it is one of the most active Arnold (Arnie Eisen PhD (born 1951 is Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary. Rabbi Louis Finkelstein ( June 14, 1895, Cincinnati, Ohio – 29 November 1991) was a Talmud scholar Zecharias Frankel ( 30 September, 1801 – 13 February 1875) was a Bohemian-German Rabbi and a historian who studied the historical development
• Neil Gillman - Theologian, Philosophy Professor at Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTS)
• Louis Ginzberg - Talmud scholar and halakhic expert, early member of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards
• Robert Gordis - Rabbi, Theologian, Educator
• Simon Greenberg Rabbi and Institution Builder
• Judith Hauptman - JTS Talmud scholar
• Jules Harlow - Primary liturgist of the Conservative movement
• Abraham Joshua Heschel - Theologian and social activist
• Louis Jacobs - Rabbi, founder of Masorti Judaism in the United Kingdom
• Isaac Klein - Rabbi, expert in Jewish law, early member of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards
• Sheldon Levin - Former President of the CA, also former member of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards
• David Lieber- President Emeritus of the American Jewish University(formerly the University of Judaism), past President of the Rabbinical Assembly, Editor of the Etz Hayim Humash
• Saul Lieberman - Talmud scholar at JTS
• Aaron L. Mackler - Rabbi, Professor of Theology at Duquesne University, member of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards
• Daniel S. Nevins - Dean of the JTS Rabbinical School, Halakhic Scholar. Neil Gillman (born September 11 1933 is an American Rabbi and Philosopher, affiliated with Conservative Judaism. Rabbi Louis Ginzberg was one of the outstanding Talmudists of the twentieth century The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards is the central authority on Halakha (Jewish law and tradition within Conservative Judaism; it is one of the most active Robert Gordis (1908 - 1992 was a leading Conservative rabbi He founded the first Conservative day school served as President of the Rabbinical Assembly and the Dr Simon Greenberg, (1901-1993 major Conservative rabbi educator and religious thinker and vice chancellor emeritus of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Rabbi Judith Rebecca Hauptman (born 1943 is a Feminist Jewish Talmudic scholar Jules Harlow (born June 28, 1931) is a Rabbi and liturgist son of Henry and Lena Lipman Harlow Abraham Joshua Heschel ( January 11, 1907 – December 23, 1972) was a Warsaw-born American Rabbi and one of the leading Rabbi Dr Louis Jacobs (b Manchester, 17 July[[ 920]] d London, 1 July 2006, 5 Tammuz 5766 in the Hebrew calendar) was The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Isaac Klein (1905-1979 was a prominent Rabbi and halakhic authority within Conservative Judaism. The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards is the central authority on Halakha (Jewish law and tradition within Conservative Judaism; it is one of the most active The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards is the central authority on Halakha (Jewish law and tradition within Conservative Judaism; it is one of the most active Dr David L Lieber, a Rabbi and a Scholar, is the president emeritus of the University of Judaism (now The American Jewish University, formerly the separate institutions University of Judaism and Brandeis-Bardin Institute, is a Jewish non-denominational Saul Lieberman (May 28 1898 - March 23 1983 also known as Rabbi Shaul Lieberman or The Gra"sh ( G aon Ra bbeinu Sh aul Aaron L Mackler is a Conservative rabbi a professor of Theology at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, author and a bio-ethicist The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards is the central authority on Halakha (Jewish law and tradition within Conservative Judaism; it is one of the most active Daniel S ("Danny" Nevins (born March 18, 1966) is an American Rabbi and an adherent of the Conservative Movement who was named the
• Mayer E. Rabinowitz - JTS Talmud scholar, former member of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards
• Joel Roth - JTS Talmud scholar, former member of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards
• Solomon Schechter - Researcher, early leader of JTS, creator of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
• Mathilde Roth Schechter - Founder of the Women's League of Conservative Judaism and of Hadassah
• Ismar Schorsch - Former chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
• Harold Schulweis - Rabbi in Los Angeles, theologian, founder of the Havurah movement and the Jewish World Watch
• Gordon Tucker - Former Dean of Jewish Theological Seminary rabbinical school, part-time faculty member at JTS and member of Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, Senior Rabbi of Temple Israel Center in White Plains, New York
• David Wolpe - Rabbi, author, public speaker in Los Angeles, California. The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards is the central authority on Halakha (Jewish law and tradition within Conservative Judaism; it is one of the most active Joel Roth is a prominent American Rabbi in the Rabbinical Assembly, which is the rabbinical body of Conservative Judaism. The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards is the central authority on Halakha (Jewish law and tradition within Conservative Judaism; it is one of the most active Solomon Schechter שניאור זלמן שכטר ( December 7, 1847 - November 19[[ 915]] was a Moldavian born Romanian and English The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ is the primary organization of synagogues practicing Conservative Judaism in North America Mathilde Roth Schechter (1859&ndash1924 - was the United States founder of the US National Women's League of Conservative Judaism in 1918 Hadassah the Women's Zionist Organization of America is an American Jewish Zionist Volunteer women's organization. Ismar Schorsch (born November 3, 1935 -) was the sixth Chancellor of The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS and is the Rabbi Herman Harold M Schulweis (1925-) is a Rabbi, author and a longtime Spiritual Leader at Valley Beth Shalom in Encino CA. A chavurah or havurah (חבורה Hebrew: "fellowship" plural chavuroth) is a small group of like-minded Jews The Jewish World Watch is an NGO based out of Southern California, a coalition of synagogues and Jewish groups with the objective of educating advocating and donating Gordon Tucker is a prominent Rabbi, with a reputation as both a political and a theological liberal in Conservative Judaism. The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards is the central authority on Halakha (Jewish law and tradition within Conservative Judaism; it is one of the most active The City of White Plains is the County seat of Westchester County New York. David J Wolpe (b 1958 - is an author public speaker and Rabbi in Los Angeles California.
• Samuel Schafler - Rabbi, historian, President of Hebrew College, Boston; Superintendent of the Board of Jewish Education, Chicago; Camp Ramah educational director

Jewish identity

Conservative Judaism maintains the Rabbinic understanding of Jewish identity: A Jew is someone who was born to a Jewish mother, or who converts to Judaism in accordance with Jewish law and tradition. Samuel Schafler ( February 20, 1929 - April 3, 1991) was a New York-born Rabbi, historian editor and Jewish educator Hebrew College is an accredited college of Jewish studies in Newton Center, near Boston Massachusetts. The Board of Jewish Education (BJE of Toronto Ontario is an administrative body that offers direction to the Greater Toronto Area 's Jewish schools Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Camp Ramah ( מחנה רמה) is a network of Jewish Summer camps operating in the United States, Canada, and Israel. Conservatism thus rejects patrilineal descent, which is accepted by the Reform movement. Conservative Rabbis are not allowed to perform intermarriages (marriages between Jews and non-Jews). However, the Leadership Council of Conservative Judaism has a different sociological approach to this issue than does Orthodoxy, although agreeing religiously. In a press release it has stated:

"In the past, intermarriage. . . was viewed as an act of rebellion, a rejection of Judaism. Jews who intermarried were essentially excommunicated. Excommunication is a religious Censure used to deprive or suspend membership in a religious community But now, intermarriage is often the result of living in an open society. . . . If our children end up marrying non-Jews, we should not reject them. We should continue to give our love and by that retain a measure of influence in their lives, Jewishly and otherwise. Life consists of constant growth and our adult children may yet reach a stage when Judaism has new meaning for them. However, the marriage between a Jew and non-Jew is not a celebration for the Jewish community. We therefore reach out to the couple with the hope that the non-Jewish partner will move closer to Judaism and ultimately choose to convert. Since we know that over 70 percent of children of intermarried couples are not being raised as Jews. . . we want to encourage the Jewish partner to maintain his/her Jewish identity, and raise their children as Jews. "

Criticism

Main article: Criticism of Conservative Judaism

Conservative Judaism has come under criticism from a variety of sources such as:

• Orthodox Jews who question the movement's commitment to Halakha. Conservative Judaism is a large Jewish denomination born in reaction to both Reform and Orthodox Judaism. Orthodox Judaism is the formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law
• Conservative Traditionalists who criticize the Halakhic process when dealing with issues such as women in Judaism as well as homosexuality. The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards is the central authority on Halakha (Jewish law and tradition within Conservative Judaism; it is one of the most active

For more details on this topic, see Conservative Halakha. Conservative Judaism views Halakha ( Jewish law) as normative and binding

Orthodox Jewish leaders vary considerably in their dealings with the Conservative movement and with individual Conservative Jews. Some Modern Orthodox leaders cooperate and work with the Conservative movement, while haredi ("ultra-Orthodox") Jews often eschew formal contact with Conservative Judaism, or at least its rabbinate. Modern Orthodox Judaism (or Modern Orthodox or Modern Orthodoxy) is a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize traditional observance Haredi or Chareidi Judaism is the most theologically conservative form of Orthodox Judaism. ^[11] From the Orthodox perspective, Conservative Jews are considered just as Jewish as Orthodox Jews, but they are viewed as misguided, consistent violators of halakha. ^[12]

Over the years, Conservative Judaism has experienced internal criticism. Due to halakhic disputes, such as the controversies over the role of women and homosexuality, some Conservative Talmudic scholars and experts in halakha have left the Jewish Theological Seminary and the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards. The subject of homosexuality in Judaism dates back to the Biblical book of Leviticus. The Talmud ( Hebrew: he תַּלְמוּד is a record of Rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards is the central authority on Halakha (Jewish law and tradition within Conservative Judaism; it is one of the most active ^[13][14] and the seminary's former Chancellor, Rabbi Ismar Schorsch, complained of the movement's "erosion of [its] fidelity to Halacha . Ismar Schorsch (born November 3, 1935 -) was the sixth Chancellor of The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS and is the Rabbi Herman . . [which] brings [it] close to Reform Judaism. "^[15]

In matters of marriage and divorce, the State of Israel relies on its Chief Rabbinate to determine who is Jewish; the Chief Rabbinate, following Orthodox customs, does not recognize the validity of conversions performed by Conservative rabbis and will require a Jew who was converted by a Conservative rabbi to undergo a second, Orthodox conversion to be regarded as a Jew for marriage and other purposes. Betrothal ( shiddukhin) In Jewish law (halakha Betrothal (shiddukhin or Engagement is defined as the mutual promise between In Jewish Law a get ( גט, plural gittim or gittin) is a Divorce document which is presented by a husband to his wife For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The Chief Rabbinate of Israel ( הרבנות הראשית לישראל) is the supreme Jewish religious governing body in the state of Israel. " Who is a Jew? " (Mihu Yehudi? ?מיהו יהודי is a basic question about Jewish identity. A conversion to Judaism (גיור giyur) is a formal act undertaken by a non-Jewish person who wishes to be recognised as a full member of the Jewish community

See also

• Committee on Jewish Law and Standards
• Keshet Rabbis
• Rabbinical Assembly
• Role of women in Judaism
• Conservative Halakha
• Criticism of Conservative Judaism

External links

• Additional reading
• An intro to Conservative Judaism
• The Rabbinical Assembly
• The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
• The Jewish Theological Seminary of America
• The Masorti Movement
• Standards for Congregational Practice
• Principles of Masorti Judaism
• The Core Principles of Conservative Judaism
• What is Masorti Judaism?
• Formulating Jewish Law For Our Time
• A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice - Official work on Jewish law
• The role of women in Conservative Judaism
• United Synagogue Youth
• Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies

Footnotes

References

• Conservative Judaism: An American Religious Movement. Marshall Sklare. University Press of America (Reprint edition), 1985.
• Conservative Judaism: Our Ancestors To Our Descendants (Revised Edition), Elliot N. Dorff, United Synagogue New York, 1996
• The Conservative Movement in Judaism: Dilemmas and Opportunities, Daniel J. Elazar, Rela Mintz Geffen, SUNY Press, 2000
• Conservative Judaism: The New Century, Neil Gillman, Behrman House 1993
• Halakha For Our Time: A Conservative Approach To Jewish Law, David Golinkin, United Synagogue, 1991
• A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice, Isaac Klein, JTS Press, New York, 1992
• Conservative Judaism in America: A Biographical Dictionary and Sourcebook, Pamela S. Nadell, Greenwood Press, NY 1988
• Emet Ve-Emunah: Statement of Principles of Conservative Judaism, Ed. Robert Gordis, JTS, New York, 1988
• Etz Hayim: A Torah Commentary, Ed. David Lieber, Chaim Potok and Harold Kushner, The Jewish Publication Society, NY, 2001
• Jews in the Center: Conservative Synagogues and Their Members. Chaim Potok ( February 17, 1929 - July 23, 2002) was an American Jewish Author and Rabbi. Harold S Kushner is a prominent American Rabbi aligned with the progressive wing of Conservative Judaism. Jack Wertheimer (Editor). Rutgers University Press, 2000.

Traditional-Egalitarian Judaism

• Beyond Dogma, Jerusalem Post Magazine
• Can anyone save Conservative Judaism from itself? The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles
• David Fine, Women and the Minyan, Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Rabbinical Assembly, OH 55:1, 2002PDF (194 KiB)

Observance of Conservative Jews

• Conservative Leader Takes Heat for Standards Stance, Forward, March 2002

• Eight Up: The College Years, Survey of Conservative Jewish youth from middle school to college. A kibibyte (a contraction of ki lo bi nary byte) is a unit of Information or Computer storage, established by the International Ariela Keysar and Barry Kosmin