ENERGY from page 23 _ 9v PROTEGE zk • Conservative Judaism's mission of bal- ancing tradition with modernity. However, some teen Conservative Jews — all of whom talked about rais- ing their own children Conservative — said that they mostly like their movement specifically because they find it a happy medium between the Orthodox and Reform philosophies. "Conservative Judaism is the right movement for me because I like doing some of the mitzvot, but Orthodoxy doesn't give you enough freedom and your life becomes too centered around Judaism," said Zach Foster, an eighth- grader at Hillel. "Judaism is important, but there are other things in life, too." Pam Feingold, a ninth-grader in Adat Shalom's 200-student Monday night high school program said, "Some Reform people I talk to have no idea what the religion is all about. But Orthodoxy is too strict. I feel like I'm right in the middle." Asked how their generation of Conservative Jews will be different from their parents' generation, Adat Shalom teens offered conflicting views, with some saying they're more liberal than their parents and others suggest- ing they will be more observant. Eighteen-year-old Ryan Vieder, who took a few minutes out of a kosher cooking class to be inter- viewed, said he expects Conservative Judaism to become less stringent. Asked if his generation of Conservative Jews differs from its elders on the subject of intermarriage, Vieder said, "Most kids don't think it's that big a problem as long as you stay who you are. You should teach your child to enjoy the good parts of both religions and they can make a decision when they're old enough." Vieder's classmate in the kitchen, Leah Weiss, 17, said that while she would not marry a non-Jew, many of her peers "see it as discrimination to say they would only marry a Jew. Of course, some of the disconnect between Conservative Jewish teens and their parents may have less to do with permanent differences of opinion than the natural tendency of adoles- cents to question their parents' beliefs. "Teens are more liberal and verbal about questioning religion than when our parents were growing up, when there was less opportunity to ques- tion," noted Weiss. Conservatives To Come Joey Abrin, 14, held a different There is no consensus as to where view. "My generation gets into it and Detroit's Conservative Movement will pays more attention than my parents' be in the next 20 years, although most generation — we'll be more obser- rabbis anticipate congregants who are vant," he said. P1 educated and committed to encourage more Jews to marry gen- tiles, Conservative rabbis made it clear that not only would they not officiate at weddings between a Jew and non- Jew, but that unless they converted, gentile partners could not become synagogue members. The result: interfaith families, who represent a growing percentage of the Jewish community, are shying away from Conservative Judaism and reporting they feel more comfortable in Reform temples. The movement recently issued a paper forbidding Conservative syna- gogues to hire intermarried Jews as educators or synagogue directors. Nonetheless, the anti-intermarried stance in the movement may be soft- ening a little, at least in Detroit. This fall, rabbis from all of the sub- urban Detroit Conservative synagogues attended a Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit symposium on intermarriage. A session focusing on how Conservative synagogues could welcome interfaith families was packed, with several rabbis there pas- sionately stating that they did not want to turn away the intermarried Jews. Noting that many non-Jewish spouses are choosing to become • Jewish, Beth Shalom's Nelson noted, "I don't rail against intermarriage. I don't support it, but we have to make it comfortable for couples to come to synagogue and see what Judaism has ), to offer. Although, as at other Conservative shuls, non-Jews cannot officially become members there or participate in ritual activities, Shaarey Zedek recently began welcoming in its newsletter both the Jewish and non-Jewish spouse when interfaith families join. In the past, only the Jewish spouse was listed. "Until recently, the Conservative Movement did a terrible job of reach- ing out to the intermarried," said Rabbi Joseph Krakoff, who was ordained just last year. A newcomer to Shaarey Zedek, Krakoff has been active in developing adult education courses and programs targeting younger members there and has quickly developed a following. "There's a need to make the inter- married feel welcome in our syna- gogues," he added. 0.9% APR , air, AM/FM CD power windows, locks, mirrors, keyless e,. more.*M.A.C. 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