I

Spirituality

Conservative Judaism:
Failing Or Temporarily Flailing?

Seminary chancellor delivers battle plan for revival of the movement.

Marcy J. Levinson
Jewish Renaissance Media

Orlando, Fla.

S

everal hundred members
of the United Synagogue of
Conservative Judaism from
around the world gathered at the Rosen
Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, Fla., for
five days to discuss key issues affecting
the Conservative movement, which has
lost ground to both the Orthodox and
Reform movements in the United States in
recent years.
The opening plenary speaker at the
2007 USCJ international biennial Nov. 29
was the new Jewish Theological Seminary
chancellor, Arnold Eisen, who is in his
first year as the head of the Conservative
movement's New York-based flagship
seminary after a year as chancellor-elect.
Eisen spoke to some 600 people about the
future of Judaism and the Conservative
movement.
The call to action by Eisen, who is pas-
sionate about not only Judaism, but also
the Conservative movement as a whole,
was intense and well received and may

Judaism in heart,
have answered any
mind and soul in the
questions about wheth-
community. We are on
er a non-rabbi could
fill the chancellor's tra-
course, but we are a bit
ditional leadership role
off track."
He cited studies of
in the movement.
the declining num-
Eisen said the stories
bers in Conservative
most often circulated
in the Jewish com-
Judaism — for
instance, Atlanta's
munity concerning the
Conservative move-
demographic study
in 2006 found that 26
ment are of misfortune JTS Chancellor A rnold Eisen
percent of the Jewish
and decline.
speaks at his firs t biennial since
community self-iden-
"We are losing num- taking office.
tified as Conservative,
bers," he said. "That
down from 30 per-
doesn't mean you sit
and watch the world go by. You have to roll cent a decade earlier, while the Reform
and Orthodox movements showed sharp
up your sleeves. We have to be more uni-
increases.
formly excellent in the quality of what we
And he said small cities have "lost num-
offer people."
He also said that while Jews are still
bers, which hurts the movement."
Another issue he addressed was
working to re-establish what the Nazis
tried to destroy, the community must con- patrilineal descent. The Reform and
Reconstructionist movements recognize
tinue tradition and own up to the respon-
as a Jew anyone who has at least one
sibility of carrying it forward.
Jewish parent, father or mother, as long as
"Sometimes, I think we should be
the person takes action to be Jewish; oth-
called 'Just Judaism:" Eisen said of the
ers recognize only matrilineal descent.
Conservative movement. "We are those
"Let's face up to another issue: I hope
Jews committed to full and authentic

our movement will never embrace patri-
lineal descent. That is wrong:' Eisen said.
He said the rise in Orthodox and ultra-
Orthodox affiliation "took sociologists by
surprise but with more than a half-mil-
lion Conservative Jews around the world,
we now know what is hurting us."
He laid out a plan of attack to educate,
inform and hold true to the values of
Conservative Judaism.
First, he said, the movement must strive
as a whole to "get out a clearer message
about Conservative Judaism."
He said Conservative Jews must focus
on the quality of what they offer their
communities in schools and shuls.
He said cooperation between JTS and
Conservative synagogues is always open
and should be used.
Other points of emphasis for a
Conservative revival, Eisen said, are
Hebrew as the "grammar of Judaism:'
Zionism, community, tikkun olam, more
conversation, more Jewish time and
space, as on Shabbat — "If you don't have
Shabbat, you don't have Judaism" — and
God. I 1

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Kudos For Conservative Judaism

Ambassador sees hard work ahead for Israel.

Marcy J. Levinson
Jewish Renaissance Media

Orlando, Fla.

I

sraeli Ambassador Salai Meridor
delivered a compelling and heartfelt
message to the United Synagogue of
Conservative Judaism international bien-
nial, focusing on hope and much hard
work in the future of the Jewish people
and Israel.
"The Conservative movement contri-
butions: You work for the future of the
Jewish people and the State of Israel. From
the bottom of my heart, todah rabbah,"
or thank you very much, he said in his
speech Nov. 30, the second day of the five-
day convention.

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December 13 • 2007

Meridor emphasized
that besides security
and peace, Israel faces
pressing issues as it
approaches its 60th
birthday in May, such
as the continued build-
ing of the Jewish state
and "how we shape
ourselves."
He said one of the
Salai Meridor
best investments in
Israel for anyone is the
investment in education. He said Masa
and Birthright Israel are examples of put-
ting money to good work and encouraging
people to make aliyah.
"A major challenge is to invest in our
young generation — this is what we have.

The government is
investing in educa-
tion, and you can see
your investment in
those making aliyah.
Without continued
aliyah to Israel, we
would not be as
strong as we need to
be, as we must be," he
said.
Meridor, who
became the ambas-
sador to the United States this year, said a
turning point for his family in the under-
standing of Conservative Judaism was
when his daughter declared her desire for
a bar mitzvah, not a bat mitzvah. He said
she didn't want to do the ceremony as girls

are supposed to in Israel, but to do the
same ceremony as the boys.
After a pilgrimage to find a shul
that would allow his daughter to fulfill
her wish, "we ended up proudly in a
Conservative synagogue in Jerusalem," he
said. His mother was 75 at the time, and
it was the first time she was allowed to be
called to the Torah for an aliyah.
Arriving in Orlando just days after
the Middle East peace conference in
Annapolis, Md., Meridor also discussed
peace and security.
Although no major issues were solved at
the summit, Meridor was happy about the
opening of dialogue between Israel and
Arab nations.

Kudos on page C3