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 CC 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. C2 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