"If we want to grow in num-
bers and strength, we have to
welcome those Jews who live
our values outside of our syna-
gogues to do it inside instead."
- Rabbi Jerome Epstein, outgoing chief executive of the United Synagogue
begin affiliating with the movement.
The answer? "No, it does not!"
At Issue
The reasons aren't hard to figure
out. Minyanim defy the sort of easy
categorization one associates with
the established denominations.
Virtually all are egalitarian, but their
services hew closer to what one finds
in Orthodoxy. Many of their founders
are alums of Conservative institu-
tions, but the membership comes
from a variety of backgrounds. And
their emphasis on serious Torah
study and social action draws from
both Reform and Orthodox.
"I think the answer of acting as
though someone who starts Hadar
has left Conservative Judaism and
how do we grab them is too proprie-
tary," said Yehuda Kurtzer, a professor
at Brandeis University and a member
of the Washington Square Minyan in
suburban Boston. "It doesn't speak to
the complexities of identity. I think
that is everything that's going on with
these minyanim is good for the ideals
of Conservative Judaism:'
Top Concern
Perhaps most significant, becoming
part of a larger congregation would
compromise the very thing that, in
an era when not only young Jews, but
also legions of American 20- and 30-
somethings have grown skeptical of
established institutions, is their call-
ing card: their independence.
"Here's a place where you can just
be who you want to be and live out
a Jewish life you are engaged with,
without slapping a label on yourself,'
said one minyan leader. "People
simply can't be boxed into broad
denominational labels."
The movers behind the most suc-
cessful minyanim invariably see the
effort to reclaim them as somewhat
bizarre, as a reflection of an outdated
mode of affiliating with the Jewish
community. But equally, it's not hard
to understand why the leadership
of the Conservative movement is
distressed to see its most promising
young alumni migrating elsewhere.
No matter how well run the United
Synagogue becomes, regardless of
how cutting edge its management
structure, it's hard to envision its
long-term health if that trend contin-
ues, let alone accelerates.
Jerome Epstein understands this. It
remains to be seen whether his suc-
cessor will make any greater headway
in trying to do something about it. 1—
248-626-5810 • ciniellepeleggallery.com
Answering
Israel's Critics
The Charge
Pro-Palestinian advocates solely
blame Israel for the poverty and
unemployment in the Gaza Strip.
The Answer
Jerusalem Post Arab Affairs corre-
spondent Khaled Abu Toameh has
said, "Why don't we ask our Arab
brothers for help? Gaza has a bor-
der with [both] Israel and Egypt.
In the past, the border crossings
with Israel were open 90 percent
of the time; Egypt's was closed
98 percent of the time. [Hosni]
Mubarak and the rest of the Arab
world withheld aid."
- Allan Gale,
Jewish Community Relations Council
of Metropolitan Detroit
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