Comments on: A Variety of Views on Conservative Judaism

By: CactusJack911

CactusJack911 — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 02:35:09 +0000

The Conservative movement is dead and is stupid from the get go. Once again creating Gentiles that think they’re Jews. and Telling Jews that what happened in the Torah is most likely make believe, and then tell them to not intermarry which clearly becomes racism. The Torah is real, everything is legit. Stop making stupid versions of this.

By: Becca

Becca — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 06:39:52 +0000

Shtreimel:

Clearly you & I go to different shuls.

Even when I wasn’t observant to the extent that I am now, I did a lot more than “the 3 day a year shtick,” and so did most Conservative Jews I know.

As for whether the movement is dying or will be here in a century? Maybe so, maybe no: I make no pretense to being a navi (or, rather, a neviah). There are certainly those out there who, like you, think that in the next 50-100 years there won’t be Conservative Judaism as a separate movement any more, with one segment of it combining with Orthodoxy on the right (“Conservadox”) and another combining with Reform on the left (“Reformative”). I don’t think that’s so likely, but my world won’t end if it does. I care about the ideals embodied by the Conservative movement, not about the movement per se. (Besides, if the movement imploded I’d probably just go hang out with the Reconstructionists, who get ignored by the mainstream anyway…)

Much of the post-NJPS-data response seems to me to be simply fodder for exaggeration. Yes, the fact that the Conservative movement accounts for 33% of synagogue members in the 2000-1 NJPS rather than the 43% from 1990 should be of concern to Conservative Jewish leaders–but still, if you have 1/3 of the American Jewish synagogue-member population, it’s pretty hard for me to see that as evidence that the movement is “dying.” Nor do I understand anything I’ve read by Neil Gillman to be a statement to that effect. (Would you care to point me to what you have in mind?)

I am similarly disinclined to believe that American Jewry or diaspora Jewry will disappear/die out in the next century–but there are a good number of Zionists who believe this to be the case.

Only time will tell!

By: shtreimel

shtreimel — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 12:06:12 +0000

“Dreadfully/disablingly? No.”

WHAT!!?? I worked for the Con movement for 6 years, a regional director for 3 and have friends who are graduates of JTS Rab school (applied myself). The movement was, at best, a rabbinical one, that was necessary during the 60-70′s. In general, I noticed a complete lack of Jewish/shul attendance other than the 3 day a year shtick we all do. The movement is dying, and folks like N. Gillman aren’t afraid to say so. My prediction is a hybrid of Reform/Cons w/i the next 50-100 years.

By: Becca

Becca — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 11:10:22 +0000

Thanks, themiddle, for thinking what I write is of interest.

And ck, could you please enlighten those of us who are still struggling with tags: what is a more tag & how is it used?

Many thanks!

By: themiddle

themiddle — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 07:58:27 +0000

Dude, if you say “more tag” one more time, I’ll never use it again. Besides, this comment was worth its own post. Look at how hard she worked on it! I count 10 links and absolutely no talk about people’s intelligence or lack thereof.

Besides, if I piss Michael off a little, perhaps he’ll write a post or two…

By: ck

ck — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 07:53:47 +0000

This was an excellent response to Phoebe’s post but I’m with Michael on this. I’d rather we avoid reposting comments in whole. You may want to perhaps point to link directly to the comment (send me an email and ask me how – it’s easy) after quoting relevant parts of it and adding a little commentary. But reproducing an entire comment – without even using a more tag – only rewards those who don’t read reader comments thus missing out on gems like this.

And did I mention the more tag?