Centennial Blog
Where Are Our Cheerleaders?
Rabbi Joshua Rabin tells us that that the way to change the narrative of Conservative Judaism comes not from without, but from within.
Forget Committees. We Want A Community.
By Emily Goldberg
“The Conservative movement is dying!” I have heard so many adults say this with concerned looks on their faces that it no longer fazes me. In fact, I’ve begun to understand why they’re worried. As I look inside Conservative synagogues today, I see a deficit of young people. Instead, I witness older generations who seem to spend most of their time arguing over the rules and regulations that should govern our congregational life. “Can Rachel’s non-Jewish boyfriend walk onto the bimah?” “Can we consider serving meat for Kiddush lunch instead of bagels?” “Should we try to include the Imahot in the Amidah one week?”
Remaking Religious School: Look Before You Leap
By Rabbi Jim Rogozen
The lament/demand that “synagogue education must change!” is an ongoing phenomenon. So too is the reality that many initiatives and innovations fizzle, or fail outright. Some of these failures are due to the difficulty of sustaining innovation; some of them simply run out of funding. The call for yet another round of new programs has gone out, and Jewish publishers and organizations are answering that call. It seems to me, however, that in our efforts to launch new programs at the synagogue level something is often missing: a comprehensive and aligned organizational mission and vision.
Why I’ll Be at the Centennial
Anyone who knows me knows that I found a home in the ideas, community, and practices of Conservative/Masorti Judaism. I am grateful every day for this way of loving the tradition that lets us integrate the many blessings of today’s best hearts and minds into a Judaism that is dynamic, observant and spiritual enough to require disciplined effort and to inspire greatness.
Conservative Judaism Is…
By Rabbi Loren Sykes
For decades, we Conservative Jews and our institutions have found it hard to articulate a definition of our unique approach to Judaism in short, easy to understand phrases.
Synagogue Collaboration and Mergers: The Upside
By Kathy Elias
Not every merger story is about synagogues on the decline or one synagogue “absorbing” another. Indeed, today’s synagogue leaders appear more open than ever to the idea of creating a strong community rather than clinging to their separate structures, and there are many potential collaborations and mergers on the immediate horizon. But as the details of the give-and-take of cooperation move from theoretical to real, synagogue leaders navigate complicated territory.
A Recipe for Reaching Teens: Joy
by Rabbi Dave Levy
So many studies and statements about today’s teens suggest that they are radically different from the teens that came before them. Singing and dancing, though, is a commonality shared by teens of every generation. I have seen teens, from a group of sophomore guys who would typically be too cool, dancing to “Call Me Maybe,” to 800 teens going wild singing and dancing at the opening of our annual International Convention. What they all have in common is one of our most cherished values: simcha.
A Room for Every Body
Rabbinical student Jonah Rank tells us that as Conservative Jews, we need to validate and welcome the transsexual and transgender Jews who are—or want to become—part of our communities.
Conversing With Our Hands: The Legacy of the Passover Seder
By Rabbi Steven C. Wernick
The main mitzvah of the Seder is to tell the story of Pesah to our children. One powerful way we know that our Seder conversations have been successful is when they translate into deeds of Tikkun Olam. This week, I have been delighted by the hands-on proof that the themes of the Seder
A Meeting of the Minds, Human and Divine
By Rabbi Perry Raphael Rank
One area of communal behavior at which we Conservative Jews excel is beating ourselves up. More than any other denomination, we’re unhappy with the shape we’re in. We don’t pray regularly; we cut corners with kashrut; we ignore Shabbat; we are Hebraically illiterate; and our knowledge of Judaism is thin at best. On top of all that, we are dying as a movement. We know this because every Jewish media outlet takes great joy in printing our obituary week after week.
