Success Of Conservative Approach Dooms Movement
Apparently the Conservative movement is doing such a great job of turning its followers onto Judaism, they’re all turning to Reform Judaism and Orthodoxy to explore their Jewish connections more deeply:
The branch of American Judaism that occupies the middle ground between those who buck tradition and those who fully embrace it confronted the dwindling appeal of the movement in a meeting this week in Houston.
Members of the Conservative Rabbinical Assembly, at their annual convention, said their seminaries and day schools have been educating more and more Jews, only to see them flee to other Jewish movements.
Rabbi Ismar Schorsch, chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary, the leading Conservative school, said the exodus of young Conservative Jews with strong religious educations is a key reason the movement is floundering.
One in search of authentic Judaism often finds himself at an Orthodox or Chabad syangogue. If someone wants a watered down version then Reform is where it is at (or isn’t).
Our local Conservative Shul had an ongoing battle with those who were for including women in the Minyan and those agaist. As the battle raged women came to Shul in record numbers. As soon as the board decided to include them in the Minyan, they stopped coming!
Another story: A woman I know wanted to be converted Orthodox while she was married to a gentile, of course the Rabbi didn’t allow it. She then went to the local Conservative Syangogue where the Rabbi was willing to Convert her that day (she is very knowlegable) but the board didnt allow her. She wouldnt ‘fit in well.’
So you have a movement where laymen have the last word and the Rabbis are there to satisfy/follow the board as opposed to lead.
In ten years the movement will be half the size.
As I find myself in more orthodox circles, I find the level of dishonsty to outsiders, self-aggrandizment, and welfare abuse to be the biggist turn off’s.
Sure, they might really get into their davening, move around a lot, feel G-d, but as soon as kiddush starts, I feel like I’m in a bash the Goy fest… the Jews are so great fest… we are so smart fest… we are so successful fest… if your not Jewish your not worth “*&% fest.
Hey, but I guess tht’s authentic Judasim.
By the way the conservitive movment is very helpful to the “Orthodox” becuase many people on the trip towards greater observence, go to Conservative or Conservadox shuls first. Many reform/secular Jews, would never be able to approach orthodox shuls without stopping by a conservative ( unfortuntly, today, it has become a stepping stone) shul. Believe it or not, the Mitvah mobile only works when someone is already on their way.
“In ten years the movement with be half the size”
I wonder how many people leave the orthodox movment? Could it be their numbers have also dwindled, only we don’t see if becuase of the high birthrates. For every ten children born, I wonder how many leave? And those who stay, do all of them stay becuae of belief, or becuase all of their friends and family are in the system.
So authentic.
sorry.. mitzvah mobile
Good article…shame the author couldn’t be bothered to do some more fact-checking, though (e.g. most Reform clergy do NOT, in fact, officiate at intermarriages)…
Whatever:
You make some good points. And I do agree that ‘Orthodox Supremacy’ is a problem. But the reality stays the same. Orthodoxy is a more authentic (or appears to be) form of Judaism. Conservative Judaism is becoming more and more ambiguous – neither full fledged, nor Reform.
Back to the Orthodox Supremacy issue, when I do attend services, I attend Chabad which is in no-way (from my experiences) arrogant.
Miztva Mobiles are effective for people with out a clue. I know several folks who became involved with Judaism as a result of them.
Dude, dont dump the baby with the bathwater, just because there are pricks doesnt mean that the movement doesnt have staying power.
Yes, having 10 kids has a lot to do with the demographics. The sad truth is that Jewish women (including the Orthodox and Hasidic) have an average birthrate that is lower than the US average. Factor in the lopsided birthrate difference between Ortho and Coservativ/Reform and a hundred years down the line we are in for some serious demographic disasters.
I attend Chabad too ( every shabbos, and I study there every couple of weeks), and I find many supremacy issues there. I do believe that modern orthodox are the worst though. I love Chabad, and their great, they do a lot, they changed my life. However, they also undue a lot ( I know former lubavitchers too, and let me tell you, their stories are not pretty.) As I am sure you know, going to a Chabad house, and living in Crown Heights are very seperate experiences.
As for Mitzvah Mobiles, I am glad you know people who were never interested in Judasim and then through the van’s they became more observent. I know many people, who are very turned off by them and dont’ want to have anything to do with Orthodoxy because of them.
I don’t intend to dump the baby with the bathwater. However, I am allowed to critic. As for Orthodoxy being a more authentic form of Judasim we really just don’t know. Was there every really one form of Judasim? I haven’t found evidence to support that. When something survives for thousands of years, does that make it authentic? I don’t really know the answer to that. It shows it has staying power, but not nec. authenticity.
You also make good points.
It’s important for all of us to keep our eyes on the ball. The goal is to serve Hashem “b’col lvavchah ub’col nafshecha” with all our hear and soul. Enough of the ‘movement’ bashing. However we divide people up, we’re all just individuals trying to grow.
In short if the Conservative movement comes to and end because of “strong religious education”, shouldn’t its leaders congradulate each other at the movement’s job well done, and clear their desks out with a smile?
a great article from the moonie times…
“As for Orthodoxy being a more authentic form of Judasim we really just don’t know. Was there every really one form of Judasim? I haven’t found evidence to support that.”
A few points.
1. A Synagogue that plays an organ on Jewish holidays and attempts to pospone Jewish Holidays to convinience it’s members, in my book (my humble subjective opinion) less authentic.
2. A movement whose ideals are constantly changing and in which almost nothing is up for negotiation is in my book (my humble subjective opinion) less authentic.
3. When a Conservative Syn. who officially has some standards of kosher foods, serves kosher hot-dogs on dairy buns and the rabbi says (while the food is being served) “next time make sure to get the non-dairy ones,” (something that happened in one of outr local ConSyns) in my book this is less authentic.
While you may not feel comfortable saying that Orthodoxy is more Authentic, maybe you can help me define authentic? Why isnt Christianity authentic? You have to have some point of reference, for me it is the Torah and ancient halachik works.
From a broader perspective, I’m tempted to say “It’s all good.” So a Conservative congregant is more comfortable settling into an Orthodox or Reform congregation. They’re still interested in Judaism, and the Conservative movement played a role in that. I attend a Reform synagogue, and when one of our congregants “went Hasidic” on us, we didn’t mourn. We were happy that we were at least a stop on his lifelong religious path.
As a practical matter, I can understand synagoguges wanting to have enough members, etc. Some people worry about the focus on numbers. And to an extent it does miss the forest for the trees. But you do need enough people for a minyan, not to mention enough congregants to maintain a building, pay a rabbi what he deserves, etc.
Conservative synagogues are great for places like where I live, a small university town. We don’t have the population to support more than one shul and Hillel. Our synagogue happens to be a member of both the Reform and Conservative movements, but our services are mostly Conservative. We make facilities available to the local Lubavitcher, and defer to the bar or bat mitzvah to have a Reform service if desired. This way we can accomodate all Jews while giving each the opportunity to get exposure to greater observance.
Perhaps the greatest benefit is that it promotes inter-movement dialogue and understanding. From what I understand, that is lacking in larger cities.
Joshua said:
“As a practical matter, I can understand synagoguges wanting to have enough members, etc. Some people worry about the focus on numbers. And to an extent it does miss the forest for the trees. But you do need enough people for a minyan, not to mention enough congregants to maintain a building, pay a rabbi what he deserves, etc.”
Unfortunately this is what Judaism, in many circles, has boiled down to. A board, very much set up like a corporation, managing membership, bingo, fundraising and worse – religious standards. This basically makes your typical Temple a Country Club – the board decides who can and cant belong, how much to charge members, setting up their own leadership, and making other important ‘business’ decisions that may affect membership levels and involvement. In fact this is the foundation (to a certain extent) of the Conservative movement. The early Rabbis were concerened that Reform was gaining too much ground on the Orthodox, so they had to develop a more reasonable and practical alternative to Orthodoxy. That’s where the word Conservative comes in, Conserving the traditional form of Judaism. So it all come to maintaining members as opposed to maintaining standards. Gradually over the years the Conservative movement became more and more Reform while Reform has become increasingly traditional. So in many ways it is a game of numbers.
In too many circles (including Orthodox) that is what it comes down to.
If this is Judaism call me Muhammed.
Keep it real.
Yisrael said
“Perhaps the greatest benefit is that it promotes inter-movement dialogue and understanding. From what I understand, that is lacking in larger cities.”
Is is lacking and can be very succesful. However sometimes not very practical. Like our Reform refusing to endorse a program unless their female cantor sings – if she may not sing the oragnizers are bigots. Or the Conservative calling the Chabad a cult. Or the Chabad refusing to participate in Yom Haatzmaaut.
A general realization that we are all brothers and sisters has to occur to improve inter-relations.