Conservative Judaism

1
Conservative Judaism

• Presented to REL 306
• Dr. Laurence Boxer
• April, 2004

2
Prior to 18th Century (Enlightenment)

• ... Jewish practice was largely what, today, we
  would call insular and Orthodox.
• Christianity was (almost) universally hostile,
  regarding Jews as Christ-killers scapegoats.
  Contempt for Jews was practically required for
  advancement in Catholic Church Martin Luther was
  a vicious Jew-hater.

3
Enlightenment changes

• Opening of America, American French revolutions
  brought liberal ideas to Western Europe
• Opportunity to live among Christian neighbors as
  2nd-class citizens (huge improvement) presented
  challenge of modernity to Jews
• Rights to secular education, entry into
  professions, greater commerce with Christians
  often required to be less Jewish in return

4
Moses Mendelsohn (1728-86)

• Scholar of Torah, Talmud, secular philosophy
  translated Torah into German, with commentary
  author, educator, man of letters
• Attracted attention of Berlins Christian
  intellectuals, particularly playwright Lessing.
  Promoted breakdown of social, intellectual
  barriers between Christians and Jews.
• Promoted freedom of conscience (as opposed to
  community enforcement of religious law) a
  pillar of Reform philosophy.
• Freedom of conscience led many to freedom from
  observance adherence many, including most of
  Mendelsohns grandchildren (one was composer
  Felix) converted to Christianity to advance
  economically and socially.
• Mendelsohns followers pioneered Reform Judaism,
  which gained greatest popularity in Western
  Europe and America

5
German Reform in the 1800s

• As the movement grew, tension emerged between its
  radical, conservative leaders.
• Degree of usage of Hebrew in prayers was a
  divisive issue. Radicals called for greater use
  of vernacular Frankel led conservatives for
  Hebrew at 1845 Frankfort conference in appeal to
  historical continuity, educational motivation,
  worldwide unifying factor.
• Whether to observe kashrut (laws of kosher food)
  was another divisive issue. Proponents feel
  kashrut is important element of Jewish
  self-identification opponents regard as
  unnecessary barrier to interaction with non-Jews.
• 1854 Frankel founds Jewish Theological Seminary
  of Breslau

Rabbi Zecharia Frankel, leader of conservative
reformers, 1840s
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American Reform, 1800s

• Growing American Jewish population had large
  Reform component mirrored controversies of Eur.
  Reform
• Trefa Banquet July, 1883 - Celebration of 1st
  class of graduates of Hebrew Union College
  Reform rabbinical seminary in Cincinnati
• Multiple violations of kashrut accented split
  between radicals, conservatives

http//www.americanjewisharchives.org/trefa1.htm

• 1885 Pittsburgh meeting radical reformers
  prevailed with statement of principles,
  alienating traditionalists
• 1886 traditionalists founded Jewish Theological
  Seminary of America in New York.

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Leaders of the American Seminary
ALEXANDER KOHUT (1842-1894) ordained at the
Breslau Seminary, came to the United States in
1885 and served in New York both as a
congregational rabbi and as a member of the New
York Seminary's faculty. became the ideological
champion of the Conservative reaction to American
Reform. Almost single-handedly, he was
responsible for transmitting the Frankel-Breslau
approach to Judaism from Europe to the United
States. Gillman
SABATO MORAIS (1823-1897), Italian born and
trained, came to America in 1851 and served as
rabbi of Congregation Mikve Israel in
Philadelphia until his death. Morais
championed the Conservative reaction to American
Reform. prior to the Pittsburgh Conference he
had been a voice for moderation within the
coalition of Reformers. After the publication of
the Pittsburgh Platform, however, Morais turned
his attention to the new Seminary. He served as
President of the Seminary until his death .
Gillman
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Changes in American Jewish Population, 1880s

• By 1880s, Jewish immigrants to America were
  coming mostly from Eastern Europe, escaping
  antiSemitism of czarist empire.
• Many were too traditional for Reform, but were
  open to modern approach of the budding
  Conservative movement, as opposed to the
  Orthodoxy they knew in Europe.

9
Solomon Schechter (1847-1915)

• Born in Romania educated in Vienna scholar in
  Cambridge London head of Jewish Theological
  Seminary 1902-1915

• Sought middle way between Eastern European
  Orthodoxy, which he felt denied modernity,
  American radical Reform, which he felt denied
  tradition

• Stressed unity (Catholic Israel), tradition
  with modernity, scholarship

• Stature appeals for unity exercised moderating
  influence on Reform leadership

• Founded United Synagogue of America (now, United
  Synagogue of Conservative Judaism), 1912

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Simplified spectrum of movements tradition
Least traditional
Most traditional

• Reform
• Reconstructionist
• Secular/Humanist
• Unaffiliated

Conservative

• Orthodox, including
• Chassidim
• Modern Orthodox
• others

Teaches Halakha is binding, but more willing than
Orthodox to modify Halakha for modernity
Teaches Halakha is binding less organized for
more reluctant to modify Halakha than
Conservative tend not to recognize Conservatism
as Halakha-observing
Tend to regard Halakha, traditional Jewish law,
non-binding
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Example What Cheese is Kosher? Different
halakhic approaches

• Ex. 2319 you shall not boil a kid in its
  mothers milk
• Num. 3220-22 If you do this then you shall be
  clear before the Lord and before Israel thus,
  not enough to do right (be clear before the Lord
  ) must also appear to do right (be clear before
  Israel)
• Avot 11 make a fence around the Torah.
• Thus, a basic prohibition of kashrut (laws of
  kosher food) do not mix meat with dairy
  products.
• Klein Cheese is made from curdled milk.
  the curdling agent was rennet extracted from
  a calfs stomach making cheese a forbidden
  mixture of dairy and meat.
• According to some ancient authorities,
  rennet does not affect the kashrut of cheese
  because rennet no longer has the status of food.
  Further, in modern practice rennet is treated
  with chemicals, making it a new substance.
  Thus, all cheeses subject to the Pure Food and
  Drug Act should be considered kosher.
• Orthodoxy tends not to use the latter rule,
  preferring a stricter process-by-process
  supervision of manufacturing for kosher
  certification

12
The Sacred Cluster

• Schorsch describes the following as the core
  values of Conservative Judaism
• The Centrality of Modern Israel
• Hebrew The Irreplaceable Language of Jewish
  Expression
• Devotion to the Ideal of Klal Yisrael (Community
  of Israel)
• The Defining Role of Torah in the Reshaping of
  Judaism
• The Study of Torah
• The Governance of Jewish Life by Halakha (Jewish
  law)
• Belief in G-d

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Committee on Jewish Law and Standards (see
Gillman)

• Legislature/Supreme Court of Conservative Judaism
• Currently made up of 25 voting rabbis
  (distinguished scholars in rabbinic literature)
  5 non-voting laity
• On a given issue, may publish multiple, possibly
  conflicting opinions a minority opinion with
  sufficient committee support (6 or more votes) is
  published along with majority/plurality opinion.
  An opinion with 80 support of the committee,
  plus majority of plenum of Rabbinical Assembly,
  is a Standard.
• Congregational rabbis are expected to adhere to
  Standards. Where there is no Standard, a
  congregational rabbi may choose whichever CJLS
  position he/she finds most appropriate.

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Committee on Jewish Law and Standards example
of proceedings

• Ex. 353 prohibits kindling fire on Sabbath.
  Does this mean its prohibited to turn on an
  electric switch, or to drive, during Sabbath?
• When CJLS first studied these questions, position
  papers on both sides were written.
• Hence, some regard these as prohibited, some
  dont. See Klein for discussion.

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Committee on Jewish Law and Standards
contemporary example

• How does/should Jewish law deal with
  homosexuality? Does modern understanding of
  biology call for different approach? Should civil
  unions or gay marriages be allowed? Sanctified?
• Biblical verses
• Lev. 1822 Do not lie with a man as one lies
  with a woman it is an abhorrence ?????
  (to-evah).
• Lev. 2013 If a man lies with a man as one lies
  with a woman, the two of them have done an
  abhorrent thing they shall be put to death
  their bloodguilt is upon them.
• Traditional prohibition of lesbianism is not
  Biblical, but is derived in Biblical commentary
  as a parallel prohibition.

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Committee on Jewish Law and Standards
homosexuality

• See Roth Dorff

R. Roth We Cant Legitimate Homosexuality
Halachically
R. Dorff Medical and Moral Reasons to Change
the Law

• Whats forbidden is homosexual intercourse not
  fantasies or attractions

• Same word ????? (to-evah) abhorrence or
  abomination in Lev. 1822 is applied to eating
  non-kosher meat (Deut. 143) or using dishonest
  weights and measures (Deut. 2516).

• Gay conduct is not a worse violation of Halakha
  than is Sabbath desecration

• Gay intimacy is not like vast majority of
  heterosexual sex - insertion of male organ into
  female organ - so its not clear what Lev. 1822
  prohibits.

• US law vs. Halakha US law is secular must
  avoid claim to divine origin Halakha claims
  divine origins, hence may regulate private matters

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Committee on Jewish Law and Standards
homosexuality 2

• R. Roth R. Dorff

• A prohibition only makes sense if the person
  addressed can do it. we are finding choice
  does not really exist. You can say to gays and
  lesbians, do not have sex ever. I think that is
  both cruel and un-Jewish, because Jewish
  tradition did not tell us to completely suppress
  our sexual urges.

• Halakhic ideal for gays celebacy
• Realizes thats unrealistic for many. Next best
  alternative monogamous relationship. This is
  better than promiscuity, but falls short of
  Halakhic ideal.

• I plead recognize that an inability to
  legitimate homosexuality makes no negative claim
  about the humanity, sanctity, worth, and
  dignity of homosexuals.

• I would affirm Leviticus but understand it
  from context to refer to cultic sex as well
  as to promiscuous and oppressive sex. But
  consensual, monogamous sex by adults I would want
  to sanctify in some sort of commitment ceremony.

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Sources

• Bentwich, Norman Solomon Schechter A Biography,
  Jewish Publication Society of America,
  Philadelphia, 1938
• Eban, Abba My People The Story of the Jews,
  Behrman House, NY, 1968
• Gillman, Neil Conservative Judaism The New
  Century, Behrman House, 1996
• Grayzel, Solomon A History of the Jews, Jewish
  Publication Society of America, Philadelphia,
  1947
• Jewish Theological Seminary of America
  http//www.jtsa.edu/
• Klein, Isaac A Guide to Jewish Religious
  Practice, Ktav Publishing, 1979
• Roth, Joel and Dorff, Elliot Point-Counterpoint
  , United Synagogue Review, Spring 2004
• Schorsch, Ismar The Sacred Cluster The Core
  Values of Conservative Judaism,
  http//www.jtsa.edu/about/cj/sacredcluster.shtml
• United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
  http//uscj.org/index1.html