Story from the Jerusalem Post.
How do I feel about Conservative Judaism? I'm not sure. Although I started out Orthodox and even Chareidi (ultra Orthodox) I, through the influence of my husband, various rabbis, Rebbe Nachman, etc, I see thing altogether different from before.
8 comments:
"Bayt Shalom is a small Conservative congregation that two years ago also affiliated with the Reform movement." J.P.
Miriam, I'm lost here. To speak of the congregation as "conservative," and "affiliated with the Reform movement," says nothing to me as an outsider.
Do you have any idea what is being said here?
So there are two MAIN branches of Jews; the sephardic who mostly come from Morocco and Spain, and the Ashkenazi Jews from Europe, mostly Germany. (This is super simplified)
(There are other smaller groups Yemenites, Georgians, Lybians, Rgyptians, etc)
The European ones had the most recent onslaught in that many European countries didn't want them around. This led to self hatred. Many wanted to distance themselves from the "too religious" and become a part of regular society. They became secular Jews.
Infortunately, many were still not accepted by non Jews and many formed a more "liberal" type of Judaism. That is the Reform Jews. They believe that the Torah is man made and can be changed as the times change.
Between the Orthodox and the reform, a middle ground was reached: The conservatives. Its very hard to stay half way on such a topic --you either believe its from God or you don't. so many conservatives (or their children) either default to Reform or go to Orthodoxy.
Sephardi Jewry do not have this type of division. I think that's great. But the problem with that is that their schools have some kids with television and some without, some who listen to secular music and some who do not. Many are afraid to send their kids to those schools because of the influence of the less religious kids.
However there is a togetherness that the Ashkenazi world can learn from. Rather than treating people differently because they are conservative or reform or orthodox, they can learn from the Sephardim who have one synagogue for all.
(The real problem Orthodox have with those other groups is that since they don't follow the guidelines in many cases related to marriage and divorce, technically a "reformed gut" who does a civil divorce but not a rabbinical divorce is still considered married. If they try to remarry, it is uncertain to the eyes of orthodoxy whether or not everything --the divorce, the remarriage-- is kosher or not)
Anyway, perhaps I should write a post about this???
The real problem is not marriage, but conversion. Most Conservative and Reform conversions are not accepted as legitimate by Orthodox rabbis. Reform compounds the problem by considering people with a Jewish father and non-Jewish mother to be Jewish. The result of all this is that many of the members of Reform and Conservative synagogues are not regarded as Jewish by the Orthodox community. The "rabbi" in this picture may not be Jewish according to Orthodox halacha. (It's possible she was converted in the presence of Orthodox rabbis, but it's more likely she was converted Conservative.)
Wow! I didn't know all that, you explained it very well...very interesting.
Hi Kylopod - I guess those are related. Reform or Conservative Marriage, divorce and conversion all produce a questionable status on a person to the Orthodoxy.
Hi Tania - Are you not blogging anymore?
"They believe that the Torah is man made and can be changed as the times change." Miriam
On what grounds do the Reform Jews base that belief?
I'm assuming that most other Jewish groups have accepted the Torah to be either God inspired, or directly dictated by God.
Just guessing here.
I can see how removing the influence of God from the Torah advances Reform Jews' "secular ambitions," because, then, they get to interpret it any way they choose, to justify whatever they wish.
Yet, this seems highly unusual: changing one's religious beliefs to blend in with, and to be accepted by, the society in which you find yourself, is a rarity.
I would think that most would rather die than change.
A fascinating discussion, Miriam. We non-Jews tend to see all of Jewry as monolithic, when in fact you're various in practices and beliefs, not unlike Christians in that regard.
Thank you for such a clear description of the various Jewish groups: my understanding of your religion continues to grow, and that is a good thing.
Please blog/post on this. When you used the words, Conservative Judaism, I knew then that I had missed something that was outside of my ken.
I hope that you will focus, in part, on your own journey:
"Although I started out Orthodox and even Chareidi (ultra Orthodox) I, through the influence of my husband, various rabbis, Rebbe Nachman, etc, I see thing altogether different from before."
Namaste
Very interesting, I wish her her the best.
Domino -
I'm assuming that most other Jewish groups have accepted the Torah to be either God inspired, or directly dictated by God.
As far as I know, yes.
I hope that you will focus, in part, on your own journey:
Hopefully, it will be interesting. I'm working on that post.
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