Conservative Judaism
Presented to REL 306
Dr. Laurence Boxer
April, 2004
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.
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
Moses Mendelsohn (1728-86)
 Scholar of Torah, Talmud, secular philosophy; translated Torah




into German, with commentary; author, educator, man of letters
Attracted attention of Berlin’s 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 Mendelsohn’s
grandchildren (one was composer Felix) converted to
Christianity to advance economically and socially.
Mendelsohn’s followers pioneered Reform Judaism, which
gained greatest popularity in Western Europe and America
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 selfRabbi Zecharia
identification; opponents regard as unnecessary Frankel, leader of
barrier to interaction with non-Jews.
conservative
 1854: Frankel founds Jewish Theological
reformers, 1840s
Seminary of Breslau
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.
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]
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.
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
Simplified spectrum of movements &
tradition
Least traditional
•Reform
Most traditional
Conservative
Orthodox, including
•Reconstructionist
•Chassidim
•Secular/Humanist
•Modern Orthodox
•Unaffiliated
•others
Tend to regard Halakha,
traditional Jewish law,
non-binding
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
Example: What Cheese
is Kosher? Different
halakhic approaches
 Ex. 23:19: … you shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk
 Num. 32:20-22: 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 1:1: … 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 calf’s 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 processby-process supervision of manufacturing for kosher certification
“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
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.
Committee on Jewish Law and
Standards – example of proceedings
 Ex. 35:3 prohibits kindling fire on Sabbath.
Does this mean it’s 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 don’t. See [Klein] for discussion.
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. 18:22: Do not lie with a man as one lies with a
woman; it is an abhorrence ‫( תועבה‬to-evah).
Lev. 20:13: 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.
Committee on Jewish Law and
Standards – homosexuality
 See [Roth & Dorff]
R. Roth: “We Can’t Legitimate
Homosexuality Halachically”
R. Dorff: “Medical and Moral
Reasons to Change the Law”
•What’s forbidden is homosexual
intercourse – not fantasies or
attractions
•Same word ‫( תועבה‬to-evah)
“abhorrence” or “abomination” in
Lev. 18:22 is applied to eating nonkosher meat (Deut. 14:3) or using
dishonest weights and measures
(Deut. 25:16).
•Gay intimacy is not like “vast
majority of” heterosexual sex insertion of male organ into female
organ - so it’s not clear what Lev.
18:22 prohibits.
•Gay conduct is not a worse
violation of Halakha than is
Sabbath desecration
•US law vs. Halakha: US law is secular
& must avoid claim to divine origin;
Halakha claims divine origins, hence
may regulate private matters
Committee on Jewish Law and
Standards – homosexuality 2
R. Roth
R. Dorff
•Halakhic ideal for gays: celebacy •“A prohibition only makes sense if
the person … addressed can do
•Realizes that’s unrealistic for
it…. we are finding … choice does
many. Next best alternative:
not really exist. You can say to gays
monogamous relationship. This is and lesbians, do not have sex
better than promiscuity, but falls
ever…. I think that is both cruel and
short of Halakhic ideal.
… un-Jewish, because Jewish
tradition did not tell us to completely
•“I plead … recognize that an
suppress our sexual urges.”
inability to legitimate
•“I would … affirm Leviticus but
homosexuality makes no
understand it [from context] to refer to
negative claim … about the
cultic sex … as well as to
humanity, sanctity, worth, and
promiscuous and oppressive sex….
dignity of homosexuals.”
But consensual, monogamous sex by
adults I would want to sanctify in
some sort of commitment ceremony.”
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