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NEW YORK – Two important rabbinical conventions are taking place in the United
States this week, one in Las Vegas and the other in New Orleans, creating stages
for discussions of the future of American Jewish life.
The Rabbinical
Assembly of the Conservative movement, an international association of
Conservative rabbis, is meeting in Las Vegas this week. There are over 1,250,000
adherents to the Conservative movement of Judaism, with 850 congregations and
1,600 rabbis, most of whom reside in the US.
Over 300 rabbis are in
attendance at the Rabbinical Assembly convention, entitled “Conservative Judaism
Out of the Box.” Slated speakers include Israeli Minister of Education Gideon
Saar, and Jewish Theological Seminary Chancellor Arnold Eisen. “The Paradox of
Growth for Conservative Judaism” and “Conservative Judaism Out of the Box:
Thriving Against Difficult Odds!” are among the topics for
discussion.
“Our national Conservative organizations and institutions are
not the ‘movement’; they are over 100 years old and in urgent need of
rethinking,” Rabbinical Assembly Executive Director Rabbi Julie Schonfeld wrote
in
The Jewish Week.
“The ideals of our movement, by contrast, are as
relevant and inspiring as ever,” Schonfeld continued. “If we keep talking about
bricks and bylaws rather than about the vision of the ‘movement,’ we can’t
effectively build the institutions we need.
The challenges we are facing
in the Conservative movement belong to all of us in the larger Jewish
community.
“Our task is to clarify and revitalize our vision for the
future while sustaining the power of the large networks of community that still
hold so much potential for bringing Judaism forward into the 21st
century.”
Meanwhile, in New Orleans, the Central Conference of American
Rabbis (CCAR) is meeting to discuss issues facing the Reform movement. CCAR is
the professional organization of Reform movement rabbis. Its members are Reform
rabbis ordained at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, as
well as Reform Rabbis ordained at liberal seminaries in Europe – and some rabbis
who joined the Reform movement after their ordinations.
The CCAR
convention, entitled “Prophetic Voice in the 21st Century,” includes topics such
as community engagement, Torah Lishmah and professional
development.
Citing the city of New Orleans’ dealings post-Katrina, the
CCAR convention literature notes that “this city embraces setbacks as
opportunities for change, for growth and for innovation. It builds on its
vibrant past, grapples with the challenges of the present and creates a new and
exciting future – much like the Reform rabbinate of today.”
Approximately
500 Reform rabbis are – like their Conservative counterparts – examining the
future of Jewish life in North America, and trying to find ways deal with
changing demographics, as well as adapt to the interests of younger
Jews.
There are over a million Reform Jews in the US, and nearly 2000
Reform rabbis in the world, making CCAR the world’s largest group of Jewish
clergy.