Conservative Judaism's Future

In answer to the question, "What must the USCJ become in

order to foster a healthy institutional Conservative
Movement focused on touching Conservative Jews' lives?" I
respond:
An organization which voices a clear, detailed
philosophy, mission and vision for Conservative
Judaism
This would include but go beyond slogans to detailing the
expectations, obligations and benefits of Conservative
Judaism's philosophy and lifestyle across its full spectrum.
(Although Rabbi Jerome Epstein did set out principles and
ideals[1] [2], I don't see these principles and ideals clearly
integrated into the organization or movement as a whole.)
A resource providing top-down support for grassroots
initiatives
Supporting the local-needs driven, creative initiatives of
rabbis, cantors and lay leaders by providing assistance such
as affordable dynamic speakers to help engage specific
demographic groups (college students, seniors, families etc)
more fully in Conservative life; technical assistance in
establishing multi-tiered modern communication and
outreach structures, etc.
A springboard for an actively Conservative
congregational leadership
USCJ could offer financial incentives (such as a percentage
reduction in USCJ fees - not direct payouts) for congregations
where ALL board members have participated in a structured
personal dialogue about Conservative Judaism's mission,
vision, lifestyle and philosophy via an interactive,
introspective workshop NOT just classes. People must be
both informed and engaged for standards to have meaning.
The objective should be to have them commit to measurable
progressive growth in observance along their own personal
path within the Conservative halachic stream - not
necessarily adopting a rigid observance protocol.
This would involve USCJ developing and producing materials
for use by rabbis to begin this dialogue with their boards on
a local level along with USCJ hosting of regional and national
gatherings (live as well as phone/web conferences) geared
specifically for Conservative board/committee members
A gateway to Conservative Jewish learning
USCJ should be the direct source and an access point for
affordable, accessible, structured, short-term (4-12 weeks)
live and/or online learning opportunities for Conservative
Jews and those interested in exploring Conservative Judaism
ranging from programs along the lines of the now defunct
JTS Adult Education classes to those more akin to Yeshivat
Har Etzion's Virtual Beit Midrash [3] or even Our Learning
Company's [4] telewebinars that could be offered for a
nominal fee ($10-$75)
In addition to providing links to other organization's (JTS,
Zeigler, Conservative Yeshiva, congregational offerings, etc.)
or independently developed Conservative Jewish study
opportunities, programs could be developed by leading
Conservative Jewish educators and leaders (in conjunction
with JTS and Zeigler) and either taught by them via
recording/text with discussions led by others (i.e. current
rabbinic students, Conservative Jewish educators, etc.) or
taught directly by others from their materials.
(We see some of this at Ziegler and JTS - "Walking With God"
[5], podcasts [6],and PDF lectures [7] - but much more is
needed and I would like to see it in partnership with USCJ)
A foundation on which to raise up future generations
USCJ should be involved in the development of movement-
wide, rather than just localized, base standards for students
in Conservative Jewish religious schools, much like secular
SOLs (not pass/fail but evaluation), aimed at providing a
foundation for an informed, engaged and distinctly
Conservative lifestyle post bar/bat mitzvah and confirmation.
In addition to academics, standards should include a
minimum requirement of active participation in
congregational life (services, holidays, etc) including both
youth oriented content (i.e. Junior Congregation, Kadima,
USY, etc.) and age-appropriate interaction with the
congregation as a whole.
In closing, overall, I see three general paradigms for
congregations:
Professionally led and professionally
driven/motivated (where the rabbi/cantor is the
driving force behind congregational participation or
attendance)
Lay led and lay driven (this is the independent
minyan structure)
Professionally led and lay driven (professionals
educate and support an active, self-motivated
membership)
This third paradigm is what I think a healthy Conservative
congregation should be for the movement as a whole to
survive. I believe the points listed above would help USCJ
and its individual congregations and organizations reach this
point, thus providing a strong foundation for the enduring,
sustainable growth of Conservative Judaism well into the
future.
Karla Worrell

Links
[1] www.uscj.org/The_Ideal_Conservati5033.html
[2] www.uscj.org/Compact_at_a_Glance5787.html
[3] www.vbm-torah.org
[4] www.OurLearningCompany.com
[5] http://judaism.ajula.edu/Content/ContentUnit.asp?
CID=1714&t=0&u=6724
[6] www.jtsa.edu/Conservative_Judaism/JTS_Podcasts.xml
[7]
www.jtsa.edu/Conservative_Judaism/JTS_Torah_Commentary.
xml

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Written August 2009

Published in ShefaJournal 5769:2 Visions for USCJ (Vol. 2)
www.shefanetwork.org