ShefaNetwork.

org
The Conservative/Masorti Movement Dreaming from Within

ShefaJournal - 5769:2
The Mission of the Elul 5769 / August 2009
ShefaNetwork is
two-fold: To bring
together dreamers
from within the
Visions for USCJ (Vol. 2)
Conservative
Movement and to
give their dreams an Editor’s Introduction:
audible voice.
It is clear that widespread speculation regarding the future of the
We are part of the
Conservative Conservative/Masorti Movement is an accurate reflection of internal movemental
Movement and dissonance. Whereas many communities are experiencing decline, others are in the
commit ourselves to midst of spiritual renaissance and growth. This demonstrates that the success has
work towards its
thus far been less newsworthy and “contagious” (to borrow a metaphor from
health. Be a part of
our community of Malcolm Gladwell’s “The Tipping Point”) than negativity. The consensus of the self-
builders and select group of Conservative Jews connected to ShefaNetwork.org (similar to other
dreamers! concurrent Movement email conversations) is that the desired way forward is a
rethinking of the USCJ based on dreaming beyond the current situation.

In previous issues of ShefaJournal (all available at shefanetwork.org), there has been

considerable attention paid to Masorti/Conservative thought, institutional
structures, youth education, music, leadership, and most recently (Journal 5769:1)
the structure of USCJ itself. Each of these dreams requires a systemic vehicle for
communication and healthy movemental networks for strategic assessment. The
current effort of HaYom: The Coalition for the Trasformation of Conservative
Judaism, a collaboration of over 70 communities represented by rabbis and lay-
members, is directed towards this goal, and is scheduled to convene during the week
following this journal’s publication.

This ShefaJournal is a collection of responses to the question: “What must the USCJ
become in order to foster a healthy institutional Conservative Movement focused on
touching Conservative Jews' lives?” This may or may not be a question appropriate
for the current mission statement of the USCJ, but it might also be a call for
beginning that conversation anew, with an eye to the current (and possibly different)
needs of the Conservative/Masorti Movement.

May the year to come be one of vitality and health,

Rabbi Menachem Creditor

Rosh Chodesh Elul 5769
Berkeley, CA

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Toward a new vision for the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
Rabbi Neil A. Tow,
Glen Rock Jewish Center, New Jersey

Service to congregations through a team approach by region.

USCJ restructures itself into a small central headquarters
whose main mission is to oversee the activities of 3-5
teams that move through the different regions of the
country engaging in listening, support, and creative work
with congregations, camps, and day schools in those
regions. These roving teams would replace the fixed
regional offices and would strive to engage as many
institutions as time, energy, and funding allow.
(Shefa message 2551): I think that it is
critically important for the CJ movement
to identify its strengths, the niche within
which it exists and should thrive, and to
build diligently on these strengths and get
the word out about the 'value added'
element that CJ offers.
Gary Goldberg, MD

These teams could be made up of an educator, a social worker, someone with administrative knowledge,
a Rabbi, a Cantor. Perhaps a fundraising expert could be called in on an ad hoc basis. The makeup of the
teams could change year to year based on the needs of the institutions in the area or creative ideas. For
example, perhaps one year a representative from Storahtelling could join in the effort. The possibilities
are endless.

On an annual or bi-annual basis, there may be regional conferences, perhaps (west/central/east) at which
the primary focus is to share lessons learned and build community spirit. The cost to attend the
convention is kept to a bare minimum so that more people can attend. Every other year there could
potentially also be a national conference at which ruach, recognition of successes, discussion of
improvement, could be among the main agenda items.

Move USCJ headquarters to Washington, DC.

In partnership with other movement affiliates, we should be centered in Washington, DC as a way of

demonstrating our commitment to active engagement with issues of national and international import.
Our front office can be at the front lines of debate and discussion of issues as diverse as Israel, the place
of religion in public life, and we can engage in a process of learning about how to be there where and
when things are happening.

While Conservative Judaism is a large tent, we may feel closer and energized if we begin to band together
to raise up our voices in advocacy, in protest, and in a more organized effort to represent what we feel.

The above are only two ideas from among many I have been thinking about in recent years. As a Conservative Jew
from my youth, I have always loved the intellectual and spiritual vibrancy that comes along with asking the types of
questions about Judaism that we have the courage to ask. That is a “head” argument. My heart always reminds
me that at the center of Conservative Judaism is not the front office, the seminaries, or Schechter schools, or
Ramah Camps, but a firm belief in the Eternal One who transcends the best made and best run of our earthly
institutions who represent the God of Israel. Let’s always remind ourselves that we are the ones with the burden
and the glory of bearing this message.

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Conservative Judaism's Future
(Shefa message 2654)
Karla Worell
Richmond, VA
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.
(Shefa message 2549) I would love to see a portal
set up at USCJ were people can electronically post
their successful events and material (both
programmatic and marketing) for member
congregations to view on line and down load (I
know they have a paper book of programs which
they can then email if you request it but in today’s
electronic age it is not the same thing as being able
to go online, sign in if you’re a member
congregation and browse everything electronically
– Chabad’s shliach portal is really something we
should look at duplicating for our synagogues and
they take it one step further were you can order
the marketing materials printed with your
synagogue on it and any peripheral programming
items from Chabad central at a deep discount
delivered to you – a franchise distribution model
but I digress from the main purpose of this note).
Steven Katz
President, Temple Sholom
Greenwich, CT

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).

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(Shefa message #2545) There are
endless "tactics" that people on this
listserv could suggest to our shuls,
camps, schools, etc. But it really starts
with a commitment to a tight, well-
conceived mission statement that
would guide all of us in deciding how to
best use our money and personnel. It
takes a lot of guts to re-vision an entire
community, up to and including a
reconfiguration that will leave some
people outside of the "new tent."
While it would certainly be best to use
existing resources, in some cases it just
might require people to move away
from current institutions and start new
ones with an entirely different mission.
Whatever Hayom has in mind, I
certainly hope it's not just about how
the different arms of the movement
will share the sandbox. Rather, let us all
come up with a compelling rationale for
why we bother to open the doors of
our buildings, camps, schools and
organizations every day. With a great
MVV (Mission, Vision and Values) in
place, the tactics will flow more easily.
Rabbi Jim Rogozen, Headmaster
Gross Schechter Day School
Cleveland, OH
__________________
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
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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:
1. Professionally led and professionally driven/motivated (where
the rabbi/cantor is the driving force behind congregational
participation or attendance)
2. Lay led and lay driven (this is the independent minyan
structure)
3. 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.
[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
4
To What do We Aspire?
(Shefa message # 2637)
Dr. Jonathan Woocher
Chief Ideas Officer, Director, Lippman Kanfer Institute
JESNA

It seems to me that there are two separate issues here: 1) Do Conservative synagogues (and other institutions of
the movement) need to articulate clear statements of what they stand for and what they aspire to? And 2) What
should the content of those statements be?

To the first question, my answer is unequivocally yes. No institution or movement can be healthy or attractive
without a vision and mission. Even in an age of “do it yourself” Judaism, people want to and have a right to know
what they will be doing. There is no contradiction between being welcoming and articulating who one is if being
welcoming is part of who one is!

The problem arises, therefore, when we get to the specifics of the vision / mission of Conservative Jewish
institutions today. And it is here, I would humbly suggest, that our traditional vocabulary sows the seeds of our
current malaise. If we continue to frame our mission and vision in the vocabulary of “acceptance and practice of
Halakhah,” as important as this language has been to what we have been, I fear that all the welcoming in the world
will not make us attractive to the large majority of Jews for whom Halakhah is not a meaningful category. This
does not mean that these Jews reject Halakhah or mitzvoth – it means that Halakhah is not the issue of concern to
them as they seek to live spiritually, ethically, and communally meaningful lives. They are not concerned with the
form or the source; they’re concerned with the
substance.

Conservative institutions do need to

articulate and embody their vision of
what it means to live a meaningful,
satisfying, and responsible Jewish
life. But, we can do this better, I
believe, by pointing directly to
what such a life entails,
substantively and
concretely, than by
continuing to use “code
words” like “Halakhah” or
“observance” that simply
do not convey a
compelling meaning to
many Jews today. Our
mission should reflect the
things we value: the
profound wisdom
embedded in our evolving
tradition and the serious, yet
critical, Jewish learning that
makes this wisdom accessible
to us; the variety of forms of
spiritual expression through
prayer, music, physical discipline, and
the arts; ethical behavior in every
aspect of our lives; concentric circles of
(Shefa message #2645)
The USCJ needs to take a public stand on what it stands for, a stand
far more didactic and clear than Emet V'Emunah. This coda needs to
be available in print as well as on-line. We should list the halacha
according to our movement...i.e. the rules for Shabbat including the
heter to drive (only) to and from shul. We should describe erev
tashvilin, etc. Currently I have to check Chabad for the last time in the
pre-dawn to eat before Fasts which begin at sunrise. This should be
on the USCJ page by region and on every member synagogue's
website. It should describe all holy days, minor as well as major. Most
member of Conservative shuls don't have a clue that the Fast of
Gedaliah exists.
Board Members should be required to be shomrei mitzvot and to
attend services regularly. Perhaps one Board member showed up for
my shul's Tisha B'Av services. I know that in order to hold regional
USY Board positions my children had to sign a document saying they
would attend services regularly, be shomer shabbat and shomer
hagim and keep kosher. If this results in smaller syngaogue
membrship rosters, that is not terrible if it means the members will
actually be Conservative Jews.
Irene Stern Friedman
Tucson, Arizona

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community, extending from our own families outward to embrace, ultimately, the entire human and natural
world; respect for sincere, but diverse, perceptions of what is asked of us and what we can commit to; memory
and hope; celebration and solemnity. I truly believe that if we dedicate ourselves to creating congregations and a
Jewish community in which these values are what people encounter and what they are invited to embrace in their
own lives and help to extend to the lives of others, we will fill the seats AND find ourselves respected and admired
(even by those who do not join with us) for what we stand for. There will be no less Halakhic observance than
there is today, and perhaps more.

I offer this proposal with great humility. But, I see little reason for us to continue to fight battles that we cannot
win (or, at least, have shown little sign of winning). We do need a mission, and I believe we have one, if we’re
prepared to articulate it in language that can speak to the majority of Jews we seek to reach.

Conservative Judaism: Valued and Validated

Rabbi David Kay Current USCJ Mission/Vision
Assistant Rabbi, Congregation Ohev Shalom Statements:
Orlando, Florida
Our Vision: The United Synagogue of
Conservative Judaism promotes the role of the
Having spent a dozen years or so as one of those out-of-the-loop, synagogue in Jewish life in order to motivate
marginally-identified, not really observant Conservative Jews, I'm always Conservative Jews to perform mitzvot
feel a bit hypocritical engaging in this sort of discussion. There is no more encompassing ethical behavior, spirituality,
zealous opponent of smoking than the ex-smoker. Judaic learning, and ritual observance.
Our Mission
On the one hand, the "been there, done that" experience gives you
particular qualification to address the subject. It allows you answer the The Mission of the United Synagogue of
inevitable "You don't know what it's like" statement with an honest "Yes, Conservative Judaism is to strengthen and
serve our congregations and their members.
I do."
We create, develop and disseminate
On the other hand, the Torah requires us to be especially compassionate educational, religious and tikun olam
toward the oppressed because we "know the heart" of the oppressed programming to meet the needs of our
person, having been there and done that ourselves. So, when I decided congregations and their members.
to address this very issue in a sermon a couple of weeks ago, I decided to
go with "kaf z'khut" -- the "measuring-pan of merit." We seek to create communities of conservative
congregations in each of our regions and
What I said to the congregants gathered that Shabbat morning was not to throughout North America.
be apologetic for their current level of observance, to release the
We work in concert with other institutions and
suspicion that they are somehow less of Jews because of it. I cited a talk organizations of the Conservative Movement
former JTS Chancellor, Ismar Schorsch, gave while I was in rabbinical to promote, nurture and foster a vibrant
school, wherein he observed (although not the first to do so) that he had Movement.
no concerns about Judaism's ability to survive oppression -- we have
made it abundantly clear that we can take the worst humanity can throw We are both an advocate and a spokesperson
at us and not only survive, but flourish. for the congregations of the Conservative
Movement.
Rather, his gravest concern for the Jewish people is our ability to survive
We are dedicated to strengthening the
liberty. Those who respond to living in a free and open society with
connections between North American
religion being no impediment to full integration by cloistering themselves Conservative Jews, the Jewish People and the
in exclusive communities and rigidly regulating their contact with the State of Israel.
outside world, declaring their separateness in language and dress, have a
much easier time of it. But, I said, that doesn't make them inherently From
better Jews. www.uscj.org/Mission_Statement6402.html

I told the congregation that morning that the mere fact that they were there, that they had willfully and

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deliberately set aside at least the morning to acknowledge Shabbat, praise God, and strengthen their community
and Jewish identity DESPITE being FULLY engaged in all the distractions and temptations of the real world was
proof that they were as good a Jew as any.

Our teacher, Rabbi Bill Lebeau, tells a wonderful and personal story about how he was told by someone who had
always made it clear that he disapproved of Conservative Judaism in general and Conservative rabbis in particular
that he, Rabbi Lebeau, was actually the better Jew. Why? Because while the other man followed all the rules and
did everything expected of him, Rabbi Lebeau embraced the challenge of living in the modern world.

THAT, my friends, is Conservative Judaism's message. That's what it's always been: access to authentic traditional
Judaism which embraces modernity.

The secondary message -- or, more accurately, the accompanying message -- it that there is no "other shoe."
There are certainly traditional movements who will welcome those whose observance patterns don't conform.
But eventually, the other shoe drops: if you want to be a full member of this community, you must conform
completely.

Yes -- the fact that we don't have coercive communal pressure to meet specific individual standards of observance
can readily (and, perhaps, fairly) be interpreted as a proximal cause of diminished or diminishing ritual observance.
But it also says that you are equally valued and validated within a traditional and halakhic (yes -- I use the word to
describe our movement, and I use it without hesitation or equivocation) Jewish community. NO OTHER STREAM
OF CONTEMPORARY JUDAISM CAN MAKE THAT CLAIM -- it is uniquely ours.

I'm confident that none of us on this list are arrogant enough to claim that we are flawless and perfectly consistent
in our own observance patterns. As self-identified leaders of our movement, we need to be sure we are opening
doors and facilitating access -- and never measuring or comparing the worth of a member of our community by
either material wealth or ritual observance, rather by the unlimited spiritual potential of all.

Excerpts from May 21, 2009 JTA Op-Ed: Conservatives must look in the mirror
Richard S. Moline, director of Koach, United Synagogue’s program for college students.
http://jta.org/news/article/2009/05/21/1005348/op-ed-owning-the-conservative-movements-challenges-and-its-successes

Our problems are real, for sure, and we must approach them seriously. The Conservative movement has
contributed much to American Jewish life. I do not consider it a failure if one of our own becomes involved in
another denomination or organization. It means we’re doing our job – it’s the natural outgrowth of Schechter’s
Klal Yisrael.

But it does trouble me that we have not successfully created Shabbat communities in most of our congregations. It
troubles me that most students do not find the level of commitment in their home communities that they do in
USY or Ramah or Koach. It does trouble me that if they do find it, it’s likely not in the Conservative movement, so
they may become involved in other communities not by design but by default. And it does trouble me that our
clergy and laity become more concerned about institutional viability than about motivating themselves and others
to live fully Jewish lives.

What can we do about it? It’s easy to assign responsibility, but it’s courageous to shoulder it. If I were speaking to
the key leaders of the movement, professional and lay, I would start by handing each of them a mirror and asking
them to take a long, hard look.

It’s easy to blame the institutions – and there is plenty of blame to be assigned to them all. But how many rabbis
tell their president that in order to be a more effective leader, the two must study together for an hour every other

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week? How many presidents tell their rabbi the same
thing? How much time do we spend teaching and
encouraging people to observe Shabbat or to keep
kosher, compared to the amount of time we spend
making the bar or bat mitzvah schedule or collecting
membership dues?
The business side is important, to be sure, but your shul
should be more than a business. Yes, I know your
congregation is different. But really it’s not.
If our institutions are out of touch with our members,
know that this didn’t happen yesterday. And if you’ve
only complained about it, then stop complaining
because complaining alone won’t help.
I know people might suggest that because I am
employed by one of these institutions, perhaps I am
naive, perhaps apologetic, perhaps defensive. Certainly
our life experiences color everything, including our
opinions. I accept and understand that. I also have to
look in that mirror because there are times when I, too,
get lost in the politics. So let this serve not only as an
admonishment to others but as self-indictment as well.
We all have a lot of work to do. United Synagogue,
Women’s League, Men’s Club, Ziegler, JTS, the RA, CA,
JEA, JYDA, NAASE, Masorti, Mercaz, Schechter – all of us.
We can form coalitions, make demands, threaten, cajole
and continue to fight it out in the press. It’s all a
smokescreen and doesn’t confront the real issues.
The bottom line is, we can all get along. I’m looking in
the mirror and I invite you to join me. We have a lot of
work to do.
Excerpts from Interview with Rabbi Charlie
Savenor, director of Metropolitan Region
USCJ
Stewart Ain
http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c36_a15897/News/
New_York.html
A vital part of revitalization is creating a supportive
community in our synagogues. There should be a
feeling among the congregants that the synagogue is
looking out for their spiritual needs on as much of an
individual basis as it can. It will involve course
programming and Facebook and the Internet. We
have to create opportunities for people to get to
know one another and connect with one another. I
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Shefa message #2547:
H.evre --
The problem with looking in the mirror is you typically only see yourself.
What's more, a mirror image is misleading. What you see LOOKS like it
reproduces reality precisely, but in practice it can never be superimposed
on reality. It doesn't match up. (If that's confusing, look at your hands:
you can line them up palm-to-palm, but if you try to "stack" them, the
thumbs and fingers don't match up.)
There are also two vital lessons to learn from the physics of an image in a
mirror:
First, it isn't really there. It's literally a trick of the light -- a virtual
image, not a real image. Second, the image is the same from multiple
perspectives. (For the trusting but curious, I'm happy to explain this by
request; for the confused or skeptical, see http://tinyurl.com/mirror-
image.)
And so, I would respectfully submit that looking in the mirror is precisely
what those who would be the leaders of this movement must STOP
doing. You only see the movement as a reflection of yourself, and the
image you see is incompatible with reality. In fact, the image you see isn't
real at all. It's not even helpful as a virtual image, because you can only
see a single perspective.
Change is unquestionably needed in the Conservative movement -- but
the changes being proposed by both HaYom and Bonim are different
ways of doing essentially the same thing. What I mean is, they are change
without transformation – and transformation is what, l'fi aniyut da'ati, is
necessary.
Top-down initiatives for change, no matter how well-intentioned they are
at the outset, typically end up swapping one form of tyranny for another.
(And here, I use the word "tyranny" in the good ol' American, James Otis
sense of the word. Otis was the guy who said, "Taxation without
representation is tyranny" – in other words, when a self-selected group
of the elite make the decisions on behalf of the masses without being
charged by said masses to do so.) The tyranny may be more benign, even
benevolent -- but tyranny nonetheless.
My advice, for what value it may have, is "puk h.azei" -- "go out" and
"see" what the human landscape of Conservative Jews really is. That
doesn't mean surveys and workshops and seminars. That means good
old-fashioned legwork.
It's the people that are NOT being heard from who hold the key to
transforming this Movement.
I have nothing but love and respect for the good people in HaYom, who
include revered colleagues and dear friends. I have deep appreciation for
the pro-active impatience of Bonim. And so I say to them all:
If you don't want to end up becoming the problem you're setting out to
solve, please stop talking to each other and start listening to the tens of
thousands of Jews already identifying (if not affiliating) as Conservative --
and the tens of thousands more who COULD be. That's the kind of
change we need -- and the kind of leadership we require.
I sincerely ask for forgiveness from anyone I may have offended by
speaking my mind so frankly.
Bididut,
Rabbi David Kay
Assistant Rabbi, Congregation Ohev Shalom
Orlando, Florida
8
want to create intimacy and community within our modules for synagogue leaders around the region
synagogue; running programs is not enough. and that we offer them on a regular basis.

One of the things that helped the Orthodox
movement is that people live close to the shul. I’m
trying to capture that sense of community and make
it a priority among our shuls. We’re not just
measuring how many members you have, but what
is the esprit de corps in the synagogue itself.
I don’t think USCJ will be running random
programming anymore. Our board is comprised of
lay leaders with a wealth of experience, and my
vision is that we create relevant leadership training
We rely heavily on our clergy to lead us. And one of
the trends that is coming out of the independent
minyanim is that the next generation of Jewish
leadership wants to have a voice and to be able to
share words of Torah and to lead tefilah [prayer].
This is a conversation I’m going to have with our
rabbis and cantors — how to do we utilize the
talents of those in the independent minyamin in our
synagogue?

Reinventing the Conservative Movement

Jacob B. Ukeles
From Shma: A Journal of Jewish Responsibility (February 2006)

THE CONSERVATIVE movement is the logical home for the large numbers of American Jews who are committed to
Judaism as their religion and who seek a middle ground between the rigors of Orthodoxy and the laissez-faire of
Reform Judaism. And the solution to the current malaise of the Conservative movement — noted in other essays in
this issue of Sh’ma — is not about fixing ideology; it is about making Conservative synagogues exciting, compelling,
and engaging places that will draw the finest graduates of the movement’s outstanding educational and youth
programs. The organization that should be leading the charge to revitalize Conservative congregations is the lay
arm of the movement: the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ).

The good news is that after an intensive three-year effort, the USCJ has a plan, backed by the former and
current movement presidents, to transform itself into a high performance organization, with a core mission to re-
energize its North American congregations.

The bad news is that while there has been some change since the plan was completed 16 months ago, the pace
of change has been glacially slow.

The “Transformation Plan” would enable USCJ to:

• Support new and emerging congregations, especially in high-growth areas

• Identify the congregations and educational programs that are exciting and compelling and help other
congregations learn from these “models of excellence”
• Develop and disseminate “inreach” strategies to help congregations connect with the large numbers of
self-defined Conservative Jews who don’t belong to a congregation
• Develop and disseminate outreach strategies to help congregations to connect with unaffiliated Jews
• Attract philanthropic leadership to the national movement to invest the resources needed to make
Conservative congregations more engaging places.

The “Plan” argues that the USCJ requires fundamental reform of governance, as well as organization and
regional structure before it can help re-energize its congregations. A few examples will illustrate what changes are
needed: Synagogues, which are supposed to be the focus of the organization, have virtually no say in its
governance. The members of United Synagogue are the delegates to the biennial convention rather than the
constituent congregations. The ultimate authority in the United Synagogue needs to be a Board of Directors
composed of congregational leaders, not a convention that at best, is attended by 600 people.

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United Synagogue has 22 separate departments and each is understaffed. With so many separate departments, it
is more difficult to set priorities or to shift directions because each department represents its own constituency
and turf. The number of national departments should be reduced and existing staff resources should be
consolidated to focus on a limited number of high-priority objectives related to the core mission of energizing con-
gregations.

On this vast continent, connections with congregations must take place in the field. The United Synagogue has 15
regions; all but one, the New York region, is hopelessly understaffed. Substantial disparities exist in size,
leadership, capacity, and strength in the regions. With resources spread so thinly, high turnover, and uneven staff
quality, it is difficult to serve congregations, let alone to re-energize them. Staffing levels reflect resources based
on dues collection, so areas of Jewish population growth in the West and South are under-budgeted compared
with older centers of the Northeast and Midwest, reducing United Synagogue’s capacity to help emerging
congregations. Regional staffs need to be consolidated into a limited number of fully staffed, larger offices. The
staffing levels and budget of each of these offices should reflect needs, not dues-paying capacity.

While some leaders of United Synagogue see the need for dramatic change, many do not. It remains to be seen
whether an organizational culture so committed to maintaining the status quo can rise to the challenge of
reinventing itself in the face of urgent necessity.

Moving Forward
Rabbi Jason Miller
http://blog.rabbijason.com/2009/06/kaddish-for-conservative-judaism.html

Going forward, the Conservative
Movement must be less
concerned with numbers. It
doesn't much matter how many
families have left Conservative
synagogues. Many of the
families that have left likely
shouldn’t have been there in
the first place. Movement
leaders also should be less
concerned with how many
synagogues are merging as
there were likely too many shuls
in the same geographic area
before.
So, what should the leaders of
the Conservative Movement be
concerned about? For starters,
they should promote the
Conservative Judaism ideology
and way of life. That would
require a collaborative PR effort
among all the arms of the
movement including the
seminaries, professional
organizations, camps, youth
groups, Schechter day schools,
and the movement's Israel and
overseas branches. The
movement (read: United
Synagogue) must do a better
job of educating its members
about its raison d’être.
United Synagogue also has to
do a better job of operating
with less. That means taking the
Reform Movement's lead and
getting rid of the regional
offices. (Note: this has already
begun with plans to merge
several USCJ regions). I would
also recommend finding some
less expensive office space,
which might entail moving out
of Manhattan.
Finally, I would recommend
encouraging collaboration
among member congregations.
Use the ATID model if you'd
like. It is what happens when a
few Conservative congregations
that spent decades competing
with each other were able to
come together collaboratively
for the sake of their teenage
populations and Jewish
education. USCJ should urge
and facilitate the merger of two
struggling Conservative
congregations in the same area.
If handled correctly, it will
benefit both parties. The
movement should also merge
its Israel trips for high school
youth. It is redundant to send
teens to Israel through both
United Synagogue Youth and
Camp Ramah.

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 
USCJ’s AnnouncementL Kesharim Independent Minyan (Shefa message #2568) We are a
Partnership Grants small congregation that needs the
knowledge, participation and
In 2008 the USCJ Kesharim Committee awarded 6 grants to Independent enthusiasm of the people who are
Minyanim who arranged partnerships with USCJ congregations or regions. We forming independent minyanim to be
are pleased to announce a new Request for Proposals (RFP) to be awarded in members and leaders of our
early September, 2009. This project’s goal is to build on and strengthen the congregation. The grant project
seems to be focused on the model of
growing movement of independent minyanim, enabling and empowering
large congregations with little
Jewishly committed young adults to develop the communities, programs, and offshoot groups such as an
initiatives they seek within the Halachic framework of Conservative Judaism. independent minyan partner. This is
not what we need. Anyone out there
The initial grantees used the funds in a variety of ways, including: the purchase who is thinking about forming an
of food and utensils for Shabbat kiddush and meals; purchase of siddurim, independent minyan in the San Diego
chumashim, or other objects used to enhance the prayer experience; sharing area, we want you!
the costs of a partner congregational educational program (to subsidize and
Ellie Adams
encourage minyan participants to attend); printing and copying some
Past President, Temple Beth Sholom
promotional materials; and providing a scholarship to the Mechon Hadar
Chula Vista, CA
independent minyan conference in Boston.

What is success?
Fred Passman

(Shefa message # 2550)

What is success and how do we decide whether an effort/initiative was successful? If we influence one other
person to engage in Jewish living (dare I use the word holistic), isn’t that a success? What are reasonable metrics
for measuring success: increased attendance at life-long learning programs (to “adult education” conceptually
reinforces the already too strong chasm between education school aged Jews and post-school aged Jews – Isa
Aron has reported on the successes that some congregations have had by integrating childhood education with
life-long learning)? Increased attendance at religious services? Increased numbers of congregants qualified to
lead services or read Torah in public? Increased number of families maintaining Kosher homes; send their children
to Jewish day-schools? Some combination of the above?

So my next question is how do the rabbis, cantors and engaged lay folks collaborate at successful congregations?
How do they share responsibilities for creating the desired culture? What are the respective roles of rabbi, cantor
and laity?

________________

No Plant is Fed from the Top

Paul Levine
(Shefa message #2610)

Regardless of who comes up with a marketing slogan for Conservative Judaism, why is this being done at all?

I have observed that the strength of the Conservative movement came out of a dynamic interplay between an
educated clergy capable of articulating and teaching from the historically authentic academic approach to learning
and halacha that is ever evolving from the seminary community, along with the local expressions of a diversity of
affiliated congregations throughout the world. I don't think anyone benefits from the imposition of top-down
marketing. This institutional movement-building is a misguided attempt at support at best, and perhaps a
misappropriation of local synagogue dues to empower and sustain a centralized bureaucracy when viewed
critically.

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I am not cynical about the future prospects of the
movement. Haseneh einenu ukhal/The Bush is Not
Consumed. I hope that others would agree that the best
prospect is to regenerate the movement from the
nourishment of the roots. The seminary community and RA
already do a good job at helping to pull in the light of
Torah, and otherwise no plant is fed from the top.
_____________________
The Chance to Build a Jewish Organization from
the Ground Up
Rabbi Neal Joseph Loevinger
(Shefa message #2630)
I'm a bit taken aback by comparisons of the "needs" of
Conservative rabbis vs Chabad rabbis, especially the
characterization of Chabad rabbis as "entrepreneurs". They
are not; they are franchisers, which is a great difference. It
is precisely NOT the case that the local Chabad guy shows
up and makes things happen on his own-
he is given funding for a few years (after that, he is on his
own financially) but also tremendous support from his
movement in terms of ready-to-go templates for
programming, websites, emails, holiday celebrations, you
name it.
Here's another crucial difference: Chabad rabbis answer to
the regional Chabad structure, not to a local or
congregational board of trustees. This means that the
Chabad rabbi can execute the well-defined mission of
Chabad how he sees fit without a local board of
congregants complaining about all the things that we've all
heard that synagogue boards complain about.
It's a totally different model, not easily summarized as
"Conservative rabbis need multi-year contracts while
Chabad rabbis are entrepreneurs." One of the reasons
Conservative rabbis need multi-year contracts is to protect
them from boards who might otherwise act arbitrarily or
even vindictively- the Chabad rabbi has no such
concern, nor is the Chabad rabbi held back in his visioning
by board members who don't want change, or who want
certain kinds of change not in comportment with the
central mission.
If somebody offered Conservative rabbis three years of
funding and the chance to build a Jewish organization from
the ground up, and be answerable to other rabbis and
committed Conservative Jews rather than a local board,
you'd be surprised how many would leap at the chance.
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A Closing Thought:
Conservative Judaism is not an institution - it's an approach
to life. It isn't the only magnificent approach to life, but it is
a magnificent one. It isn't the only authentic Jewish path,
but it is a Jewish path to God and to a better world.
What makes us unique, I believe, is our "nostalgic"
connection to Halacha and our commitment to being open to
change. As opposed to the Orthodox Judaisms out there,
(which roughly agree that the Torah and Tradition are clear
mandates FROM God), and as opposed to Reform Judaism
(which roughly believes that Judaism is readily malleable), as
opposed to Renewal (which completely defies predictability),
and as opposed to Reconstructionism (which is a never-
ending and almost infinitely variable conversation on
communal practice), Conservative Judaism offers a stable
framework of "anticipatable Jewish spirituality" - we do not
worship form, but we believe that without the grounding
Halacha offers us, we are simply floating. We are, I believe,
determined to remain anchored as we seek the sacred.
Marketing this nuanced idea we celebrate is a task to be
addressed - one that must be guided with as much passion
(yes, from the 'top') as we can muster. There isn't time for
the "committeed-to-death" approach of Emet Ve-emunah -
that only kept us from really having a conversation as a
movement, because the wordsmithing that committee did
ultimately remained an internal conversation. One example:
There are two editions of Emet Ve'Emunah (one blue, on
red). The earlier edition talked about the nightmares of
"Hiroshima and Auchwitz." Once that edition was published,
there was an outcry against putting both in one sentence.
And so there was a new edition published.
I believe a healthy marketing approach would be designed to
provoke reaction in an educational framework. Let's ask if
Egalitarianism belongs at the forefront of our ideology. Let's
talk about morality in halacha. Let's talk about God. Tension
is an authentic part of the ambiguous larger conversation -
but I believe the time has passed during which it should be
the final word on our self-definition. We can hold polarities
in tension better if we decide to finally state explicitly that
which has been largely implicit - Conservative Judaism is an
exciting, rooted way to live a Jewish life.
We, as a Movement, can become this safe sacred space - a
place that can be described as stable and dreamworthy - one
we can't wait to share.
Rabbi Menachem Creditor
Elul 5769 / August 2009
12