יום חמישי, דצמבר 07, 2006
Conservative Reform and Reaction?
The Conservative Jewish movement of the USA has made its much-anticipated decision to allow the ordination of openly gay rabbis and to recognize same-sex marriage (or "commitment"). At the same time, it continues to allow the more "orthodox" within to go on opposing such liberal reforms.
There are those who believe that this attempt to split such a large difference is doomed to split the movement itself. For instance, Rabbi Ismar Schorsch, former chancellor of the Conservative movement's Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, whose views were summarized recently in Haaretz:
Ongoing discussions in many places on the blogosphere, including Velveteen Rabbi and Jewschool.
There are those who believe that this attempt to split such a large difference is doomed to split the movement itself. For instance, Rabbi Ismar Schorsch, former chancellor of the Conservative movement's Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, whose views were summarized recently in Haaretz:
Schorsch predicts that the liberal branch of the Conservative movement (the groups demanding rights for homosexuals) will eventually join the Reform movement, while the conservative branch of the movement will join modern-Orthodox groups, which are also experiencing growing conflicts with the conservatives (more religious) in their own ranks.
There will still be three streams, but their composition will be different: The conservative Orthodox will be on one side, the Reforms and liberals on the other, and a collection of modern Orthodox and conservative Conservatives in the middle.
Ongoing discussions in many places on the blogosphere, including Velveteen Rabbi and Jewschool.
