Conservative Judaism

Neil Gillman of blessed memory taught philosophy and theology for many years at the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS). This intellectual and institutional history is outstanding for its precise and insightful summary of the intellectual issues that have troubled Conservative Judaism (CJ) for over 135 years. It rightly shows the importance of CJ's peculiar organizational structures (its leading component, JTS, being for long an emphatically academic institution, for instance). It also highlights CJ's formative interactions with Reform and Orthodox Judaism and its persistent problems in trying to straddle modernity and Judaism's ancient traditions. The book was published not long after CJ's one and only attempt to put forth an "official" statement of its distinctive principles. Gillman thought it might go a long way to solve CJ's internal tensions and indistinct identity. Now, thirty years later, we are in a position to question whether he was right or wrong or some of each. Whatever our opinion about that, I recommend it as still the most balanced, insightful and well-crafted history of CJ available.

Compiled by Neil Gillman (Aaron Rabinowitz and Simon H. Rifkind Associate Professor of Jewish Philosophy, The Jewish Theological Seminary of America), Conservative Judaism: The New Century is a informed and informative collection of anecdotes, testimonies, black-and-white photographs, and more covering the history of Conservative Judaism, its interaction with the Reform and Orthodox branches of Judaism, its influence within the nation of Israel, and a great deal more. A highly recommended addition to personal and academic Judaic Studies reference collection and supplemental reading lists, Conservative Judaism is a welcome and extensive history and combined with individual insights providing as thorough an answer as possible to the difficult question, "What does it mean to be a Conservative Jew?"

Rabbi Gillman provides a fascinating history of the origins and development of the Conservative Movement, including its struggles to articulate a philosophical/theological basis for its position somewhere between Orthodox literalism and Reform individualism. I was unaware that the Reconstructionist Movement had its origins in those struggles (and indeed that Reconstructionist thought still plays a significant role in the Conservative articulation of its mission). I found the chapters on Conservative decision-making (concerning the admission of women to the rabbinate and the drafting of Emet Ve-Emunah) particularly enlightening in the emphasis on the role of the community and the viability of minority positions.I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the origins of the modern American Jewish movements, as well as anyone interested in the Conservative Movement in particular. Rabbi Gillman admits that he is a partisan of the Conservative solution to the dilemma of practicing Judaism in the modern world, but he is generally fair and unbiased in his discussion of the other movements (although like most non-Orthodox he is unhappy with the role of the Orthodox rabbis in Israel). The book is well written and engaging, striking just the right balance between theoretical discussions and "mini-biographies" of the leaders of the Movement. Rabbi Gillman's ultimate concern is with how to nurture a community of committed Jews in the modern world, and that concern informs every page of this informative and thought-provoking book.

"Reader from Stony Brook" and "William Adam Friedman" (reviewers here) have summarized this volume `dead on.' They missed a couple of things that impressed me, however. First, the selection of photographs and illustrations (all in black and white) is astounding. These flawlessly complement the adjacent text, and deserve special mention for their historical relevance. (Rabbi Gillman gives appropriate credit in the Acknowledgements!). As a work of history this volume is excellent - those outside Conservatism (and outside of Judaism) will find it of permanent reference value. A second feature I liked is that the significant figures of modern Judaism get both photos (or equivalent) and historical sidebars (set outside the text as if Talmudic commentary). From the 19th century peer the faces of Moses Mendelssohn, Zechariah Frankel, Samson Raphael Hirsch, Isaac Mayer Wise, Alexander Kohut, and Sabato Morais. A dozen more figures from the 20th century American Judaism appear on these pages in their chronological turn. Third, readers should be aware that Rabbi Gillman is on the faculty of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and served on the commission that drafted the 1988 Statement of Principles of Conservative Judaism. Consequently he personally knew many of the giants of the Conservative movement - his insights into personalities and events are keen (and sometimes sharp!). And finally, there is, interestingly enough, quite a lot about Reform, Orthodox, and Revisionist figures and ideas. When Rabbi Gillman's explains how Conservative Judaism diverges from other currents (sometimes forcefully) he is fair and factual in describing these differences. He even spends several pages elucidating the origins of the Union for Traditional Judaism, which split from the Conservative movement in 1990. This book is a bargain; having read it I would have paid triple the price (though I'm glad I didn't!)

This book answers every question you wanted to know about how Conservative Judaism developed, what its theological and legal principles are, and how it differs from the other Jewish movements (Reform, Orthodox and Reconstructionist). More importantly, it starts off with a summary of how all how the Jewish movements we know today developed. Many readers will be surprised to learn that Orthodox Judaism isn't the oldest movement - Reform Judaism is! Reform Judaism developed in the early 1800s in reaction to the Enlightment movement and Emancipation. Due to the radical positions taken by its founders, a reaction took place in the rest of the Jewish community. One reaction led to Samson Rapahel Hirsch developing Neo-Orthodoxy, the progenitor of Modern Orthodox Judaism. Another led to Agudah Yisrael and Haredism (Ultra-Orthodox). And most importantly (for this reader), the next step was the most vital. In response to the extremes taken by both the Reformers and Orthodox, Positive-Historical Judaism was then developed by Zechariah Frankel (Germany). This was the progentor of Conservative Judaism. Indeed, the Conservative movement is still sometimes called the Positive-Historical school of Judaism. This book is written by an insider, a professor of philosophy at the movement's primary seminary, and it is surprisingly frank and objective. The movements inherent tensions, strengths and weaknesses are all analyzed and discussed. Issues such as Zionism, women as rabbis, homosexuality, and the observance of the laity are discussed in an open fashion. For those who enjoy this book, or are interested in Conservative Judaism, I would also strongly suggest these two books: "A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice" by Rabbi Issac Klein, and, "Conservative Judaism: Our ancestors to our descendents", published by the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ), by Rabbi Elliot N. Dorff