Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site eosp1.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!princeton!astrovax!fisher!eosp1!robison From: robison@eosp1.UUCP (Tobias D. Robison) Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish Subject: Re: Conservative Judaism Message-ID: <1321@eosp1.UUCP> Date: Mon, 7-Jan-85 15:28:08 EST Article-I.D.: eosp1.1321 Posted: Mon Jan 7 15:28:08 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 8-Jan-85 03:35:31 EST References: <987@hou4a.UUCP> Reply-To: robison@eosp1.UUCP (Tobias D. Robison) Organization: Exxon Office Systems, Princeton Lines: 27 Summary: The following quote goes right to the cruxz of the Conservative Jewish Problem: In article <987@hou4a.UUCP> mab@hou4a.UUCP (Michael Brochstein) writes: > > Let me start out by saying that there is unfortunately two sides >to the Conservative movement. There is the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) >version and the congregational version. The JTS (or Camp Ramah) version is >composed of strict observance of the laws (kashrut, shabbat, etc...) whereas >the average congregant of the average Conservative congregation is not very >learned or observant. Please do not judge the movement by the >average congregant... It is indeed true that the official position of JTS (generally enforced at the Ramah camps) is much stricter than most Jews would suspect, and remarkably close to a great deal of the yoke which Orthodox Jews accept. But the remarkable lack of acceptance by the congregation creates a bizarre separation. The Rabbis can not lead; they are followers of those who set the religious standards in their congregation. Much of the "logical" justification for Conservative Judaism rests upon the JTS standards that are not observed. The grandchildren of Congregationist Conservative Jews will know hardly anything about their religion if they congreagations continue to follow this pattern. - Toby Robison (not Robinson!) {allegra, decvax!ittvax, fisher, princeton}!eosp1!robison