The Conservative Movement in Judaism: Dilemmas and Opportunities » (New Edition)

Viewing the Conservative Movement at a turning point, this book analyzes the problems facing the religious movement with the largest synagogue membership in the American Jewish community and outlines a plan of action for the future. Elazar and Geffen suggest: clarifying ideology, mission, and purpose, finding the right balance between traditionalists and advocates of change, unifying movement institutions in a cooperative effort, staunching the decline of membership to the left, recapturing the loyalty of lapsed adherents, closing the gap in observance between the laity and the standard bearers of the movement, developing the Movement in Israel and world-wide, and strengthening ties with Jewish federations and other Jewish communal bodies. The authors propose that the Conservative Movement's remedying of these problems will benefit not just American, but all world Jewry.

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Based on surveys, interviews, and previous studies, the authors discuss the Conservative Jewish movement at a critical juncture as the largest US denomination: its genesis, institutions, ideology and theology, demographics, leadership, and schisms in the context of a history of ambivalence toward traditional Orthodox Judaism. Challenges include the fact that Conservatives are a minuscule percentage of Jewry outside of the US; Orthodox rejection of the growing Israeli and global Masorti version of the movement; and differences among leaders over priorities and future directions. Elazar (past president, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs; professor emeritus, intergovernmental relations, Bar-Ilan U.) and Geffen (sociology, Gratz College) keep their eyes on the prize: internal unity. Includes a glossary of Hebrew terms. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)