Conservative Judaism

by Elliot N. Dorff - Rector, University of Judaism

Some things we learn from experience, others we learn from books. Those who grew up in the Conservative Movement can recognize a Conservative way of doing things instinctively. Even so, such people would do well to transform their informal knowledge of Conservative Judaism into a more formal, thought-out awareness of its principles and practice. Only then can the various aspects of the Movement truly make sense, and only then can Conservative Jews plan for the future with understanding, intelligence, hindsight, and foresight. Others have come to the Conservative Movement later in life. For such people, the books below will explain much about Conservative Judaism so that they can understand it as they make their own way into Conservative Jewish affiliation, discussion, and action.

A. Primer

Elliot N. Dorff, Conservative Judaism: Our Ancestors to Our Descendants (United Synagogue, 1996). A clear introduction to the history and theory of the Conservative Movement, with chapters on its approach to Jewish practice and belief and the challenges and opportunities it now confronts.

B. History

• Mordecai Waxman, ed., Tradition and Change: The Development of Conservative Judaism (United Synagogue, 1958). An important collection of essays by those who founded and shaped the Conservative Movement through the 1950s.
• Neil Gillman, Conservative Judaism: The New Century (Behrman House, 1983). An integrated history of the Movement from its founding to the 1980s, with a focus on the Jewish Theological Seminary, written in clear, non-technical language.

C. Ideology

Robert Gordis, editor, Emet v’Emunah: Statement of Principles of Conservative Judaism (United Synagogue Book Service, 1988). The first and only official statement of Conservative Jewish beliefs. Study guides for teenagers and adults are also available.

D. Jewish Law

• Living a Jewish Life: A Conservative Jewish Guide to Ritual and Ethics [Aviv Press (of the Rabbinical Assembly), 2004. Vol. 1: Ritual, Michael Katz, editor. Vol. 2: Ethics, Martin Cohen, editor. Two new volumes with essays on most aspects of Jewish law, written for experts and laypeople alike, by a variety of Conservative rabbis, discussing everything from Shabbat and kashrut to business, medical, and social ethics.
• Elliot N. Dorff, ed., Theories of Jewish Law in the Conservative Movement (Aviv Press, 2004). A new volume with essays and extensive introductions on the various ways that Conservative thinkers have understood the authority and process of Jewish law, with comparisons to some in the Orthodox and Reform movements and with some specific examples of Conservative rabbinic rulings.