USCJ Review - Fall 2006
President's Forum
In May I was privileged to be in Philadelphia for the Mid-Atlantic region's Ateret haKavod dinner. Many of the honorees had dedicated themselves to educating their community's youth; some work in the classroom, while others teach through the informal education provided by USY and Kadimah. Both formal and informal Jewish education works toward the continuity of Conservative Judaism, and formal and informal Jewish educators are guided by the biblical demand that "You shall diligently teach them to your children." The educators set an example for all of us to follow.
Critics point to the declining numbers of Conservative congregations, and of Conservative Jews in general, but they fail to comment upon the increasing enrollment of the children of our Conservative kehillot in Solomon Schechter and community day schools. And we should take pride in our synagogue schools that have been certified in the Framework of Excellence program.
Teaching takes place both inside and outside classrooms. Informal education, as provided by USY and Kadimah, is very important. More than 20,000 teenagers are enrolled in USY across the continent.
USY's regional and international programs are exceptional, but USY can be only as good as its congregational chapters. Our regional youth directors must refocus their energies to help congregational chapters to reflect the excellence that already exists at the regional and international levels.
College and graduate school remain a time for exploration, experimentation, and escape for many of our young people. This is when they are the most vulnerable. They can be drawn away into the outside world or into other parts of the Jewish community. We cannot allow that. We must expand our reach on college campuses by testing new approaches for Koach, the United Synagogue college program, by placing role models on campuses for the entire academic year. We must build a fence around our understanding of Torah and protect it and the people who are our movement's future.
We must rear many students - and we must realize that not all students are young. As a lifelong learner I embrace the idea that education is not just for children. Conservative Judaism requires knowledge and practice. We strive to understand what we do, not just blindly practice it - in this we are unlike those streams of Judaism to our right. We do not just know, we also must practice - that separates us from the streams to our left. Therefore, as adults we should continue to study.
I envision United Synagogue bringing our scholars to the people more than once a year for a scholar-in-residence program. Using podcasts and other new technologies, we can provide outreach to seekers of knowledge. (We have already begun to link to podcasts on our website.) We can engage our members in intellectual debate at a time they select, at a place they select.
I have visited the Fuchsberg Center three times this year. At the Center's Conservative Yeshiva, people of all ages sit and study together. That's Torah lishma - study of Torah for its own sake. At the Center, at kabbalat Shabbat, as I sit surrounded by our Nativniks, our teenagers who are studying in Israel for the year between high school and college, and the students from the Conservative Yeshiva, I sense the joy and kavanah that is there for all of us if we only pay attention to it. This energy and vitality can be the spark that will ignite the renaissance in all of our kehillot.
We must make our shuls welcoming to engaged, knowledgeable people and through them engage others. That must be our goal. We must work in partnership to support and create congregations where Conservative Judaism will flourish.
The rabbis formulated three precepts: Be cautious in rendering a decision. Rear many students. Build a fence to protect Torah.
The rabbis' challenge, then, is our challenge today.
