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Reconstructionist/Conservative Synagogues???

Over the last couple of days I managed to stumble across two separate synagogues which identify themselves as being Reconstructionist/Conservative affiliated institutions and to be honest I’m a little bit confused by it. Don’t get me wrong I think it’s a great idea and both times I stumbled across this phenomenon my gut reaction was one of “hey that’s really cool” but I’m just not clear on how it works.

All right I realized that in terms of lineage the Reconstructionist movement evolved out of and split from the Conservative movement so there’s obviously a historical connection. I just sort of assumed that there were a handful of irreconcilable differences between both groups and that’s why they split apart but I’m far from being an expert on the subject.

If I understand things correctly Reconstructionist’s completely reject the notion of Chosenness as well as the binding nature of halachick law. Again if I understand things correctly both of these things are essential components of the Conservative Theology. Therefore I’m left wondering, how are these two apparent contradictions reconciled in communities that claim duel Reconstructionist & Conservative affiliation?

I thought that the Reconstructionist had full acceptance, inclusion and equality for same-sex couples and this until very recently hasn’t been the case within the Conservative movement. So how did people work around this right up until last fall? Also although the conservative movement has struggled towards rectifying the same-sex situation it’s still as I see it not full equality because the Leviticus prohibition has been upheld in terms of male/male sexual relationships. So again how are such duel affiliation communities addressing this issue that is if it’s an issue at all, I guess I’m not really sure?

There are probably other contradictions which come into play but the above are the only ones which came to mind while I was writing this post.

Anyhow the bottom line is that I think it’s an amazing thing that there’re communities which are apparently making both theological commitments work together, I’m just not sure I get how it works.

So basically if anyone is a member of such a community or understands how this works I’d love for you to explain it to me.

Technorati tags: Reconstructionist/Conservative Affiliation, Jewish Communities, Synagogues, Conservative Judaism, Reconstructionist Judaism, Politics of Religion

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Canuck Rabbis Saddened by Gay Rights at the JTS

Oh, well so much for Canadian claims of tolerance towards the GLBT population.

I must admit I was really surprised to read this…

Canadian rabbis expressed sadness after last week’s announcement by the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) – the Conservative movement’s flagship institution in New York – that it will accept openly gay and lesbian students to its rabbinical and cantorial schools.
“I feel that this is an abandonment of traditional Judaism, and as such I can have no part of it,” said Rabbi Wayne Allen, spiritual leader of Toronto’s Beth Tikvah Synagogue and president of the Rabbinical Assembly’s Ontario region, the movement’s rabbinic organization.
The move “calls into question what it is that the Conservative movement really stands for and how it defines itself and in what significant way is the movement ideologically different from our Reform colleagues,” said Rabbi Steven Saltzman, spiritual leader of Adath Israel Congregation.
“It seems we have abandoned an important niche which used to act as the bridge between Orthodox and Reform. With Reform moving to the right and Orthodoxy moving to the right, our moving to the left seems to leave a huge gap, a chasm.”

You can read the rest here!

Technorati tags: Jewish Theological Seminary, Gay Rights, Judaism, Conservative Judaism, Canadian Rabbis

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