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Thursday, March 23, 2006

Splitting the difference

When Highland Park Conservative Temple and Center began to move toward an egalitarian service two years ago, tensions were inevitable. Years after most Conservative congregations in the country had embraced full participation by women in ritual life, a vocal faction of the Highland Park synagogue resisted the change.

Several months into a compromise plan that ushered in double minyanim, or prayer services, on Shabbat, tensions have eased considerably.

“We have an egalitarian service and a non-egalitarian service simultaneously, and we rotate the venue each week between the sanctuary and the chapel,” explained the temple’s Rabbi Eliot Malomet,. “We’ve been doing it since Bereshit,” the Torah portion read on Oct. 29. “So far it’s been wonderful. A lot of people have come to visit and joined the synagogue. There’s a lot of joy in the sense that everybody has something they need.”

Malomet and Cantor Robert Menes lead whatever service is in the sanctuary. The service in the chapel is led by volunteers from among the congregants. Many congregants were knowledgeable enough to lead a service; others have learned along the way.

http://www.njjewishnews.com/njjn.com/012606/sx_SplittingTheDifference.html

Comments:
I was interviewed last week by a solomon schecter student who informed me that the US Conservative Movement realizes they are in serious trouble of falling apart with most splitting off to Reform and the balance going toward Orthodox Shuls. I know of several conservative shuls that have split apart. In fact, in one conservative shul, the cantor told me he works in a crazy place with a woman rabbi. so they themselves have serious issues with where they are going and no consensus as to what to do about it.

 

What a shame. We went there for Rosh Hashanah services after 9/11 and it had a great vibe to it. The bifurcation, the inevitable tension and the failing of traditional conservative values are all sad statements on the current situation conservative Judaism faces.

 

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