Последние новости

NY Jewish Culture Examiner: Where to daven post-denominationally in NYC.
2009-04-28 00:33 davidfcooper

NY Jewish Culture Examiner: Where to daven post-denominationally in NYC.

A survey of NYC minyanim with personal observations.

Figuring out why promising Conservative alumni set up ‘indy minyans’ | JTA - Jewish & Israel News
2009-03-25 01:42 davidfcooper

Figuring out why promising Conservative alumni set up ‘indy minyans’ | JTA - Jewish & Israel News

NY Jewish Culture Examiner: Bronfman: Jewish denominational movements outdated
2009-03-19 23:13 davidfcooper

NY Jewish Culture Examiner: Bronfman: Jewish denominational movements outdated

Forward: shul presidents threaten to bolt Conservative movement (x-posted in cons_judaism)
2009-03-18 19:28 davidfcooper
Threatening Rebellion, Synagogues Demand Conservative Movement Reforms

Anybody here know anything about this? Here in NYC Bnei Jeshurun on the Upper West Side and Mount Sinai in Brooklyn Heights have already left the Conservative movement and remain unaffiliated.

Forward: shul presidents threaten to bolt Conservative movement
2009-03-18 19:18 davidfcooper
Threatening Rebellion, Synagogues Demand Conservative Movement Reforms

Anybody here know anything about this? Here in NYC Bnei Jeshurun on the Upper West Side and Mount Sinai in Brooklyn Heights have already left the Conservative movement and remain unaffiliated.

Metro NY Region of United Synagogues: kidney donor request
2009-02-20 20:08 davidfcooper

NY Jewish Culture Examiner: Metro NY Region of United Synagogues: kidney donor request

C Rabbis call for dissolution of Israeli Chief Rabbinate
2009-02-15 17:45 llennhoff
A body of Conservative rabbis passed a resolution yesterday calling upon the government of Israel to "privatize the Israeli Chief Rabbinate and dissolve it as a governmental organization." The motion was approved at the annual convention of the Rabbinical Assembly of the Conservative Movement, known in Israel as the Masorti movement, which this week convened in Jerusalem. More than 300 rabbis participated in the four-day convention, most of them from the United States.

Israeli - American split in C movement seminaries
2009-01-16 23:03 llennhoff
Ziegler-Schechter split highlights Conservative divisions

By Ben Harris · January 15, 2009

NEW YORK (JTA) -- In a further sign that the American and international wings of the Conservative movement are moving in different ideological directions, a Los Angeles rabbinical seminary has ended its longstanding residency program with Machon Schechter in Jerusalem, the only institution that ordains Conservative rabbis in Israel.

Beginning this fall, third-year students at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies will spend their Israel year at the Conservative Yeshiva, a co-educational institute for Diaspora Jews housed at the Fuchsberg Center of the United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism, the movement's North American synagogue umbrella. The change was announced last week in a memo to the United Synagogue's staff and board members.

"The Ziegler School and the Conservative Yeshiva share a common pedagogical philosophy -- integrating academic rigor, emotional engagement, and spiritual yearning," Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, Ziegler's dean, said in a statement appended to the memo.

Both American Conservative seminaries -- Ziegler and the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York -- are known to have ideological differences with Schechter's rabbinical school, whose dean, Rabbi Einat Ramon, has been an outspoken critic of the movement's liberalizing attitude towards gays and lesbians.

Full article at jta.org

Where can I sell women's kippot?
2009-01-05 01:43 light_string
I hope this is an acceptable post to make; I don't know where else to ask this question!  I have 5 gorgeous women's kippot from Headcoverings by Devorah that have barely been worn and I would like to sell.  Is there anyplace online I can list these items?  Thanks!

Views from outside
2008-12-12 19:23 llennhoff
Recently I've had the pleasure of listening to the audio recordings of Rabbi Adam Mintz. Rabbi Mintz is the rabbi of the Modern Orthodox shul Ahavas Rayim on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Rabbi Mintz has a couple of audio lectures relating to the Conservative movement, which I found refreshingly free of hostility. He gets a lot right about the movement, and what he gets wrong is also interesting. His students seem to be a lot more invested in the typical attitude of Orthodox Jews towards the Conservative movement than he is.

I recommend listening to Teshuvot of the Conservative Movement and The Responsa of Professor Louis Ginzberg.

Message from Rabbi Menachem Creditor - new CJ site
2008-10-09 01:13 llennhoff
Shalom Chevreh -

I'm glad, this erev Yom Kippur to share with you news of a new Conservative Movement Website: ConservativeJudaism.org! The Rabbinical Assembly just shared that, through the Leadership Council of Conservative Judaism, a a movement website is inprogress to capture the totality of movement activities and enable a search available movement programs and resources. Phase 1 is up and running. Take a look. It's at ConservativeJudaism.org. Please send suggestions to Rabbi Joel Meyers, jmeyers@RabbinicalAssembly.org, who will pass them on to the site coordinator.

Gmar Chatimah Tovah,
Menachem

Rabbi Menachem Creditor
-- www.netivotshalom.org
-- www.shefanetwork.org
-- menachemcreditor.org

To join Rabbi Creditor's email list, send a blank email to thetisch-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Shefa discussion on Kashrut
2008-09-09 19:54 llennhoff
The conservative Shefa organization has been having an ongoing discussion on Rabbi Barry Leff's submitted teshuvah ruling that eating hot dairy and fish meals in unsupervised restaurants is acceptable. Some of the postings (including one of mine) have been collected and published in pdf form at Shefanetwork.org

Course on history of conversion
2008-06-23 18:28 llennhoff
The Rabin Mishna Study Group, a resource of the Israeli Masorti (Conservative) movement, is starting a class on the History of conversion in halacha. It may be viewed for free on the web, and one may subscribe via email to receive notifications of updates and to ask questions and make comments.

[xposted to JBCS]

USCJ support for "independent" minyanim
2008-05-23 20:29 llennhoff
[via Avi Hein and Shefa]
Kesharim Pilot

PROJECT OVERVIEW AND GOALS
The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ) recognizes that it must be a dynamic and not a static Movement. To that end, this initiative reaches out to engage Jewishly committed young adults. During the last 10-15 years many independent prayer or "davenning" communities of young adults have emerged, often generated by those whose commitment to Jewish life grew from experiences in United Synagogue Youth(USY), Camp Ramah and Solomon Schechter Day Schools. These independent minyanim are playing an important role in Jewish life. Participation in such communities has a very powerful effect on both the individuals involved and the Jewish community as a whole. Young adults with a strong commitment to leading Jewish lives are vital to the future of the Conservative Movement. Beginning with this RFP, USCJ looks forward to the very positive and vibrant effect that such young adults will have on Conservative Judaism.

The goal of this RFP is to build on the growing movement of independent minyanim. USCJ is seeking to enable and empower Jewishly committed young adults to develop within the Conservative Movement the communities, programs, and initiatives they seek. Such communities may encompass a spectrum of practices that falls within the Halachic framework of Conservative Judaism. This is a first step by USCJ to address the needs identified through a series of interviews with participants in existing minyanim, as well as to address the needs expressed by alumni of the various Conservative schools, camps, Israel programs, and youth and college organizations.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS
Independent davening groups that are interested in developing a relationship directly with a USCJ congregations may submit a proposal. Such communities may already exist outside of USCJ or may be a group that wishes to build a new such community. The location of the davening may be within a synagogue or at a satellite location. Consideration will also be given to minyanim that are not able to partner with a USCJ congregation, but are willing to associate with a USCJ Region.

The goal of these pilots is to provide some support for grassroots young adult minyanim within the Conservative framework. In addition, USCJ wishes to encourage its member congregations in areas with a critical mass of young adults to be responsive to the needs of such committed individuals, many of whom grew up in Conservative synagogues and participated in Conservative schools, camps and youth groups.

.

FUNDING
Each applicant selected will receive up to $2500 for the first year of the program. These funds may be used to offset expenses incurred by the Minyan and/or the synagogue in creating a new community or building on an existing community.



APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
The application deadline is August 1, 2008. Applicants must describe the davening community they intend to create, including but not limited to:
• Partnership arrangements, if any
• Demographics of target population
• Leadership/organization plan
• Outreach efforts
• Frequency of minyan services
• Other proposed activities such as shabbat or holiday communal meals, study sessions, etc.
• Details of a project budget for up to $2500

Please limit response narrative to no more than two pages plus a Budget page.

Grantees will be notified by September 1, 2008 with funds available on September 15, 2008.



Please copy the application into Microsoft Word.
APPLICATION
PART I

Name of Respondent Group_________________________
________

Address__________________________________________________
City ______________________State___________________________

Synagogue partner (if applicable)_____________________________

Location: ____In a synagogue ____ synagogue satellite______ other(Please specify)____________________________________________

Key Contact Name__________________________________________
e-mail address __________________Phone Number______________

Type of Proposal; ____Synagogue Partnership ____ Independent
_______ Existing Minyan _____ New Minyan


PART II – Narrative - no more than two typewritten pages

PART III – Budget


Responses should be e-mailed to ehpressman@rcn.com . The response should be in Word format.

Canadian shuls withdrawing from USCJ
2008-04-02 19:20 llennhoff
A number of Conservative congregations in Toronto and Montreal have recently voted or plan to vote to leave the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ), the movement’s umbrella body, over issues such as egalitarianism and gay clergy.

instrumental music gains ground in Conservative movement
2008-01-04 18:08 sanpaku
The Forward and a few other outlets have been running stories on the increasing use of instrumental music in Conservative services.

http://www.forward.com/articles/12388/

My 2c: I truly hate this. What someone needs to say is that while the vocal lines of Jewish music are often quite beautiful, I don't think I've EVER heard instrumental accompaniment to traditional liturgy that wasn't absolutely dreadful. I won't give offense by naming names, but just go into any Jewish bookstore and you'll hear what I mean. Goofy synthesizers, cheesy drums -- all the grandeur of the ancient melodies turned into garbage. When I attended Bnai Jeshurun a few years ago, all the music could make me think of was that old SNL skit with Will Ferrel and Molly Shannon murdering pop music with their keyboard.

For the life of me I don't understand how anyone can find this tripe compelling. I thought we defeated the philistines 3,000 years ago!

Fwd: United Synagogue's Today's Israel on the web
2007-10-23 18:27 llennhoff
Friends:



Everyone agrees that United Synagogue's Israel Commission has made wonderful progress. One of the high points is our emagazine, "Today's Israel."



You've already received a link to the first issue, and we take pleasure in telling you that the comments we've gotten on it have been positive.



Here are the links: http://www.uscj.org/todaysisrael (new issue online)

http://www.uscj.org/todaysisrael/issue2.pdf (new issue pdf)

http://todaysisrael.com/specialissue.php (old issue)





Now, though, we face a challenge. Avi Marcovitz, a USY alumnus who made aliyah some years ago, and who cares about both Israel and our movement, is providing this magazine to us free.) He asks only that the magazine receive an acceptable number of hits, so that both he and his advertisers know that people are reading it. That did not happen for issue #1.



So here is our challenge: We need YOU to share this magazine with your fellow congregants and the community .We need you to encourage as many people as possible to click on the link. We need you to promote this magazine in your various media outlets -- your synagogue bulletins, community and federation newspapers, and the like. We know that younger people are entirely at home on the internet, so we would like you also to share it with your USYers, your college students, and with the young adults in your congregations.



This magazine presents a wonderful opportunity. It gives the chance to publicize what our movement is doing in Israel and to show many of the wonderful aspects of life in Israel, the sorts of things that often go unmentioned in news coverage.


We need your help. So please do whatever you can to let people know about Today's Israel, and please keep us posted about what you've done. We will only be able to continue it if we can show Avi that people are looking at it.



Rabbi Paul Freedman

On-line study at C Yeshiva
2007-10-22 20:32 llennhoff
I am posting this announcement at the request of Avi Hein

The Conservative Yeshiva of United Synagogue is pleased to announce an
On-Line Course, Fourteen Sugyot (Talmudic Discussions) Every Jew Should
Know, taught by veteran Conservative Yeshiva instructor Rabbi Mordechai
Silverstein. The course will begin the week of January 6, 2008, and
continue for 14 weeks to end before Pesach. The course is open to
Yeshiva alumni, members of USCJ congregations, USCJ staff, and others
who are interested in furthering their Jewish learning.



The Babylonian Talmud is the foundation of Jewish life since its
formation some 1500 years ago. It is the source of Jewish practice and,
perhaps more importantly, it is central to shaping the Jewish thought
process, our way of looking at the world, and the manner in which we
approach, think about and solve problems. This course will seek to
provide the student with representative examples of important
discussions on a variety of issues that will offer a window into how the
sages think and analyze problems. As the title of this course suggests,
the selection of the examples keeps in mind that there are certain
classic Talmudic debates that are fundamental to Jewish identity,
religious and moral meaning and practice. These examples, obviously,
touch only the tip of the iceberg, but will hopeful provide the student
with some basic Talmudic skills, some inspiring debate, and an appetite
for more learning.



1. Does the observance of commandments require kavvanah (intention)?
(Rosh Hashanah 28b)

2. How important is human dignity? (Berachot 19b-20a)

3. Can one perform a mitzvah with something stolen? (Sukkah 29b-30a)

4. Why do we sound the shofar on Rosh Hashanah the way we do? (Rosh
Hashanah 33b-34a)

5. What is the reward for observing the commandments? (Kiddushin 39b)

6. What is the status of a conversion for the sake of marriage? (Yevamot
24b)

7. Are there cases where one is exempt from human liability but still
liable before God? (Baba Kamma 55b-56a)

8. Is it possible to acquire lost property? (Baba Metziah 21a-22b)

9. What exactly are the four questions we ask at the seder and who is
supposed to ask them? (Pesahim 116a)

10. What is the Jewish attitude toward verbal deception? (Baba Metziah
48b)

11. What exactly is the afikomen that we eat at the seder? (Pesahim
119b-120a)

12. Why do we say berachot of thanks? (Berachot 35a)

13. Should Torah study be combined with earning a living? (Berachot 35b)


14. Does a person have an obligation to act beyond the requirements of
the law?

(Baba Kama 98-99 selections)

This is an asynchronous class - the teacher will post materials each
week for study individually or in hevruta, as well as suggestions for
further reading. Students can log-on at any time and participate in
online forums for discussion. The teacher will be a frequent
contributor to the forums and will be available to answer questions.
Students are expected to spend 1-2 hours per week in partner study and
contributing to the online forums.

Instructor: Rabbi Mordechai Silverstein received Rabbinic Ordination
from both the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and Yeshiva
University. He is a Ph.D. candidate in Talmud at Hebrew University.
He teaches Talmud, Midrash and Advanced Midrash at the Conservative
Yeshiva.

Tuition for the 14-week class is $250. Since a goal of the class is
Hevruta study, a 10% discount will be given to Hevruta partners who sign
up together for the class. Alumni of the Conservative Yeshiva receive an
additional 10% tuition discount. Students from Israel, Asia, South
Africa, Eastern Europe and other developing nations will receive a 50%
tuition discount. (The course is open to a limited number of USCJ
employees for a registration fee of $50.)

Registration: To register for the class, alumni of the Conservative
Yeshiva should go to
https://uscjisrael.researchsuccess.com/programs/Survey.asp?nSurvey=94&SurveyeeID=7054
and answer the survey. If you are not a Yeshiva alum, go to
https://uscjisrael.researchsuccess.com/ and choose "on-line learning
spring 08" for your choice of program. Follow the instructions for
completing the on-line application.

Please share this announcement! Additional on-line courses are planned
to begin in February. If you have questions about the course or about
on-line learning with the Conservative Yeshiva, please contact Rabbi
Gail Diamond at yeshiva@uscj.org .

Conservative Yeshiva of United Synagogue
8 Agron Street, PO Box 7456
Jerusalem, Israel
011-972-2-622-3116
011-972-2-624-6473 (fax)
yeshiva@uscj.org
www.ConservativeYeshiva.org

informal survey: musical instruments on shabbat?
2007-10-07 23:05 davidfcooper
We recently changed shuls (both are egalitarian Conservative). The part-time Chazanit at our new shul played a clarinet at a recent kabbalat shabbat service. I wonder how common or rare the use of musical instruments on shabbat is in conservative shuls. What is the policy at your shul?

Jewish Art
2007-09-30 07:52 ladyhawke_wings

Shavua Tov, Everyone!

A good friend of mine, the lovely fellow Jewess shoshannabauer just gave her first art show, featuring some truly gorgeous Jewish-themed paintings!

Her work is so beautiful, I can't help but think you all might also enjoy it too! Whether you'd just like to gaze at some lovely Jewish art - or are in the market, I urge you to take a peek at Shoshannabauer.com. Here's an example of what you might see:



x-posted to jewishwomen and bostonjews