Shalom. I hope everyone is having a terrific summer! I am delighted to return to my Monday Morning Message and our weekly virtual conversation.
Earlier this summer, Chancellor Arnold Eisen of the Jewish Theological Seminary began a blog entitled: Conservative Judaism: A Community Conversation. Eisen describes his reasons for starting this weekly blog with the following words:
Almost everywhere I have traveled since I was first named the next chancellor of The Jewish Theological Seminary, Conservative Jews (and others) have asked me insistent and deeply felt questions about the nature of Conservative Judaism and its prospects. What does Conservative Judaism stand for, in its teachings and its practice, that distinguishes it from other movements? What is the future of Conservative Judaism? What can we do together to make sure that its future is bright?
I too feel the urgency of these questions-as a parent, a teacher, a leader of Conservative Judaism, and a 21st-century Jew. This is a critical moment in the history of our Movement, as it is for the North American Jewish community as a whole, and it seems more important than ever that we reflect together as Conservative Jews on where we should be going and how best to get there.
Questions surrounding the future of our movement and the changes required to revitalize and reenergize our movement lie at the heart of this project. The blog posts in the past few months include topics such as “Community,” “Peoplehood” “Learning” “Mitzvah” and “Creating Meaningful Tefilah in the Synagogue.” This week’s blog post is entitled “Covenant” and begins with the following question: What does Conservative Judaism stand for?
I highly recommend that you become followers of this fascinating blog. It is a wonderful opportunity to learn on a regular basis from one of the most thoughtful and significant leaders of the American Jewish community.
To read Chancellor Eisen’s blog, check out the following link: http://www.jtsa.edu/prebuilt/blog/covenant.html
You can also follow his blog on facebook and twitter.
Enjoy!