United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
Encyclopedia
The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ) is the primary organization of synagogues practicing Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...

 in North America. It closely works with the Rabbinical Assembly
Rabbinical Assembly
The Rabbinical Assembly is the international association of Conservative rabbis. The RA was founded in 1901 to shape the ideology, programs, and practices of the Conservative movement. It publishes prayerbooks and books of Jewish interest, and oversees the work of the Committee on Jewish Law and...

, the international body of Conservative rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...

s, the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary of America is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.JTS operates five schools: Albert A...

, and the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies
Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies
The Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, informally known as the "Ziegler School" or simply "Ziegler", is the graduate program of study leading to Ordination as Conservative Rabbis at the American Jewish University...

.

History

The United Synagogue was founded in 1913 by Rabbi Dr. Solomon Schechter
Solomon Schechter
Solomon Schechter was a Moldavian-born Romanian and English rabbi, academic scholar, and educator, most famous for his roles as founder and President of the United Synagogue of America, President of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and architect of the American Conservative Jewish...

 on the principle that through cooperation they could both develop and perpetuate Conservative Judaism.

Role and description

The USCJ has over 675 congregations as of 2009 (down from 850 in 1985). The USCJ works in the fields of Jewish education, youth activities, congregational standards and action and Israel affairs, and published the magazine United Synagogue Review.

Historically, the Jewish Theological Seminary has taken the leadership role in the Conservative movement (unlike the Reform movement, whose congregational organization has dominated its rabbinical school).

The diminished number of affiliated congregations noted above raised serious concern in the first decade of the century as new congregational forms, often populated by people who were educated in the Conservative movement, have become popular. The Conservative movement is perceived to have lost its uniqueness as its once-path-finding ideology of tradition and change has spread to and become a bedrock assumption of the Reform, Reconstructionist and "Renewal" groups, where services use Hebrew and traditional prayers, (often in updated versions) where study of traditional texts is considered important, where halacha (Jewish law) is treated with both respect and flexibility, and where egalitarian gender practices prevail.

The diminished population of USCJ and its congregations is seen by many as a symptom of a weak organizational culture in the USCJ itself. A strategic plan undertaken in the 1990s was squelched when the report challenged many of the USCJ's practices. In 2010, dissension reached the point at which a coalition known as Hayom ("Today") was formed and threatened to break away from USCJ if significant changes were not undertaken. The creation of this coalition was in part a response to a restructuring announced by the new executive director, Rabbi Steven Wernick, without input from the field. A new strategic planning committee was formed, co-opting the Hayom group, and in March, 2011 a draft of a new plan was announced and posted on the USCJ website .

Projects

The United Synagogue sponsors the following projects:
United Synagogue Youth
United Synagogue Youth
United Synagogue Youth is the youth movement of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. USY operates in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The goal of the movement is to bring Jewish teenagers closer to Judaism and Israel through learning and social interaction...

 (USY), a youth group with chapters all over the United States and Canada.

The Solomon Schechter Day School Association
Solomon Schechter Day School Association
The Solomon Schechter Day School Association is the organization of Jewish day school that identify with Conservative Judaism. The association provides guidance and resources for its member schools in the United States and Canada...

, which provides leadership and services to approximately 50 Jewish day schools affiliated with the Conservative movement.

KOACH
KOACH
KOACH is the campus student organization for Conservative Judaism on many college and university campuses and in many Hillels in the United States and abroad. KOACH is a project of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism...

, the organization for Conservative Judaism on college campuses.

Project Reconnect. Project Reconnect seeks to reconnect alumni of USY, Atid, Koach, Nativ
Nativ College Leadership Program in Israel
The Nativ College Leadership Program in Israel is a nine-month, post-high-school gap year program for mostly North American Jews. It operates under the auspices of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, and draws its participants mostly from USY and Ramah camps.- About Nativ :Nativ is based...

, the Conservative Yeshiva, Camp Ramah, the Solomon Schechter schools, the Leadership Training Fellowship, and other Conservative movement programs.

Project Reconnect's mission is to reinvolve, reinvigorate, and reconnect the very many Jewish adults who were touched by the Conservative movement’s programs for teenagers, college students and young adults.

See also

  • KOACH
    KOACH
    KOACH is the campus student organization for Conservative Judaism on many college and university campuses and in many Hillels in the United States and abroad. KOACH is a project of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism...

    , the college outreach arm of USCJ
  • Solomon Schechter Day School Association
    Solomon Schechter Day School Association
    The Solomon Schechter Day School Association is the organization of Jewish day school that identify with Conservative Judaism. The association provides guidance and resources for its member schools in the United States and Canada...

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