Believe or not, I have gotten both questions asked of me by members of Adas Israel who have noticed changes in our services and in our approach, and who are trying to make sense of them. Some have noticed that we now celebrate the fact that we are one community comprised of various minyanim —some more ‘traditional’ in style than others, and wonder if this means that we’re going ‘more Orthodox.’ Others have noticed my willingness to entertain new ways of welcoming people into our congregational experience, and wonder if we’re moving toward the Reform. We are very much a Conservative congregation, in the best sense of the term. I’m happy to tell you that, in fact, we are neither becoming more Orthodox nor more Reform. Conservative Judaism--it’s true--has been going through something of an identity crisis of late. I personally think that this is very healthy and exciting. Adas Israel has the potential to be a great teacher to the world about just
A blog by Rabbi Gil Steinlauf