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Selected Sources for Additional Reading on Judaism
Part V: Conservative Judaism
[Last Change: $Date: 1995/10/19 15:21:00 $ $Revision: 1.2 $]
[Last Post: Thu Oct 16 11:07:10 US/Pacific 2003]
This message is intended to provide readers of soc.culture.jewish with
a list of references to allow them to learn more about the current
practices, past practices, beliefs, and history of the Conservative
Movement with Judaism.
One of the four major movements within Judaism, the Conservative
Movement was founded in 1886, with the establishment of the Jewish
Theological Seminary (JTS) by a group led by Rabbis Sabato Morais and
Marcus Jastrow of Philadelphia and Henry Pereira Mendes of New York.
This group was responding to what it felt were the rationalist,
antihalakhic excesses of the Reform movement. For its first 15 years,
the JTS was a colossal failure. However, around the turn of the
century, the JTS was saved and grew into the flagship of a major
Jewish denomination thanks to the efforts of three men: its first
president, Cyrus Adler; financier Jacob Schiff; and the brilliant
Rabbi Solomon Schecter.
In the United States, Israel, the Commonwealth of Independent States,
and other countries, the following organizations are involved with
Conservative Judaism (Conservative Judaism is called Masorti outside
of the United States):
* Synagogue Organizations:
+ [6]Assembly of Masorti Synagogues. This is the UK analogue of
the USCJ (United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism).
[7]http://www.masorti.org.uk/
+ [8]United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ), formerly
the United Synagogue of America. Its members are Conservative
Synagogues. [9]http://www.uscj.org/
* Rabbinic/Cantorial Schools:
+ [10]Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS). This is the rabbinic
school for Conservative Rabbis on the United States East
Coast. The association of the rabbis is called the Rabbinical
Assembly (RA). [11]http://www.jtsa.edu
+ [12]Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies
([13]http://www.uj.edu/Ziegler) at the [14]University of
Judaism ([15]http://www.uj.edu/). The United States West
Coast rabbinic school for Conservative Rabbis in Los Angeles,
California.
+ [16]The Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies
([17]http://www.jtsa.edu/israel/bm/index.html). This is the
Conservative seminary in Israel. It shares faculty with
[18]The Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem
([19]http://www.uscj.org/israelcenter/yeshiva/us-yesh.htm),
which is a school for laypeople
Outside of the US and Israel, there are two other rabbinical
seminaries and schools of advanced Jewish studies that maintain
formal connections with the Conservative movement. They are:
+ The Seminario Rabinico Latinamericano. The Latin American
Conservative seminary, it prepares Conservative rabbis,
cantors and educators for South America and Latin America. It
runs Ramah camps in Argentina and Chile and a kashrut
certification system. (Jose Hernandez 1750, 1426 Buenos
Aires, Argentina Tel: (54-1) 783-2009/783-6175/ 781-4057 Fax:
(54-1) 781-4056).
+ Neotheologische Seminarion [Neolog Theological Seminary]. The
Jewish Theological Seminary of Budapest. (27 Jozsef Krt.
Budapest 1085, Hungary Phone (36-1) 134-2121)
* Rabbinic Organizations:
+ Rabbinical Assembly. [20]http://www.rabassembly.org/
+ Cantor's Assembly. [21]http://www.cantors.org/
There are many other organizations; a full list may be found on the
JTSA web site at [22]http://www.jtsa.edu/affiliat/conserv.html
Where Can I Get The Books
* Many of these books are available through general bookstores or
Judaica bookstores. A list of links to these may be found in the
[23]sources section of the [24]General Reading List (if you are
reading this at [25]www.scjfaq.org, you can simply click on the
"Sources" button in the header navigation bar).
* Books that are marked as "United Synagogue Bookservice" should be
available through [26]http://www.uscj.org/mall/bookservice.htm
[Amazon Associate] The S.C.J Reading List has established an affiliate
relationship with Amazon.Com. ([27]http://www.amazon.com/). Now you
can complete your Conservative Jewish library and support the
continued development of the Reading Lists at the same time, for many
books on Conservative Judaism are available through Amazon. For those
reading this at [28]www.scjfaq.org/rl/jcu-intro.html, you can click
the link to the left to browse Amazon's selections. Alternatively, if
you enter Amazon using the URL
[29]http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home?tag=socculturejewi
sh, the reading lists will get credit for your entry. Additionally,
when you see the Amazon graphic [30][If you were at www.scjfaq.org,
the graphic would be here] (or "[Buy at Amazon: http:...]") on an
entry in the reading list, this indicates that the specific book is
available for purchase at Amazon. Click on the graphic/link to go to
Amazon and purchase the book.
Reproduction of this posting for commercial use is subject to
restriction. See Part 1 (general) for more details.
------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: ORGANIZATION
This reading list is organized as follows:
* [8]Introduction to this Reading List
* [9]Conservative Beliefs
* [10]Conservative Practices
* [11]Conservative History
* [12]Conservative Liturgy
* [13]Credits
------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Conservative Beliefs
[Ast85]
Astor, Carl. ...Who Makes People Different 1985. United
Synagogue Bookservice. [This sourcebook discusses traditional
sources about the disabled (Biblical, Midrashic, Rabbinic, and
Halakhic) and examines modern views, theological implications
and current programs.]
[Broxx]
Brown, Steven. Reclaiming Our Legacy. United Synagogue
Bookservice. [Encourages the study of Talmud Torah by showing
similarity with and differences from secular study.]
[Cytxx]
Cytron, Barry and Schwartz, Earl. When Life Is In The Balance.
United Synagogue Bookservice. [Designed to aid in the
evaluation of alternatives in dealing with some of the most
difficult decisions about living and dying. Issues such as
abortion, suicide, and euthanasia are discussed with
sensitivity in the context of Jewish tradition and the wisdom
of other cultures.]
[Dor96]
Dorff, Elliot. Conservative Judaism: Our Ancestors to Our
Descendants. Revised edition, 1996. USCJ, NY. [An authoritative
sourcebook on the origins and philosophy of the Conservative
Movement. Covers the development of Judaism from the time of
the Torah to enlightenment, and discusses the theology and
philosophy of the Jewish movements that developed in response
to the modern age. Explains Conservative Judaism's philosophy
on halakha, aggada, social issues and revelation.]
[Dor96b]
Dorff, Elliott. Knowing God: Jewish Journeys to the Unknowable.
ISBN: 1568219644, Jason Aronson Publishers, 1996. Paperback.
ISBN 1-568219-64-4. [Contemporary Jews find meaning in
Judaism's family and communal orientation, its rituals,
culture, and moral values. However many do not understand the
Jewish concept of God, and their belief in God rests on
childhood Hebrew school images of the Allmighty. In response,
Rabbi Dorff probes what we as adults can know about God through
human reason, human and Divine words, and human and Divine
action. Without assuming a background in philosophy, he takes
us through some of the major philosophical options and
conundrums in using each of these sources of knowledge about
God, and the images of God that result. This results in a
vibrant Jewish faith, one that takes due regard for both the
emotional and intellectual sides of our being.]
[6][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1568219644/socculturejew
ish/]
[Dor98]
Dorff, Elliot. Matters of Life and Death: Jewish Bio-Ethics.
Jewish Publication Society, 1998. Hardcover. ISBN
0-827606-47-8. [Discusses modern medical ethical dilemmas from
a Conservative Jewish point of view, which advocates adherence
to traditional Judaism along with a modern understanding. In
the book's first section, Dorff summarizes the beliefs
underlying Jewish medical ethics. Dorff then addresses a number
of issues,including: infertility, artificial insemination,
genetic engineering, cloning, surrogate motherhood, and birth
control. Also discusses living wills, hospice care, euthanasia,
organ donation, autopsy and the distribution of health care.]
[7][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0827606478/socculturejew
ish/]
[Dorxx]
Dorff, Elliott. This Is My Beloved, This Is My Friend: A
Rabbinic Letter on Intimate Relations. Rabbinical Assembly.
[This is the official pastoral letter from the RA to the laity
of the Conservative movement, dealing with all areas of human
sexuality.]
[Dor98]
Dorff, Elliot N. (ed); Newman, Louis E. (ed.) Contemporary
Jewish Theology: A Reader. Oxford Univ Press; 1998. Paperback.
ISBN 0-195114-67-1. [Conservative]
[8][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0195114671/socculturejew
ish/]
[Ela00]
Elazar, Daniel Judah; Geffen, Rela Mintz. The Conservative
Movement in Judaism: Dilemmas and Opportunities (Suny Series in
American Jewish Society in the 1990s). State Univ of New York
Pr; 2000. Hardcover. ISBN 0-791446-89-1.
[9][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0791446891/socculturejew
ish/]
[Gil92]
Gillman, Neil. Sacred Fragments: Recovering Theology for the
Modern Jew. Jewish Publication Society. 1990. Paperback, 1992.
296 pp. ISBN 0-827604-03-3. [For those seeking answers to the
most difficult questions about religion today: How do we know
there is a God? How could God allow the Holocaust to happen?
Why do we need ritual?]
[10][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0827604033/socculturejew
ish]
[Gil97]
Gillman, Neil. The Death of Death: Resurrection and Immortality
in Jewish Thought Jewish Lights Publishing. Hardcover, 1997,
336 pages, ISBN 1-879045-61-3. Paperback, 2000, 336 pages, ISBN
1-580230-81-4. [Offers an original and compelling argument that
Judaism not only presents us with rich ideas on this subject -
but delivers a deathblow to death itself. Combining scholarship
with historical, theological and liturgical insights, Gillman
outlines the evolution of Jewish thought about bodily
resurrection and spiritual immortality. Beginning with the
near-silence of the Bible on the afterlife, he traces the
development of these two doctrines through Jewish history. He
also describes why today, somewhat surprisingly, more
contemporary Jewish scholars - including Gillman - have
reaffirmed a notion of resurrection.]
Hardback: [11][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1879045613/socculturejew
ish] ; Paperback: [12][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1580230814/socculturejew
ish]
[Gol91]
Golinkin, Daniel. Halakhaha for Our Time: A Conservative
Approach. United Synagogue Book Service; 1991, 1992. Paperback.
ISBN 0-838131-13-1.
[13][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0838131131/socculturejew
ish/]
[Gol92]
Golinkin, David. An Index of Conservative Responsa and
Practical Halakhic Studies, 1917-1990. New York NY: The
Rabbinical Assembly. 1992.
[Gor86]
Gordis, Robert. Judaic Ethics for a Lawless World (Moreshet
Series, Vol 12). Ktav Publishing House; 1986. Hardcover. ISBN
0-873340-34-5. [An approach to contemporary problems based on
Jewish ethics. Deals with the principles of natural law, and
the dynamic world view of Judaism.]
[14][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0873340345/socculturejew
ish/]
[Gor78]
Gordis, Robert; Gelb, Max (ed). Understanding Conservative
Judaism. Ktav Publishing House; 1978, 1979. Hardcover. ISBN
0-870686-80-1.
[15][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0870686801/socculturejew
ish/]
[Gut84]
Gutin, Jules. Rejoice With Jerusalem. 1984 revised edition.
United Synagogue Bookservice. [This sourcebook combines a
historical survey of Jerusalem over the ages with an
examination of Jerusalem's meaning to modern Jewry, especially
as to Conservative Jews.]
[Harxx]
Harlow, Jules. The Bond Of Life (A Book For Mourners). RA. [A
guide for the mourner, including the hows and whys of mourning
rituals, inspirational reflections, traditional sources, and an
essay on the psychology of grief. Contains the complete
Morning, Afternoon, and Evening prayer services, in Hebrew and
English, for the house of mourning.]
[Har72]
Harlow, Jules. Lessons from Our Living Past. Behrman House;
1972. Paperback. ISBN 0-874410-85-1.
[16][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0874410851/socculturejew
ish/]
[Her97]
Herberg, Will; Gillman, Neil (intro.). Judaism and Modern Man:
An Interpretation of Jewish Religion (Jewish Lights Classic
Reprint). Jewish Lights Pub; 1997. Paperback. Reprint edition.
ISBN 1-879045-87-7.
[17][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1879045877/socculturejew
ish/]
[Hes66]
Heschel, Abraham. God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of
Judaism. Harper Torchbook. 1966. Reprinted 1997, Noonday Press.
464 pp. ISBN 0-374513-31-7. [The companion volume to "Man is
not Alone", this book combines scholarship with reverence as
Heschel elucidates the nature of religious thought. Section one
discusses ways to God's Presence, and the legacy of wonder that
religion gives. Section two deals with the idea of Revelation
and prophetic inspiration, and discusses revelation as a
process as opposed to an event. Section three discusses a Jew's
response to the Jewish Religion; there is a study and rejection
of the idea that mere faith (without law) alone is enough, and
a cautioning against of those rabbis that add too many hedges
to the law. Discusses the need to correlate ritual observance
with sprituality and love, and the importance of kavanah
(intention) when performing mitzvot.]
[18][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0374513317/socculturejew
ish]
[Hes97]
Heschel, Abramham. Man Is Not Alone: A Philosophy of Religion
Noonday Press, 1997. Paperback. 320 pages. ISBN 0-374513-28-7.
[A profound work that reflects on how man can apprehend God and
have an encounter with the ineffable, and the radical amazement
that man experiences when experiencing the presence of the
Divine. Themes include the problems of doubts and faith; What
Judaism means by teaching that God is One; The essence of man
and the problem of man's needs; The definition of religion in
general, and of Judaism in specific, man's yearning for
spirituality; Judaism as a pattern for life, and a study of
piety.]
[19][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0374513287/socculturejew
ish]
[Klexx]
Klein, Isaac. A Time to Be Born, A Time To Die. UCSJ. [A
compilation of Jewish attitudes and practices regarding death.
Deals with such issues as illness, euthanasia, and organ
transplants. Includes readings for the bereaved family.]
[Klixx]
Kling, Simcha. The People and Its Land United Synagogue
Bookservice. [Discusses the attachment of the Jewish people to
the land of Israel. The book includes the Biblical, Rabbinic,
pre-modern, and modern periods. Includes a special section
about Zionism and the Conservative Movement.]
[Kli99]
Kling, Simcha; Perkins, Carl M. Embracing Judaism. The
Rabbinical Assembly; 1999. Paperback. 2nd Revised Edition. ISBN
0-916219-15-1.
[20][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0916219151/socculturejew
ish/]
[Nad88]
Nadell, Pamela S. Conservative Judaism in America. Greenwood
Publishing Group; 1988. Hardcover. ISBN 0-313242-05-4.
[21][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0313242054/socculturejew
ish/]
[SchS96]
Schecter, Solomon. Studies in Judaism: First Series. Jewish
Publication Society, Philadelphia PA. 1896
[SchS08]
Schecter, Solomon. Studies in Judaism: Second Series. Jewish
Publication Society, Philadelphia PA 1908.
[SchS24]
Schecter, Solomon. Studies in Judaism: Third Series. Jewish
Publication Society, Philadelphia PA 1924.
[SchS61]
Schechter, Solomon; Finkelstein, Louis. Some Aspects of
Rabbinic Theology. Schocken Books, New York. 1961. Jewish
Lights Pub; 1999. Paperback. Reprint edition. ISBN
1-879045-24-9. [With a New Introduction by Neil Gillman,
Including the Original Preface of 1909 and the Introduction by
Louis Finkelstein]
[22][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1879045249/socculturejew
ish/]
[Sch98]
Schechter, Solomon. Aspects of Rabbinic Theology: Major
Concepts of the Talmud. Hendrickson Publishers, Inc; 1998.
Paperback. ISBN 1-565632-88-5.
[23][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1565632885/socculturejew
ish/]
[Wax58]
Waxman, Mordechai (ed.). Tradition and Change - The Development
of Conservative Judaism. The Burning Bush Press, New York
(copyright 1958, Rabbinical Assembly of America). Library of
Congress Card No. 54-8409 (No ISBN) [Contains many of the
classic conservative responsa, including riding of Shabbat and
electricity is not fire.]
[Wer00]
Wertheimer, Jack (ed). Jews in the Center: Conservative
Synagogues and Their Members. Rutgers Univ Press; 2000.
Hardcover. ISBN 0-813528-21-6. [This book seeks to understand
how synagogues function as congregations and to what extent
they allow individual expression. By focusing on a mainstream
population, this book sheds light on religiously active people
who generally receive scant attention: those in the center, who
neither retreat from society nor blur the boundaries between
their religion and modern American culture.]
[24][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0813528216/socculturejew
ish/]
[Zem99]
Zemer, Moshe. Evolving Halakhah: A Progressive Approach to
Traditional Jewish Law. Jewish Lights Pub; 1999. Hardcover.
ISBN 1-580230-02-4.
[25][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1580230024/socculturejew
ish/]
Responsa:
[Gol96]
Golinkin, David (ed.) The Responsa of Prof. Louis Ginzberg.
JTSA, NY. ISBN 965-456-021-6. [A collection of one hundred
responsa by Louis Ginzberg z"l, noted scholar and longtime JTS
professor of Talmud. This volume contains previously published
responsa, as well as many more unknown and unpublished
responsa, dealing with a wide array of topics including
euthanasia, burial practices, artificial insemination,
conversion, the mehitza and the use of grape juice during
Prohibition. Also included are Professor Ginzberg's forceful
responses to anti-Semites such as Pranaitis, the "expert"
witness at the Beiliss trial in Kiev in 1913. The book serves
as a unique window into the history and development of
Conservative halakha, and into American Jewish history from
1913 to 1953.]
[Golxx]
Golinkin, David (ed.) Responsa of the Va'ad Halakhah of the
Rabbinical Assembly of Israel. Available direct from the
Masorti movement. Published by the Masorti Movement, Jerusalem,
Israel. [26]http://www.masorti.org/responsa/index.html. [A
series of five paperback collections of official teshuvot from
the law committee of the Masorti movement, which is authorized
by the RA to have the same authoritiy as the CJLS. The full
text of all responsa are presented in Hebrew, along with 2 to 4
page English summaries of each. (Volume 1 is in Hebrew only).]
[RAA85]
Rabbincal Assembly. Proceedings Of The Committee On Jewish Law
And Standards - Volume 1: 1980-1985. RA Committee on Jewish Law
and Standards. ISBN 0-916219-07-0. [Presents responsa in
sixteen areas of Jewish Law, including Abortion, Brit Milah,
Conversion, Intermarriage, Passover, Shabbat, and the Status of
Women. Its 300 pages contain more than forty responsa prepared
for and adopted by the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards.]
[RAA97]
Proceedings Of The Committee On Jewish Law And Standards -
1927-1970. 3 volume set. Rabbinical Assembly and the Institute
for Applied Halakha, Jerusalem, 1997. [This set contains many
studies and responsa (teshuvot) from the Conservative movement
from 1927 to 1970. Most of the responsa and articles in this
set were previously published in either the annual "Proceedings
of the Rabbinical Assembly", the journal "Conservative
Judaism", and similar venues, all of which unfortunately had an
extremely limited distribution, and have not been readily
available. With this publication these responsa are now readily
available to all.]
Other works to look at include Emet Ve-Emunah and books by
Conservative authors such as Dorff, Gillman, Steinberg, and Wolpe,
cited elsewhere in this list.
------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Conservative Practices
[Dorxx]
Dorff, Elliott. Mitzvah Means Commandment. United Synagogue
Bookservice. [A look into the question of "Why perform
mitzvot?" This book traces the various views, from the Biblical
to the philosophical. The book also includes a section on the
Conservative Movement's viewpoints.]
[Gor90]
Gordis, Robert. The Dynamics of Judaism: A Study in Jewish Law.
Indiana Univ Pr; 1990. Hardcover. ISBN 0-253326-02-8. [Outlines
the basic traits of Judaism. Discusses the enduring features of
Jewish law, including the primacy of ethical and moral
concerns; discusses revelation as an active encounter between
God and human; the creative role of the Mishna and Talmud; and
how the lay community and minhag (custom) help shape Jewish
law. Examines how the law changed and developed through the
medieval period. Shows how the reaction to the Enlightenment
produced the modern denominations and examines their view
towards halakha. Particularly addresses the concerns of women
in Jewish law, especially marriage, divorce, annulment, and
women as rabbis.]
[6][Buy at Amazon:
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ish/]
[Gre88]
Greenberg, Simon (ed). The Ordination of Women As Rabbis:
Studies and Responsa (Moreshet Series: Studies in Jewish
History, Literature, and Thought, Vol XIV). Jewish Theological
Seminary of Amer; 1988. Hardcover. ISBN 0-873340-41-8.
[Collects the responsa and halakhic studies from members of the
Conservative leadership; The papers in this volume led to the
movement's decision to ordain women as rabbis and cantors.]
[7][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0873340418/socculturejew
ish/]
[Kle79]
Klein, Isaac. A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice. Jewish
Theological Seminary of Amer; 1979. Hardcover. ISBN
0-873340-04-3. [Published by the Conservative movement, but
based upon previous law codes, including the Mishneh Torah,
Shulkhan Arukh, and later responsa by Conservative and Orthodox
authorities. It is more than a list of do's and don'ts: Each
chapter discusses the philosophy, history and the reasons why
these laws and customs came to be. This guide covers daily
prayer, tallit and tzitzit, tefillin, weddings, births,
adoption, divorce, bar and bat miztvahs, death and mourning,
the High Holy Days, the Jewish festivals and fast days,
Shabbat, keeping kosher, the laws of family purity, abortion
and other topics.]
[8][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0873340043/socculturejew
ish/]
[Sie77]
Siegel, Seymour ed. Conservative Judaism and Jewish Law.
Rabbinical Assembly, New York. 1977. Out of Print
[RAA88]
Rabbinical Assembly. Emet Ve-Emunah: Statement of Principles of
Conservative Judaism. The JTS, Rabbinical Assembly, and the
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. 1988.
[Rot86]
Roth, Joel. The Halakhic Process: A Systemic Analysis. Jewish
Theological Seminary of America, 1986. Out of Print. [Presents
and analyzes the primary Talmudic and rabbinic sources relating
to the legal and extra-legal factors that go into the process
of halakhic decision-making, focusing on today's issues.]
[Wol96a]
Wolfson, Ron. The Shabbat Seder (Art of Jewish Living). Jewish
Lights Pub; 1996. Paperback. ISBN 1-879045-90-7. [A concise
step-by-step guide designed to teach people the meaning of this
weekly celebration, as well as its practices. Activities and
rituals are set out in a straightforward way, along with
instructions on how to perform them. Each chapter corresponds
to one of ten steps which together comprise the Shabbat dinner
ritual, and focuses on the concepts, objects, and meanings
behind the specific activity or ritual act. It is designed in
an easy-to-read format for people with varying degrees of
Hebrew skills. Conservative.]
[9][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1879045907/socculturejew
ish/]
[Wol96b]
Wolfson, Ron. The Passover Seder (The Art of Jewish Living).
Jewish Lights Pub; 1996. Paperback. ISBN 1-879045-93-1.
[Explains the concepts behind Passover ritual and ceremony in
clear, easy-to-understand language, and guides you with
step-by-step procedures for observance and preparing the home
for the holiday. The Haggadah texts are in Hebrew, English, and
transliteration. A detailed description of the procedures
involved in performing rituals is included, along with a
section of practical questions and answers. "Innovations"
offers imaginative ideas and customs for Seder celebration.]
[10][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1879045931/socculturejew
ish/]
[Wol96c]
Wolfson, Ron. Hanukkah (The Art of Jewish Living). Jewish
Lights Pub; 1996. Paperback. ISBN 1-879045-97-4. [Discusses the
holiday's origins, reasons for the Hanukkah candles and
customs, and provides everything from recipes to family
activities. There are songs in English, Hebrew, and Yiddish
(with clear transliterations), recipes for Hanukkah foods,
information on the arts and crafts of Hanukkah, the calendar
and its relationship to Christmas time, and games played at
Hanukkah. Putting the holiday in a larger, timely context,
"December Dilemmas" deals with ways in which a Jewish family
can cope with Christmas.]
[11][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1879045974/socculturejew
ish/]
[Wol96d]
Wolfson, Ron. A Time to Mourn, A Time to Comfort. A volume in
The Art of Jewish Living Series. Jewish Lights Pub; 1996.
Paperback. 320 pages. ISBN 1-879045-96-6. [This volume is a
guide to those who are or will be mourning the loss of a loved
one, those who will be comforting those who are mourning, and
also contains information on advance planning for your own
death and such end-of-life issues as ethical wills, advance
health care directives, and estate planning.]
[12][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1879045966/socculturejew
ish]
------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Conservative History
[Ben48]
Bentwich, Norman. Solomon Schechter. Jewish Publication
Society, Philadelphia PA. 1948. Out of Print.
[Carxx]
Cardin, Nina Beth; Silverman, David Wolf. The Seminary at 100:
Reflections on the Jewish Theological Seminary and the
Conservative Movement. United Synagogue Book Service; 1987.
Hardcover. ISBN 0-916219-04-6. [A collection of papers by over
fifty scholars, rabbis and lay leaders, who offer their
insights and reflections on the Jewish Theological Seminary:
its contributions and character, its mystique and its mission.]
[6][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0916219046/socculturejew
ish/]
[Dav63]
Davis, Moshe. The Emergence of Conservative Judaism: The
Historical School in 19th Century America. Jewish Publication
Society, Philadelphia PA. 1963. Out of Print
[Dor77]
Dorff, Eliot M. Conservative Judaism: Our Ancestors to Our
Descendents. United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, New
York. 1997. [An authoritative sourcebook on the origins and
philosophy of the Conservative Movement. Objectively covers the
development of Judaism from the time of the Torah to the
enlightenment, and discusses the theology and philosophy of the
Jewish movements that developed in response to the modern age:
Conservative, Orthodox, Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism.]
[Eis80]
Eisenberg, Azriel. Fill a Blank Page: A Biography of Solomon
Schechter. United Synagogue Book Service; 1980. Hardcover. ISBN
0-838107-30-3.
[7][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0838107303/socculturejew
ish/]
[Gil96]
Gillman, Neil. Conservative Judaism: The New Century. Behrman
House; 1996. Paperback. ISBN 0-874415-47-0. [Through history,
photographs, and personal recollection, this book recreates the
history of the Conservative movement. Written from an insider's
perspective, this book explores the history and ideology behind
the development of the modern Jewish movements. It then
discusses the key issues, that have forced the Movement to come
to terms with its identity, such as: The struggle to create a
modern form of traditional Jewish law, the demand to ordain
women as rabbis, pressure to accept homosexual rabbis, and the
recognition that much of its membership is largely unobservant.
Also looks at the movement's relationship with the state of
Israel.]
[8][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0874415470/socculturejew
ish/]
[Kar64]
Karp, Abraham J. A History of the United Synagoges of America:
1913-1963, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, New York.
1964. Out of Print
[Par64]
Parzen, Herbert. Architects of Conservative Judaism Jonathan
David, New York. 1964. Out of Print
[Wax98]
Waxman, Mordecai (ed). Tradition and Change: The Development of
Conservative Judaism. United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism,
New York. 1998. [Includes statements by the founders and
leading spokesmen of the Conservative movement. Includes a
number of famous rabbinic responsa dealing with the use of
electricity and automobiles on the Sabbath.]
[Wer97]
Wertheimer, Jack (ed). Tradition Renewed: A History of the
Jewish Theological Seminary. JTS Publications; 1997. Hardcover.
Volumes I and II. ISBN 0-873340-75-2. [Comprising new studies
written by scholars from institutions of higher learning
throughout the United States, Canada, and Israel, and richly
illustrated, "Tradition Renewed" offers a dispassionate and
analytical history of the Jewish Theological Seminary from its
founding in 1886 to the conclusion of the administration of
Gerson D. Cohen, a century later.]
[9][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0873340752/socculturejew
ish/]
------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Conservative Liturgy
[Cah98]
Cahan, Leonard (ed.) Siddur Sim Shalom for Shabbat and
Festivals. RA and USCJ, NY. 1998. ISBN 0916219135. [This new
edition of Sim Shalom features gender-sensitive language,
options to use the Imahot in the Amidah, an easier to follow
layout, and increased use of transliteration. Contains services
for Shabbat and festivals, but does not contain weekday
services. Has a section on Shabbat and Holiday home rituals.]
[Cha86]
Chanover, Hyman. Book of Prayer for Junior Congregations:
Sabbath and Feast. United Synagogue Book Service; 1986.
Hardcover. ISBN 0-838101-74-7.
[6][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0838101747/socculturejew
ish/]
[Gol78]
Golinkin, Noah. Shalom Aleichem - Learn to read the Hebrew
Prayerbook!.Hebrew Pub Co; 1978. Paperback. ISBN 0-884826-96-1.
[7][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0884826961/socculturejew
ish/]
[Gol81]
Golinkin, Noah. Ayn Keloheynu - Learn to comprehend the Hebrew
Prayerbook in a new way. Sheingold Publishers, 1981, 1989.
Paperback. ISBN 0-884001-36-9.
[8][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0884001369/socculturejew
ish/]
[Ham95]
Hammer, Reuven. Entering Jewish Prayer: A Guide to Personal
Devotion and the Worship Service. Schocken Books; 1995.
Paperback. Reprint edition. ISBN 0-805210-22-9. [More than a
'how-to' guide, this book deals with the basic issues in
prayer, the historical compilation of the Siddur; the
orchestration of the daily, Sabbath, and festival prayers; the
themes of special prayers, such as the Blessing After Meals and
the Kaddish; and the essential experience of making prayer a
vital part of one's life. Also explains differences between the
liturgy of each of the Jewish movements.]
[9][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805210229/socculturejew
ish/]
[Har65]
Harlow, Jules Ed. Liqqutei Tefillah: The Rabbis Manual.
Rabbinical Assembly, New York. 1965. Out of Print
[Har78]
Harlow, Jules (ed). Mahzor for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism; 1978. Hardcover. ISBN
0-874411-48-3. [The official Conservative machzor. The text is
traditional, but references to the Temple and animal sacrifices
have been modified in the same way as for "Siddur Sim Shalom".
It has less Ashkenazic piyuttim than other machzorim, but adds
some prayers and poetry from the Sephardic rite, as well as
from some ancient machzorim.]
[10][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0874411483/socculturejew
ish/]
[Har85]
Harlow, Jules (ed). Siddur Sim Shalom: A Prayerbook for
Shabbat, Festivals, and Weekdays. United Synagogue of
Conservative Judaism; 1985. Hardcover. ISBN 0-916219-01-1.
[Services for weekdays, Shabbat and Festivals, with additions
for Israel Independence Day and Holocaust Memorial Day, as well
as texts for Kiddush, zemirot, Blessings After Meals, Havdalah,
and Shabbat and Holiday home rituals. Its introduction explains
what changes exist, and the rationale behind them.]
[11][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0916219011/socculturejew
ish/]
[RAA64]
Rabbinical Assembly. (Sabbath Prayers) Seder Tefilot Yisra'el
LeShabbat Uleshalosh Regalim. Rabbinical Assembly and United
Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. 1964.
[RAA62]
Rabbinical Assembly. Weekday Prayer Book: Tefillot Liyemoth
Hol. Rabbinical Assembly, New York. 1962.
[RAA98]
Rabbinical Assembly: Rank, Perry Raphael; Freeman, Gordon M.
(eds). Moreh Derekh : The Rabbi's Manual of the Rabbinical
Assembly. Rabbinical Assembly, 1998. ISBN 0-916219-10-0.
[Contains all the traditional services for all aspects of
events such as births, bat or bat mitzvah, conversion to
Judaism, aliyot on special occasions, weddings, divorces,
sickness, and death. Also contains many innovative rituals,
including prayers for retirement, special birthdays,
anniversarys, a pilgrimage or aliyah to Israel, entering
college, and healing service. Also has sensitive sections on
infertility, abortion and miscarriages.]
[12][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0916219100/socculturejew
ish/]
[Rab82]
Rabbinowicz, Rachel Anne (ed). Passover Haggadah: The Feast of
Freedom. United Synagogue Book Service; 1982. Paperback. 2nd
ed. ISBN 0-870687-82-4. [Also used by many Orthodox and Reform
Jews because of its combination of learning and accessibility
with a useful lay-out. The official Conservative haggadah. Has
a new translation and a detailed commentary. Clear instructions
and explanations take the reader step by step through all of
the Seder. Encourages the active participation of everyone.]
[13][Buy at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0870687824/socculturejew
ish/]
[FJMC]
The Shabbat Morning Torah Service Video Tape. The Federation of
Jewish Men's Clubs, Inc. This VHS tape, with accompanying
User's Guide, Glossary, and Torah Blessings Card is a great
teaching tool for people unfamiliar with the procedures of the
Torah Service, such as people asked to participate at a Bar/Bat
Mitzvah.
------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: How do I obtain copies of the Reading Lists?
Answer:
There are a number of different ways to obtain copies of the Reading
Lists:
* WWW. If you are reading this on Usenet, and would like to see an
online, hyperlinked version, go visit [2]http://www.scjfaq.org/.
This is the "web" version of the FAQ; the version posted to Usenet
is generated from the web version. Note that the www.scjfaq.org
version is a copy of the actual master version; if you want to
access the master, visit [3]http://master.scjfaq.org/.
Alternatively, if you would like to see the posted version through
the web, visit [4]http://shamash.org/listarchives/scj-faq/. The
FAQ is in the subdirectory "FAQ"; the reading lists are in the
subdirectory "rl".
* Email. Scjfaq.org also provides an autoretriever that allows one
to obtain a copy of the reading lists by return Email. To use the
autoretriever, you send a retrieval request to
[EMAIL PROTECTED] with the request in the body of the
message. A more reliable way to retrieve these files is through
the [6]FAQ autoretriever
([7]http://www.mljewish.org/bin/autoresp.cgi). For the FAQ, the
request has the form:
send faq partname
For the reading list, the request has the form:
send rl partname
"Partname" is replaced by the name of the part, as shown in the
general index. The following is a short summary of the mapping of
partnames for the Reading Lists:
+ [8]general: Introduction and General. Includes book sources,
starting points for beginners, starting points for non-Jewish
readers, General Judaism, General Jewish Thought, General
Jewish History, Contemporary Judaism, Noachide Laws, Torah
and Torah Commentary, Talmud and Talmudic Commentary,
Mishnah, Midrash, Halachic Codes, Becoming An Observant Jew,
Women and Judaism, and Science and Judaism.
+ [9]traditional: Traditional Liturgy, Practice, Lifestyle,
Holidays. Includes Traditional Liturgy; Traditional
Philosophy and Ethics; Prayer; Traditional Practice; The
Household; Life, Death, and In-Between; and The Cycle Of
Holidays.
+ [10]mysticism: Kabbalah, Mysticism, and Messianism. Includes
Academic and Religious treatments of Kabbalah, Sprituality,
and the Jewish notion of the Messiah.
+ [11]reform: Reform/Progressive Judaism
+ [12]conservative: Conservative Judaism
+ [13]reconstructionist: Reconstructionist Judaism
+ [14]humanistic: Humanistic Judaism (Society for Humanistic
Judaism)
+ [15]chasidism: Chassidism. Includes general information on
historical chassidism, as well as specific information on
Lubavitch (Chabad), Satmar, Breslaw (Breslov), and other
approaches.
+ [16]zionism: Zionism. Includes Zionism and The Development Of
Israel, The Founders, Zionistic Movements, and Judaism in
Israel.
+ [17]antisemitism: Antisemitism. Includes sections on
Antisemitism, What Led to The Holocaust, Medieval Oppression,
Antisemitism Today (Including Dealing with Hate Groups),
Judaism and Christianity, and Judaism, Freemasonry and other
rumors.
+ [18]intermarriage: Intermarriage. Includes sections on "So
You're Considering Intermarriage?", The Traditional
Viewpoint, Conversion, and Coping With Life As An
Intermarried.
+ [19]childrens: Books for Jewish Children. Includes sections
on Birth and Naming, Raising a Child, Family Guidebooks,
Upsheren, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Confirmation, Holiday Books for
Children, Liturgy for Children, Bible and Torah for Children,
Jewish History for Children, Jewish Theology for Children,
Israel, Learning Hebrew, and Jewish Stories.
The following is a short summary of the mapping to partnames for
the FAQ:
+ [20]01-FAQ-intro: Section [21]1: Network and Newsgroup
Information.
+ [22]02-Who-We-Are: Section [23]2: Who We Are
+ [24]03-Torah-Halacha: Sections [25]3, [26]4: Torah; Halachic
Authority
+ [27]04-Observance: Sections [28]5, [29]6, [30]7, [31]8:
Jewish Holidays; Jewish Dietary Law and Kashrut; Sabbath and
Holiday Observance; Woman and Marriage
+ [32]05-Worship: Sections [33]9, [34]10, [35]11: Jewish
Worship; Conversion, Intermarriage, and "Who is a Jew?";
Miscellaneous Practice Questions
+ [36]06-Jewish-Thought: Section [37]12: Jewish Thought
+ [38]07-Jews-As-Nation: Section [39]13: Jews as a Nation
+ [40]08-Israel: Section [41]14: Jews and Israel
+ [42]09-Antisemitism: Sections [43]15, [44]16, [45]17: Churban
Europa (The Holocaust); Antisemitism and Rumors about Jews;
Countering Missionaries
+ [46]10-Reform: Section [47]18: Reform/Progressive Judaism
+ [48]11-Miscellaneous: Sections [49]19, [50]20: Miscellaneous;
References and Getting Connected
+ [51]12-Kids: Section [52]21: Jewish Childrearing Related
Questions
+ [53]mail-order: Mail Order Judaica
Alternatively, you may send a message to
[EMAIL PROTECTED] with the following line in the body
of the message:
send usenet/news.answers/judaism/(portionname)
Where (portionname) is replaced by the appropriate subdirectory
and filenames; for example, to get the first part of the reading
list, one would say:
send usenet/news.answers/judaism/reading-lists/general
* Anonymous FTP: All portions of the FAQ and of the reading lists
are archived on [55]rtfm.mit.edu and are available for anonymous
FTP from the pub/usenet/news.answers/judaism/FAQ directory (URL
[56]ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/judaism/FAQ/).
Similarly, the parts of the reading lists are stored in the
pub/usenet/news.answers/judaism/reading-lists directory (URL:
[57]ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/judaism/reading-lis
ts). Note that the archived versions of the FAQ and reading lists
are the posted versions; that is, they are each one large ASCII
file.
------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Credits
This list is based on a reading list I developed from research at the
University of Judaism in January of 1993. Additional entries have been
provided by Eric Simon as part of the July 2000 remodeling of the
list. Contributions and/or corrections to this list have been made by
David Grabiner, David A Guberman, Robert Kaiser, Rabbi Jay Lapidus,
Art Kamlet, and Paul Wolf. Suggestions for additions or deletions are
welcome, as are brief annotations for the entries.
A special thank you... Special thanks for her patience and
understanding go to my wife, Karen, who put up with me hiding at the
computer for the two months it took to complete the July/August 2000
remodel of the entire soc.culture.jewish FAQ and Reading Lists. If you
think the effort was worth it, drop her a note c/o
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
------------------------------------------------------------
--
Please mail additions or corrections to me at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
End of Judaism Reading List Part V (Conservative) Digest
**************************
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