By Alison Cies, The Forward: Conservative Judaism searches for its identity
Talkback
Title: Driving to shul on Shabbat... Name: Dave Neil City: Jerusalem State: ISRAEL
The Conservative movement blew it. It argued that Judaism is always evolving and it said that we can institute change and not be "stuck and rigid" like the Orthodox. However, the types of changes it made were anti-thetical to traditional religious practice such as the decision to allow one to drive to Shabbat in a car. There is simply no truly valid arguement in Halacha (Jewish Law) to allow for making a fire (by burning gas)for the reason that Jews are spread out and need to go to shul. They shot themselves in the foot as all Orthodox communities live together and have real communities. The fact that those young kids who grow up in the Conservative movement and are the most committed to Judaism leave for Orthodoxy as it is more ideologically consistent and more gratifying spiritually shows that the movement was wrong from the get go. I grew up conservative and i thank them for giving me enough of Jewish pride/identity so that i was able to make the steps to become Orthodox.