New York – The umbrella body for Conservative synagogues approved a resolution to allow individual congregations to decide whether to grant membership to non-Jews.
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The resolution was passed on March 1 during a Special Meeting of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism General Assembly held over the internet with electronic voting. The measure passed overwhelmingly by a vote of 94 to 8 with one abstention; 15 members did not vote, according to a statement from the USCJ.
“USCJ supports every affiliated kehillah in developing its own criteria for membership,” the resolution reads, using a Hebrew word for “congregation.”
“USCJ, as a valued and trusted partner, is committed to assisting welcoming, vibrant, and caring Jewish communities to fully engage the spiritual gifts of all community members. We celebrate the diversity among and within our kehillot and encourage the engagement of all those who seek a spiritual and communal home in an authentic and dynamic Jewish setting. We call on all of our kehillot to open their doors wide to all who want to enter. Let us strive to make the words of Isaiah a reality in our time: “My House will be called a house of prayer for all people” (Isaiah 56:7),” reads the commentary to the new standard.
The proposed resolution grew out of a commission set up last March to explore ways to engage intermarried couples.
The Conservative movement prohibits its rabbis from marrying or attending the wedding ceremonies of interfaith couples, though some of its synagogues celebrate intermarriages before they occur and welcome the couples afterward. In recent years, several Conservative rabbis have protested the intermarriage prohibition.
The change was endorsed by the major Conservative institutions in the United States, including the Rabbinical Assembly, the Jewish Theological Seminary and the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies.
Excellent! Whats the big deal?? Therye basically jews at heart. Americanized goyim allowing total goyim as their new congregants. None of them observe anything anyway. It shldnt serve as big news.
So open minded that their brains have fallen out.
I love the “kehilla”….
Personally I think this is great news, this will make it even clearer to all that conservative is basically no different than reform.
Their own beliefs notwithstanding….
They have allowed non Jews for years but unofficially now it will be official. Great
..and if one member feels like bringing in a cross or statue of the virgin to bow to …… why not .u cant insult members. let them do what they feel comfortable with
I guess they need the money badly!!
Who cares what they do? What is the big tsimmis anyway?
Vision of having pork in their chulent at their Shabbos Kiddish makes me feel like puking!!
I most say that I’m kinda shocked on the comments here in reference to this. Usually people on here would say, it’s all in the being a Jew in the heart or senseless statements of such.. So
Why not? The reform will soon accept dogs and cats as members to bolster their falling numbers. What the heck! Anything that brings warm bodies in to the Temple/Synagogue is fair.
We should not rejoice on this, but instead feel sorry for them. If you saw your son or daughter being among them, wouldn’t you feel sad? We should feel for the spiritual pain of our brothers and it should hurt us, that they have fallen so low. They are our brothers who are lost, and we should wish for their total return. Daven for them.
How much would it cost me to make a bark mitzvah there?
…PS to my post…they should also vote to allow Christenings for the non Jewish partner (cant say spouse because…you know the Sedom thing).Why hurt the feelings of a fellow human being, also its important to be inclusive
To #11 - Don’t laugh; I heard of a case on Long Island, back in the 1980’s, where a very lavish “Bark Mitzvah” party was held, for someone’s dog turning 13. Kenorhorah!!
why are they wearing yarmulkas…its not halacha (which is not relevant to them anyway). besides that they transgress the most severe mitzvos