The innovations introduced by the Conservative movement in synagogue services were never “intended to be more than expedients for a far greater objective” and thus should not be confused with the aims and goals of the movement, the United Synagogue of America, central body of Conservative Judaism, was told today by its executive director, Rabbi Bernard Segal. Among these innovations he listed: family pews, organ music, English reading and cantors facing their congregations.
Dr. Segal spoke at the opening session of the biennial convention of the organization which has drawn more than 1, 000 delegates from 630 affiliated congregations in the United States and Canada to the Concord Hotel here. The convention will last through No member 21. Dr Segal and Slan M. Stroock, chairman of the board of directors of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, spoke on the convention theme: “Lengthen Thy Cords and Deepen They Stakes” from Isaiah.
The greatest danger the Conservative movement has always faced, Dr. Segal said, has been the tendency on the part of many of our people to confuse means for objectives. In the aim to establish a more dignified and meanful service we have introduced a number of innovations which in themselves were never intended to be more than expedients for a far greater objective.
Many of our people, ” he went on, “have begun to look upon these expedients as the sum and substance of the Conservative movement. Is it not true that the ultimate objective in the minds of the founders of the United Synagogue was to deepen our stakes in the study of Torah with the view of leading us to comments to live by the teaching of the Torah? If that is so, let us re-examine our program to determine to what extent the various expedients we have introduced are really helping us attain our purposes.”
The delegates were told of extensive and continuing growth of the movement during the past two years since the last convention, with 130 new congregations joining the United Synagogue, as against 101 in the previous two years. The new member congregations will be inducted at the convention. The president of the United Synagogue, Charles Rosengarten presided at the opening banquet, and introductory remarks were made by Herman Levin chairman of the convention committee.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
