Leader of Conservative Rabbis Expresses Commitment to Halacha

Rabbi Alexander Shapiro, the president of the Rabbinical Assembly, yesterday affirmed Conservative Jewry’s commitment to halacha and said the movement would continue to formulate policy based upon the wide spectrum of opinion within Conservative Jewry.

“Our approach to the halacha is determined by the interpretations made for us by the RA’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards representing a spectrum of opinions from far right and far left and everything in between, consisting of a group of people whose commitment to Torah and Mitzvot is beyond all doubt and whose wisdom is very much needed in these times,” Shapiro said.

Addressing the 85th annual meeting of the 1,200 member Conservative Rabbinic body, Shapiro, of South Orange, N.J., noted that the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards includes Rabbinic representatives of the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) of America and the United Synagogue of America.

Shapiro also declared in strong terms that Conservative Judaism will continue to maintain its upholding of halacha by recognizing only the lineage of the mother in determining Jewish status, unlike Reform Judaism which recognizes both the mother and father.

OPPOSES PATRILINEALISM

Shapiro said, “Our law committee has ruled clearly that there is no place in our movement and there is no halachic legitimacy for an affirmation of patrilinealism.” In his presidential address, Shapiro declared, “Our path will remain that of matrilinealism motivated as we all are by our concern for klal Israel — the unity of the Jewish people.”

In April 1983, shortly after the Reform movement adopted its position the Rabbinical Assembly’s Committee on Law and Standards voted 18-1 to reaffirm the matrilineal position.

Shapiro also announced that along with Dr. Gerson Cohen, chancellor of the JTS, a conference on ideology has been established consisting of 12 members — six from the RA and six from the Seminary “whose task it will be to discuss and debate” the nature of Conservative ideology as it affects us in the concluding years of the 20th century.”

The RA president made it clear that this means seeking the opinions of all members of the Conservative movement regardless of political ideology. “I call on all members of the Assembly not to turn away from each other in anger and resentment but rather on the spirit of Aaron to work together and preserve the strength of the Conservative movement that is both pluralistic, deeply spiritual and at peace with one another,” he declared.

ORTHODOX LEADER WARNS OF SCHISM

Meanwhile, the president of the Orthodox Rabbinical Council of America declared last night that unless all Jews maintain halachic standards in marriage, divorce and conversion, a vast part of the American Jewish community could disappear.

In an unprecedented appearance before the Conservative Rabbinic group, Rabbi Louis Bernstein added that if the schism between Orthodoxy and Conservative Judaism grows wider on matters of marriage, divorce and conversion, Orthodox Jews would not marry those Jews whose Judaism was questioned. He urged all Jews to maintain halachic standards.