Despite a history of openness towards the GLBTQA community and initial signs that the Conservative movement’s law committee would be welcomed, campus Conservative Jews remain divided over the implications of the movement’s recent decision toward greater inclusion of gays and lesbians, which came with two responsa challenging homosexuality.
“What I see this doing is splitting the movement,” said senior Rachael Kaplan, a Conservative Jew. “It seems very contradictory to say that we believe two different things.”
“The power of human experience must inform the dynamic and creative development of Jewish law, as law responds to what Rabbi Judith Hauptman calls ‘evolving ethical sensibilities,’” said Aaron Weininger, a senior and Conservative Jew. “Our intuitions, based on the truths we discover today, call upon us to respond with mercy and justice as we make space for God to dwell in our midst.”
In a consensus statement to CampusJ, the WU Conservative Minyan committee stated that although “this is a decision which may cause some people to leave [the movement], the long term effect will take quite some time to play out as the details begin to be dealt with of implementation.”
The statement also explained that many Conservative Jews on Campus were initially confused over the meaning of the law committee’s decision and expressed a commitment to its tradition of welcoming GLBTQA Jews through joint programming with Keshet.
To the generation of Conservative Jews who were raised after the movement became fully egalitarian, this represents one of the first major halachic disputes and looks to present a similar identity crisis as was faced by the movement upon adopting egalitarianism.
“For people like me, having a woman count in a minyan seems as traditional as having Shabbat dinner, since I grew up with both. Of course I know that the former is very recent, but I never felt that,” said Alex Freedman, JSU President and a traditional Conservative Jew.
Freedman continued, “This CJLS decision represents the first major break from that tradition. It forces me, and I assume others in my position, to ask myself: to what degree should Halacha develop with the times?”
More liberal members of the movement, however, saw the newly adopted teshuvot as a logical extension of their values and understanding of Judaism.
“The argument made for a more inclusive position was very convincing. I think the other arguments were made in good faith, but I just don’t accept some of the assertions behind them,” said Margaux Buck, a conservative student and member of Keshet.
To senior Aaaron Weininger, a life-long Conservative Jew looking to pursue a career in the Rabbinate, the recent decision has opened doors. As an openly gay student, Weininger cannot be admitted to the Jewish Theological Seminary under the current admissions procedures.
Weininger has been active in the national effort to lobby for the change of those procedures. Among other efforts, Weininger is a signatory to an October 2006 petition by Congregation Netivot Shalom which asks that the United Synagogue’s hiring practices be changed.
“I am hopeful that my lending a human face to this issue will help people realize that we must look into the eyes of all Jews with the same depth and love with which we look into the process of interpreting Jewish law,” said Weininger.