Modern Conservative Judaism
Evolving Thought and Practice
The Jewish Publication Society · Print & ebook · June 1, 2018
A major Conservative movement leader of our time, Elliot N. Dorff provides a personal, behind-the-scenes guide to the evolution of Conservative Jewish thought and practice over the last half century.
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- Who it’s for
- Rabbi Elliot N. Dorff traces Conservative Jewish thought and practice through debates, documents, and rabbinic rulings.
- Genres
- Conservative Judaism, Jewish Theology, Jewish History
- Published
- The Jewish Publication Society, June 1, 2018
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Start with this bookAbout this book
A major Conservative movement leader of our time, Elliot N. Dorff provides a personal, behind-the-scenes guide to the evolution of Conservative Jewish thought and practice over the last half century. His candid observations concerning the movement’s ongoing tension between constancy and change shed light on the sometimes unified, sometimes diverse, and occasionally contentious reasoning behind the modern movement’s most important laws, policies, and documents.
Continue reading
Meanwhile, he has assembled, excerpted, and contextualized the most important historical and internal documents in modern Conservative movement history for the first time in one place, enabling readers to consider and compare them all in context. In “Part 1: God” Dorff explores various ways that Conservative Jews think about God and prayer. In “Part 2: Torah” he considers different approaches to Jewish study, law, and practice; changing women’s roles; bioethical rulings on issues ranging from contraception to cloning; business ethics; ritual observances from online minyanim to sports on Shabbat; moral issues from capital punishment to protecting the poor; and nonmarital sex to same-sex marriage. In “Part 3: Israel” he examines Zionism, the People Israel, and rabbinic rulings in Israel.
Constancy and Change
Rabbi Elliot N. Dorff traces Conservative Jewish thought and practice through debates, documents, and rabbinic rulings.
Come here for
- Dorff’s account of tensions between constancy and change
- Historical and internal documents, excerpted and placed in context
Expect
- Three parts on God, Torah, and Israel
- Topics include prayer, Jewish law, bioethics, ritual, and Zionism
Where it sits
| Conservative Judaism | 99% |
|---|---|
| Jewish Theology | 43% |
| Jewish History | 42% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Jewish Rituals & Practice
- Conservative Judaism
- Authors
- Rabbi Elliot N. Dorff, Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, Elliot N. Dorff
- Publisher
- The Jewish Publication Society
- Published
- June 1, 2018
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Reading lane
- Jewish Rituals & Practice