Conservative Judaism/Judiasm Religion

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Expert: - 7/3/2006


Question
What are the top two current issues facing the Judiasm religion today?

Answer
Dear Jennifer,

Thanks for writing but you've asked an impossible question to answer. Every teacher, Rabbi and involved Jew would have different answers.

In my own opinion, among the two most pressing issues are:

(1) the inability of the Jewish community to work together on challenges of mutual interest - the high cost of Jewish education, the growing disparity of income in the Jewish community, increasing secularization of one part of the Jewish community and the increasing insularity of others.

(2) The decreasing sense of relationship between US Jews and Israel, while at the same time there is an increasing socio-economic split in Israel itself.

Good luck in searching out your answers. You might even want to tell me for what reasons you asked.

Rabbi Dov

Conservative Judaism

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Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner

Expertise

Write to me with questions about Jewish customs and law, history, philosophy and tradition for answers from a Conservative perspective or conversion. I am a graduate of The Jewish Theological Seminary and a member of the Conservative Rabbinical Assembly. Having served in congregational pulpits since 1970, I now am President of the Foundation For Family Education, Inc. a non-profit educational endeavor. I established it to create new formats of hands-on programs and provide free educational downloads at www.jewishfreeware.org. In addition to general informational questions I welcome your questions about programs for social action, outreach to dual-faith families, inter-faith clergy projects, healing services, education for conversion, adult education for the congregation and the community. If you have questions about Informal and Formal Education I am ready to share my extensive experience with Youth Activities, Camping and Religious School/Hebrew High School on a congregational, community and national/international level.

Experience

I have served on the National Youth Commission for more than 25 years and serve on the Boards of the Conservative Zionist movement MERCAZ and the World Council of Synagogues. I have always dual-families and taught candidates for conversion with a great sense of fulfillment. I am very proud of 25 years on the Jewish camping staff of Camps Ramah. My greatest source of pride is my family! Ask me about them, please!:-)

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