The Living Waters of History
A historical novel about the Spanish Expulsion tells us as much about current reading trends as it does the lives of Jews in 15th-century Spain.
Cognitive Dissonance
Gordis replies to his critics and outlines his positive vision for the future. His proposal may surprise you.
Learning from History
Jonathan Sarna looks back at a time when both Reform and Orthodox Judaism in America seemed imperiled.
Building a Sukkah and the Call to Transcendence
David Starr says that Gordis asked the right question, but the answer may be harder than he thinks.
Eight Families and the 18 Percent
Whether it’s 18 percent or eight families, Gordon Tucker maintains “patience and tenaciousness change the world,” a fact that is lost when we focus on numbers.
Living in the USA
Moving to Israel has clouded Gordis’ ability to understand the American Jewish scene, argues Jeremy Kalmanofsky.
Judaism’s Feminist Future
For Judith Hauptman, the Conservative push for women’s rights holds the key to its future--and the future of Judaism as a whole.
Conservative Judaism Is Too Important to Fail
Susan Grossman acknowledges the movement’s failings, but sees more reason for hope than despair.
Nothing New Under the Sun
Elliot N. Dorff argues that numbers don’t dictate the strength of a movement, the power of its ideas do.
The Problem Is Not Ideological
Noah Benjamin Bickart of The Jewish Theological Seminary teaches Jews who are passionate about “an egalitarian, halakhic, yet non-fundamentalist Judaism,“ even though they may not call themselves Conservative Jews.