Conservadox
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Conservadox is the term occasionally applied to describe either individuals or congregations located on the religious continuum somewhere between the
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
and
Modern Orthodox Modern may refer to: History *Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Philosoph ...
wings of
American Jewry American Jews or Jewish Americans are Americans, American citizens who are Jews, Jewish, whether by culture, ethnicity, nationality, or Judaism, religion. Today the Jewish community in the United States consists primarily of Ashkenazi Jews, who ...
. The epithet "Traditional" is also sparingly used for roughly the same sector, as in the
Union for Traditional Judaism The Union for Traditional Judaism, founded in 1984, is a traditional, Halakhic Jewish outreach and communal service organization. It initially called itself "The Union for Traditional Conservative Judaism" but dropped "Conservative" from its tit ...
. Until the 1970s, traditional Conservative and liberal Orthodox synagogues had a substantial area of overlap, with many congregations calling themselves either Orthodox or Conservative having a similar combination of a traditional liturgy in a synagogue with mixed gender seating, together with traditional but lenient or lax personal observance among the membership. "Orthodox" and "Conservative" congregations could be almost identical in liturgy and practices, with a substantial interdenominational blurring. Changes in both the Conservative and Orthodox movements came to distinguish both more clearly, leaving an increasing gap in between. Beginning in 1973, the Conservative movement began more actively involving women in services, and following the Conservative decision to ordain women as Rabbis in 1983, ritual
egalitarianism Egalitarianism (), or equalitarianism, is a school of thought within political philosophy that builds from the concept of social equality, prioritizing it for all people. Egalitarian doctrines are generally characterized by the idea that all hu ...
became a distinguishing characteristic of Conservative synagogues. Although a small minority of Conservative congregations continue to maintain traditional roles, the minority became very small (10% or less) by the end of the 20th century. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the Conservative movement moved leftward on a variety of liturgical and social issues, shortening services, changing the traditional liturgy, developing new rules for women, and supporting liberal positions on such issues as abortion, homosexuality, public religion displays, and more. More traditional Conservative synagogues became an ever-shrinking minority. On the Orthodox side, in the 1980s, the
Orthodox Union The Orthodox Union (abbreviated OU) is one of the largest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. Founded in 1898, the OU supports a network of synagogues, youth programs, Jewish and Religious Zionist advocacy programs, programs for ...
, the principal
Modern Orthodox Modern may refer to: History *Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Philosoph ...
organization of synagogues, began requiring member synagogues which previously had mixed seating to build a
mechitza A ''mechitza'' ( he, מחיצה, partition or division, pl.: , ) in Judaism, is a partition, particularly one that is used to separate men and women. The rationale in halakha (Jewish law) for a partition dividing men and women is derived from ...
with separate seating for men and women or de-affiliate, thus creating an irreconcilable physical distinction between the most liberal OU synagogues and the most traditional Conservative ones. Beth Midrash Hagadol-Beth Joseph in
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was the last remaining OU-affiliated synagogue to have mixed seating, having reached a compromise with the organization in 1988 to retain its status if a gender-segregated minyan was also held on the Sabbath. In 2015, when the OU changed course and began planning to expel BMH-BJ, the synagogue made the decision to disaffiliate. In addition, social trends in Judaism and in the larger society have reflected an increased rightward trend in Orthodoxy, including Modern, on matters of both ritual and social outlook. The
Haredi Haredi Judaism ( he, ', ; also spelled ''Charedi'' in English; plural ''Haredim'' or ''Charedim'') consists of groups within Orthodox Judaism that are characterized by their strict adherence to ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions, in oppos ...
segment, which believes in separation from secular culture and in a pronounced distinction between men and women has had increasing influence.Chaim L. Waxman
Winners and Losers in Denominational Memberships in the United States
Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
As a result, those who a generation ago could feel comfortable in either an Orthodox or a Conservative setting, have become increasingly isolated from both as the gap between the two has widened. This trend has resulted in attempts to experiment in new organizations and liturgical styles at both the right of Conservatism and the left of Orthodoxy to appeal to this constituency. "Conservadox Jews" are largely a North American phenomenon, although similar trends can be identified in Israel and Europe. Congregations of a "Conservadox" persuasion have formed affiliations such as the
Union for Traditional Judaism The Union for Traditional Judaism, founded in 1984, is a traditional, Halakhic Jewish outreach and communal service organization. It initially called itself "The Union for Traditional Conservative Judaism" but dropped "Conservative" from its tit ...
in the United States and the
Canadian Council of Conservative Synagogues Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
.


See also

*
Open Orthodoxy Open Orthodoxy is a Jewish religious movement with increased emphasis on intellectual openness and a more expansive role for Judaism and women, women. The term was coined in 1997 by Avi Weiss, who views ''halakha'' (Jewish law) as permitting more ...


References


Frequently asked questions site of Soc.Culture.Jewish newsgroups
*Samuel G. Freedman ''Jew vs. Jew: The Struggle for the Soul of American Jewry'', Simon & Schuster, 2001 *Leah Furman, ''Single Jewish Female: A Modern Guide to Sex and Dating'', Perigree, 2004. Jewish religious movements Jews and Judaism in the United States Conservative Judaism Modern Orthodox Judaism