Thoughts on your synagogue?

All,

I greatly appreciate the passion and discussion and invitations that this thread has generated. I would just please ask that we keep the conversation civil and friendly. I'm very much looking forward to attending services at Oheb Shalom and Beth El in the near future.

bog said:

ram said:

Conservative synagogues are required by their association with the Conservative body to follow the rules on wko isa jew. So they can try to be welcoming but can not consider a child with a non jewish mother as jewish unless there is a conversion. Nor can a Conservative rabbi even attend a mixed marriage.

Odd...I thought the only true requirement of the conservative bodies was paying dues and not poaching rabbis from other dues paying members.

And while some conservative rabbis won't conduct a mixed religious marriage based on their beliefs, there is no real bar to attending any event. The conservative movement encompasses a pretty broad spectrum of technical interpretations so you really need to meet with the individual rabbis to see where they fall.

Actually while there are few reqirements for Conservative rabbis not attending mixed marriages is one.

ram said:

bog said:

ram said:

Conservative synagogues are required by their association with the Conservative body to follow the rules on wko isa jew. So they can try to be welcoming but can not consider a child with a non jewish mother as jewish unless there is a conversion. Nor can a Conservative rabbi even attend a mixed marriage.

Odd...I thought the only true requirement of the conservative bodies was paying dues and not poaching rabbis from other dues paying members.

And while some conservative rabbis won't conduct a mixed religious marriage based on their beliefs, there is no real bar to attending any event. The conservative movement encompasses a pretty broad spectrum of technical interpretations so you really need to meet with the individual rabbis to see where they fall.

Actually while there are few reqirements for Conservative rabbis not attending mixed marriages is one.

"Conservative rabbis are currently barred by the Rabbinical Assembly from officiating at, participating in, or even attending intermarriages, on pain of expulsion from the rabbinate."


Read more: http://forward.com/articles/188511/conservative-rabbis-set-to-debate-opening-the-door/?p=all#ixzz3JezcEWbs

AndrewL_0313 said:

I would just please ask that we keep the conversation civil and friendly.

The position on mixed marriages of the Rabbinic Assembly is not relevant to the conversation.

max - You are absolutely correct, and please excuse my distraction.

AndrewL_0313 - It's nice to have a choice between two wonderful shuls.

btw - I grew up in in a small town in western Pa. where there were 30 Jewish families. In 1953 they built a shul, which was conservative. It was a big thing when there was a bar mitzvah (there were no bas mitzvahs) because it meant that there was one more person who could make-up a minyan, particularly when somebody had a yartzheit.

I'm curious what the main differences are between the two Conservative locations

Have you visited or attended services at either one? That's where I would start. I'm an Oheb Shalom member and can put you in touch with the people whose job it is to liaison with prospective members, if you PM me.

I'm a Beth El member, feel free to PM me and I can put you in contact with our membership info people

mammabear said:

If you are an interfaith family, please check out each temple's policy on religious ceremonies and see how they handle non-Jewish parents/siblings/etc.

I've been a member of Oheb Shalom for 6+ years and I'm part of an interfaith family. My husband, who is Catholic, participates in our terrific Men's Club, religious events, he ran the Kosher Food Pantry for a while, and several times a year he's asked to participate in religious services from the Bima. He was made to feel very comfortable during our daughter's Bat Mitzvah as well. Whenever he walks in the door at Oheb, he is greeted with open arms and nothing but warmth. We love it here.

I'm considering Beth El from friends recommendations but there is so much compelling Oheb love here

RippleK et al. - just go to a few services and events at each synagogue and see which feels better to you. And don't forget, it's not (necessarily) a lifetime commitment!