Leadership Council of Conservative Judaism
Encyclopedia
The Leadership Council of Conservative Judaism, also known as the LCCJ, is a council made up of members of the various arms of the Conservative movement
, a formal movement within the Jewish denomination of Conservative Judaism
.
LCCJ representatives meet twice a year at The Jewish Theological Seminary of America
, in New York City
, to co-ordinate on issues of movement-wide concern.
One of the first projects approved by the LCCJ was Emet Ve-Emunah: Statement of Principles of Conservative Judaism, published in 1988. For much of the Conservative movement's history, the movement avoided publishing systematic explications of faith. This was a conscious attempt to hold together a wide coalition. This concern largely became a non-issue after the left-wing of the movement seceded in 1968 to form the Reconstructionist Judaism
movement, and after the right-wing seceded in 1985 to form the Union for Traditional Judaism
. In 1988, the nascent LCCJ gave its imprinteur toEmet Ve-Emunah: Statement of Principles of Conservative Judaism. In accord with classical rabbinic Judaism, it agrees that Jews must hold certain beliefs. However, since the Jewish community never developed any one binding catechism, it is impossible to pick out only one person's formal creed and hold it as binding. Instead, Emet Ve-Emunah allows for a range of Jewish beliefs that Conservative rabbis believe are authentically Jewish and justifiable.
Over time the LCCJ came to include all of the following organizations
[Statement on National Health Care] - 1992
Conservative movement
Conservative movement may refer to:*Conservatism - Political philosophy*Conservative Judaism - A Jewish denomination, unrelated to political ideology....
, a formal movement within the Jewish denomination of Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
.
LCCJ representatives meet twice a year at The Jewish Theological Seminary of America
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary of America is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.JTS operates five schools: Albert A...
, in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, to co-ordinate on issues of movement-wide concern.
One of the first projects approved by the LCCJ was Emet Ve-Emunah: Statement of Principles of Conservative Judaism, published in 1988. For much of the Conservative movement's history, the movement avoided publishing systematic explications of faith. This was a conscious attempt to hold together a wide coalition. This concern largely became a non-issue after the left-wing of the movement seceded in 1968 to form the Reconstructionist Judaism
Reconstructionist Judaism
Reconstructionist Judaism is a modern American-based Jewish movement based on the ideas of Mordecai Kaplan . The movement views Judaism as a progressively evolving civilization. It originated as a branch of Conservative Judaism, before it splintered...
movement, and after the right-wing seceded in 1985 to form the Union for Traditional Judaism
Union for Traditional Judaism
The Union for Traditional Judaism is an ostensibly non-denominational Jewish educational, outreach and communal service organization. The UTJ, as it is known, sees itself as trans-denominational, and works to encourage traditional observance among all Jews. The UTJ maintains various educational...
. In 1988, the nascent LCCJ gave its imprinteur toEmet Ve-Emunah: Statement of Principles of Conservative Judaism. In accord with classical rabbinic Judaism, it agrees that Jews must hold certain beliefs. However, since the Jewish community never developed any one binding catechism, it is impossible to pick out only one person's formal creed and hold it as binding. Instead, Emet Ve-Emunah allows for a range of Jewish beliefs that Conservative rabbis believe are authentically Jewish and justifiable.
Over time the LCCJ came to include all of the following organizations
- [Cantors Assembly], Hazzan [Steven Stoehr], President
- [Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs], Dr. Robert Braitman, President
- [Jewish Educators Assembly], Lonna Picker, President
- [Jewish Theological Seminary], Prof. [Arnold Eisen], Chancellor
- [Masorti Foundation], Gloria Bieler, Earl Greinetz, Co-chairs, Board of Directors
- [Masorti Olami] , Alan H. Silberman, President
- [Mercaz USA], Rabbi Vernon Kurtz, President
- [NAASE], Glenn Easton, President
- [Rabbinical Assembly], Rabbi Alvin Berkun, President
- National Ramah Commission, [Camp Ramah], Morton Steinberg, President
- [Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies], Rabbi [David Golinkin], President
- [Solomon Schechter Day School Association], Andrew Cohen, President
- [United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism], Dr. Raymond B. Goldstein, President
- [Women’s League for Conservative Judaism], Gloria Cohen, President
- [Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies], Rabbi [Bradley Shavit Artson], Dean
LCCJ Statements
[Statement on National Health Care] - 1992
[Statement on Intermarriage] - 1995
[Knesset bill to nullify court ruling on our rabbis] - Attempt by Orthodox Jews to circumvent Israeli High Court rulings on the seating of Conservative and Reform rabbinical nominees to local religious councils.
[Religious Councils Bill in Israel] - 1999 - Attempt to delegitimize Conservative Judaism in [Israel] by Orthodox political parties.
[Statement on 9/11 and Rosh HaShanah] - 2001
[Not accepting Conservative conversions in Israel] - 2002 Statement on attempts by Orthodox Jews and the then Interior Minister of [Israel] to violate Israeli law, and not allow Conservative converts to Judaism to be accepted as Jews.
[Statement on Israel Self-Defense and Peace] - 2006