Opinions - NOT Positions

In my last post I discussed the process of writing opinion papers for the Committee of Jewish Law and Standards. The four papers on homosexuality are currently under review and rewrite. People think that ultimately, one of those papers will be voted on, and if approved become a standard for the Conservative Movement. That’s not, however, the way this works. The Law Committee does not legislate the standards for the Conservative Movement.

That’s because we are pluralistic. What the Law Committee does, on any matter of Jewish law that it addresses, is write opinions. Opinions, not positions. When a paper that has been written by a member of the Law Committee is approved by 6 of the 24 voting members, it becomes an “opinion” of the Law Committee. Conservative Rabbis in the field (like me) can then decide whether to abide by and implement the opinion, or not. Essentially, the Law Committee functions for the Rabbis, not for the Movement as a whole. For instance, an opinion paper was written on aspects of women’s participation in services. Some, (in fact, most) Conservative Rabbis used these opinions as the basis for implementing change in their congregations. I was guided by these opinions when I brought Beth El to egalitarianism. However, other Rabbis did not implement these changes because they did not “buy into” the opinions. That’s why some Conservative shuls remain non-egalitarian.

Pluralism might be a tough concept for some folks to grasp. People would like to say, “This is what the Movement stands for.” When it comes to individual positions and practices this is tough because we lack true uniformity. Ours is a Movement that doesn’t just tolerate, but encourages diversity. But, to my mind, this is as it should be. We are a Movement made up of modern individuals who take Jewish Law seriously. How that translates into practice will vary from shul to shul depending on the direction the Rabbi chooses to lead. His or her leadership, in turn, will be very much a reflection of the dedicated Jews he or she serves. These new opinions, if adopted, will contribute to even greater diversity. The issue at hand pushes the definition of diversity even further, perhaps further than it’s ever been pushed before, and that’s what makes it so controversial. But I, for one, hope that our Movement widens the spiritual space beneath our great tent enough to make room for all dedicated Jews, regardless of sexual orientation.