Union for Traditional Judaism
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The Union for Traditional Judaism is a non-denominational Jewish communal services organization. It was founded by traditionalists within Conservative Judaism who broke with the movement because of ideological differences, including the way in which Jewish law changes (Halakhic Process) and the issue of admitting women to the rabbinate. The UTJ, as it is known, sees itself as trans-denominational, and works to encourage traditional observance among all Jews.
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[edit] Origins
The Union for Traditional Judaism, originally known as the Union for Traditional Conservative Judaism, began as a rabbinic rather than a lay movement. It was founded by a group of traditionalist Conservative rabbis, led by former Jewish Theological Seminary Talmud professor David Weiss Halivni, who broke away from the Conservative movement after the Jewish Theological Seminary faculty voted to ordain women as rabbis in 1983.
Rabbi Halivni had written a responsum supporting the ordination of women as rabbis, although by a more gradual process than the one approved by the JTS faculty. Halivni and other traditionalists claimed that in this and other decisions the Conservative movement had made decisions to change from traditional practices in a legislative rather than a judicial fashion, by poll or majority vote. Traditionalists believed that halakhic decision-making should be made by Talmud and Halakha scholars following a process of legal reasoning.
The Union originally intended to form the elements of a separate denomination, including an association of rabbis, a rabbinical school, and an association of synagogues. The organization abandoned this approach after it failed to attract large numbers of synagogues to its synagogue organization or large numbers of rabbinical students to its rabbinical school.
[edit] Beliefs and Practices
For more information please see links below.
[edit] The Institute of Traditional Judaism/The Metivta
The Institute of Traditional Judaism, also known as the Metivta, is the rabbinical school sponsored by the UTJ. The Metivta trains men for the rabbinate, and also offer study programs for men and women which do not lead to ordination.
Graduates of the rabbinical program have been hired by both Conservative and Orthodox synagogues.
[edit] Important Figures
David Weiss Halivni - Rabbi, talmud scholar, and Reish Metivta of the UTJ's rabbinical school.
David Novak - Rabbi and theologian. He currently teaches at the University of Toronto and the Institute of Traditional Judaism.
[edit] External links
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