United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
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| Abbreviation | USCJ |
|---|---|
| Formation | February 23, 1913 |
| Founder | Rabbi Dr. Solomon Schechter |
| 13-1659707 | |
| Legal status | 501(c)(3) religious organization |
| Purpose | Religious |
| Headquarters | New York City |
| Location |
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| Coordinates | Coordinates: 40°45′03″N 73°58′16″W / 40.7507488°N 73.9710554°W |
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Region served
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North America |
| Services | Create, develop, and disseminate educational, religious, and Tikkun olam programming; Create communities of Conservative congregations throughout North America; Promote, nurture, and foster a vibrant Conservative Movement; Advocate for the congregations of the Conservative Movement; Strengthen the connections between North American Conservative Jews, the Jewish People, and the State of Israel. |
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Chief Executive Officer
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Rabbi Steven Wernick |
|
International President
|
Margo Gold |
| Affiliations | Conservative Judaism |
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Revenue (2015)
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$19,332,182 |
| Expenses (2015) | $15,370,930 |
| Endowment | $6,000,000 |
| Mission | To strengthen and serve our congregations and their members. |
| Website | www |
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Formerly called
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United Synagogue of America |
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ) is the primary organization of synagogues practicing Conservative Judaism in North America. It closely works with the Rabbinical Assembly, the international body of Conservative rabbis, the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies.
Representatives of twenty-two Jewish congregations in North America met at the Jewish Theological Seminary on 23 February 1913. The representatives formed the United Synagogue of America to develop and perpetuate Conservative Judaism. The group elected Rabbi Dr. Solomon Schechter the first president.
The name of the organization was changed to the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism in 1991.
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism has 594 affiliated congregations as of 2015[update].
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism works in the fields of Jewish education, youth activities, congregational standards and action and Israel affairs, and published the magazine United Synagogue Review.
Historically, the Jewish Theological Seminary has taken the leadership role in the Conservative movement (unlike the Reform movement, whose congregational organization has dominated its rabbinical school).
The diminished number of affiliated congregations noted above raised serious concern in the first decade of the century as new congregational forms, often populated by people who were educated in the Conservative movement, have become popular. The Conservative movement is perceived to have lost its uniqueness as its once-path-finding ideology of tradition and change has spread to and become a bedrock assumption of the Reform, Reconstructionist and "Renewal" groups, where services use Hebrew and traditional prayers, (often in updated versions) where study of traditional texts is considered important, where halakha is treated with both respect and flexibility, and where egalitarian gender practices prevail.
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