Yesterday I was on the phone for 80 minutes with other Regional President of the Rabbinical Assembly (the union and support network for Conservative Rabbis around the world). A few things stand out.
First, the Conservative Movement is almost done creating a new mahzor (High Holiday Prayerbook). It will be ready not this year, but for High Holidays 2010. I hope it will be a significant upgrade to the Harlow prayerbook. I like Harlow for my personal use - it's clear print, all the basics and some good translations and supplemental readings. But I hope there will be more transliterations and supplemental readings along with the full confessionalsand options for some of the piyyutim (medieval poems) that were in the old Silverman book ,but removed from the present mahzor.
Second, we heard a lot about the recent convention in Israel. I wish I had the money to go. The big center of tension was a resolution which passed - to encourage aliyah from Conservative Jews in the US to Israel. At a time of economic and spiritual stress, it seems a good risk to reconnect ourseles to Klal Yisrsael (The Larger Community of Israel) and to the Land of Israel - for the benefit of all the Jewish people. It was also interesting to hear about planning for next year's RA Convention which is still up in the air because of costs.
Last, an maybe most exciting: the RA is looking into technological solutions to time and distance. With today's technology we should really be able to study together - not only to listen to each other over the phone, but to have text displayed on our computer screens and the teacher on a camera live over the net. To be able to dialogue and learn with and from our colleagues and teachers not just a conventions or training institutes ... would be a spiritual and professional enhancement to our sacred work.
First, the Conservative Movement is almost done creating a new mahzor (High Holiday Prayerbook). It will be ready not this year, but for High Holidays 2010. I hope it will be a significant upgrade to the Harlow prayerbook. I like Harlow for my personal use - it's clear print, all the basics and some good translations and supplemental readings. But I hope there will be more transliterations and supplemental readings along with the full confessionalsand options for some of the piyyutim (medieval poems) that were in the old Silverman book ,but removed from the present mahzor.
Second, we heard a lot about the recent convention in Israel. I wish I had the money to go. The big center of tension was a resolution which passed - to encourage aliyah from Conservative Jews in the US to Israel. At a time of economic and spiritual stress, it seems a good risk to reconnect ourseles to Klal Yisrsael (The Larger Community of Israel) and to the Land of Israel - for the benefit of all the Jewish people. It was also interesting to hear about planning for next year's RA Convention which is still up in the air because of costs.
Last, an maybe most exciting: the RA is looking into technological solutions to time and distance. With today's technology we should really be able to study together - not only to listen to each other over the phone, but to have text displayed on our computer screens and the teacher on a camera live over the net. To be able to dialogue and learn with and from our colleagues and teachers not just a conventions or training institutes ... would be a spiritual and professional enhancement to our sacred work.
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