Editing Conservative Judaism (section)

===Role===
Fidelity and commitment to ''[[Halakha]]'', while subject to criticism as disingenuous both from within and without, were and remain a cornerstone doctrine of Conservative Judaism.<ref>Neil Gillman, ''Doing Jewish Theology: God, Torah and Israel in Modern Judaism'', Jewish Lights, 2008. p. 188.; Dana Evan Kaplan, ''Contemporary American Judaism: Transformation and Renewal'', Columbia University Press, 2013. p. 123; Leonard Levin, [https://www.academia.edu/7818172 Is the “Halakhic Authenticity” of Conservative Judaism a Broken Myth?] in: Daniel Plevan ed., ''Personal Theology: Essays in Honor of Neil Gillman'', Academic Studies Press.</ref> The movement views the legalistic system as normative and binding, and believes Jews must practically observe its precepts, like Sabbath, dietary ordinances, ritual purity, daily prayer with [[Teffilin|phylacteries]] and the like. Concurrently, examining [[Jewish history]] and [[rabbinic literature]] through the lens of academic criticism, it maintained that these laws were always subject to considerable evolution, and must continue to do so. ''Emet ve-Emunah'' titled its chapter on the subject with "The Indispensability of Halakha", stating that "''Halakha'' in its developing form is an indispensable element of a traditional Judaism which is vital and modern." Conservative Judaism regards itself as the authentic inheritor of a flexible legalistic tradition, charging the Orthodox with petrifying the process and Reform with abandoning it.

The tension between "tradition and change"—which were also the motto adopted by the movement since the 1950s—and the need to balance them were always a topic of intense debate within Conservative Judaism. In its early stages, the leadership opposed pronounced innovation, mostly adopting a relatively rigid position. [[Mordecai Kaplan]]'s Reconstructionism raised the demand for thoroughgoing modification without much regard for the past or ''Halakhic'' considerations, but senior rabbis opposed him vigorously. Even in the 1940s and 1950s, when Kaplan's influence grew, his superiors rabbis [[Louis Ginzberg]], [[Louis Finkelstein]] and [[Saul Lieberman]] espoused a very conservative line. Since the 1970s, with the strengthening of the liberal wing within the movement, the majority in the Rabbinic Assembly opted for quite radical reformulations in religious conduct, but rejected the Reconstructionist ''Non-Halakhic'' approach, insisting that the legalistic method be maintained.<ref>Elazer, Minz-Geffen, pp. 63–65.</ref> The ''Halakhic'' commitment of Conservative Judaism has been subject to much criticism, from within and without. Right-wing discontents, including the [[Union for Traditional Judaism]] which seceded in protest of the 1983 resolution to ordain women rabbis—adopted at an open vote, where all JTS faculty regardless of qualification were counted—contested the validity of this description, as well as progressives like Rabbi [[Neil Gillman]], who exhorted the movement to cease describing itself as ''Halakhic'' in 2005, stating that after repeated concessions, "Our original claim has died a death by a thousand qualifications... It has lost all factual meaning."<ref>Gillman, ''Doing Jewish Theology'', p. 190.</ref>

The main body entrusted with formulating rulings, responsa and statues is the [[Committee on Jewish Law and Standards]] (CJLS), a panel with 25 voting legalistic specialists and further 11 observers. There is also the smaller ''Va'ad ha-Halakha'' (Law Committee) of Israel's Masorti Movement. Every responsa must receive a minimum of six voters to be considered an official position of the CJLS. Conservative Judaism explicitly acknowledges the principle of ''halakhic'' pluralism, enabling the panel to adopt more than one resolution in any given subject. The final authority in each Conservative community is the local rabbi, the ''Mara D'Atra'' (Lord of the Locality, in traditional terms), enfranchised to adopt either minority or majority opinions from the CJLS or maintain local practice. Thus, on the issue of admitting openly homosexual rabbinic candidates, the Committee approved two resolutions, one in favour and one against; the JTS took the lenient position, while the [[Seminario Rabinico Latinoamericano]] still adheres to the latter. Likewise, while most Conservative synagogues approved of egalitarianism for women in religious life, some still maintain traditional gender roles and do not count females for [[Minyan|prayer quorums]].