Almost all the Jewish people I know personally are either Reform or secular. I know a small number of Orthodox Jews, and, of course, there are prominent Orthodox Jews that are subject to considerable media coverage (Joseph Lieberman, Jack Abramoff). But I have never met any Conservative Jews nor do I seem to hear of any Conservative Jews in the media. Are Conservative Jews rarer than the other types? Are there prominent Jewish people who are Conservative that for some reason I haven’t noticed?
The National Jewish Population Survey 2000-01 says that 33% of US Jews who are affiliated with a synagogue are affiliated with a Conservative synagogue, and that 26% of adult Jews in the US consider themselves Conservative.
Perhaps it’s a matter of self definition: the Conservatives are the moderate, centrist branch of U.S. Jewry, and like moderate centrists everywhere aren’t that eager to push their beliefs. For instance, I myself could be called a “Conservative Jew”, although that’s not really how I see myself - in my own eyes, I’m just a moderately religious Jew who prefers to go to a Conservative shul.
We don’t do some of the things that make Orthodox Jews stand out. Most of our men don’t wear yarmulkes or hats all the time, or have side curls or beards, and most of our women don’t wear long skirts all the time or cover our hair. If you saw me walking along the street, you wouldn’t have any way of knowing that I’m Jewish, unless I happened to be wearing some Judaica jewelry (which I don’t do every day).
I agree to some extent with Alessan. I’m not religious at all, but when I go to synagogue I like to go to the conservative ones. They are the ones I feel the most at home in, in terms of the style of prayer.
Many of the largest synagogues around here (S.F. Bay Area) are conservative.
Ed
This is how I feel. I am almost totally secular, but I dislike the Reform services that I grew up with and started attending conservative synagogues as a teenager (and going through what I now think of as my “religious phase”). Since then I have become less and less relegious, but still would go to a conservative shul if I was to go.
Though I might like the Reconstructionists. They have always seemed like wacky hippie jews to me, but I had a Reconstructionist room mate for a while and he more or less changed my mind. There just aren’t any reconstructionist temples for me to check out in my area.
I wonder how many Jews are not affiliated with a synagogue at all. Most Jewish 20-somethings I know are not (unless you count a single Bar or Bat Mitzvah, and even then).
The NJPS says 46% of Jews in the US have a membership in a synagogue.
So it seems that the proportion is substantial. It leaves me wondering why I don’t seem to know any.
I spent an interesting evening with an Orthodox work buddy. He couldn’t eat at any of the nearby restaurants. So we went to 7-Eleven – that’s when I learned that most packaged junk food is kosher.
My wife and kids are not affiliated and I doubt they ever will be. My daughter is already agnostic or atheist in fact. I’m was baptized RCC but I am agnostic. My wife and son attend her cousins’ Bar & Bat Mitzvahs. My daughter and I won’t any more. These cousins mostly belong to conservative synagogues but like Anne Neville you would never know it on most days.
My guess is that you do in fact know quite a few, and just don’t realize it.
And because of this, many of the Conservative Jews that acsenray sees are mistakenly presumed to be either non-Jews or Reform Jews.
Well, when I get to know someone, I usually end up asking about their background. And if they’re Jewish, I ask what kind. So far, I’ve gotten the answers “Orthodox,” “Reform,” and “secular,” but never “Conservative.” So I’m not presuming anything.
Ok, sorry.