Mail.Liberal-Judaism

• Robert Kaiser <rkaiser1@msn.com>

From: Robert Kaiser <rkaiser1@msn.com>
Date: Mon, 9 Jul 2001 23:16:29 -0400
Subject: New Conservative Jewish Teshuvot (responsa)

In 1997 Rabbi David Golinkin wrote "As has been pointed out on numerous
occasions, the Conservative rabbis of North America have written hundreds of
teshuvot but have not succeeded in publishing them.  In recent years we have
begun to rememdy this situation by publishing indices, monographs and complete
volumes of Conservative responsa."

Since that time the Conservative movement and the Masorti movement (in
Israel) have finally begun to address this issue in a serious way. Many
volumes of Conservative and Masorti teshuvot and halakhic studies are now
available (about 15), and more are being edited for release in the next year. 
Just last week I received the new CJLS volume, and I thought that list readers
may appreciate learning about these recent releases.

All of the following books are in English.  Some of these books are
available from Amazon.Com.  In addition to the teshuvot available in these
works, many teshuvot by Conservative and Masorti rabbis can be found in the
pages of "Conservative Judaism" and "JTS Magazine".

(1) "Responsa in a Moment: Halakhic Responses to Contemporary Issues", pb,
410, David Golinkin, The Institute of Applied Halakhah at the Schechter
Institute of Jewish Studies [Jerusalem, Israel, 2000]  Available from the
Masorti movement.

Covers these topics: Why do Jews sway when they pray?; Returning
territories for the sake of peace; Institutionalizing parents with
Alzheimer's disease; Torah study vs. earning a living; Investigating
charities to which we contribute; Telling the truth to terminal patients;
Genetic engineering; The kashrut of veal raised on factory farms; Is it a
mitzvah to make aliyah?; The Assasination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin z"l;
Is smoking prohibited by Jewish law?

(2) "Life & Death Responsibilities in Jewish Biomedical Ethics", HC, Ed.
Aaron L. Mackler, JTS, 2000

This publication contains 32 chapters, offering law committee teshuvot
written between 1975 and 2000.  Topics include artificial insemination;
in-vitro fertilization; surrogate motherhood; abortion; medical care at the
end of life and care for the terminally ill; assisted suicide and euthanasia;
organ transplants; autopsy; responsibilities for the provision of health care;
genetic engineering and smoking.

(3) "Proceedings of the Committe on Jewish Law and Standards of the
Conservative Movement  1986 - 1990"  The Rabbinical Assembly, 2001.
Available from the United Synagogue Book Service.  Contains 47 teshuvot and
responses, covering the following subjects: Surrogate motherhood; Smoking; six
papers relating to the treatment of terminally ill patients; On the conversion
of adopted and patrilineal children; three papers on "may a conversion
obtained through deceit be annuled?"; The use of all wines; 2 papers on the
kashering of glass cookware; Creating co-ops   for kosher meat; the Rabbinical
Assembly ketubah text in Hebrew and English; On the status of missing persons;
two papers on mourning in the case of the death of a newborn, and in the case
of a loss of a fetus due to miscarriage; Cremation in the Jewish tradition;
the kashrut of peanuts for Pesach; Does milk need a kosher l'pesah label?; The
status of Ethiopian Jews (Falashas); 2 papers on the use of a remote
audio/video monitor on Shabbat and Yom Tov; May a Shabbat service be
audio-taped or video-taped?; Shabbat and Brit Milah; Rabbinic supervision of
Jewish owned businesses operating on Shabbat;  Should bakeries which are open
on Shabbat be supervised?; 3 papers on triennieal system for reading the
Torah; 2 papers on the status of daughters of Kohanim and Leviyim for aliyot;
Kohen or Rishon?; 2 papers on may a synagogue issue interest bearing bonds?;
Stricture against issuing congratulation for mixed marriagess; prohibition of
allowing an intermarriage reception to be held in Conservative synagogues;
Blowing the Shofar after Ma'ariv following Yom Kippur; May an avowed atheist
serve as a Sheliah tzibur?; Synagogue policy concerning bringing foods
prepared at home into the synagogue; The inckusion of the names of the
Matriarchs in the Amida; Joint Conservative-Reform religious schools; On the
use of synagogues by Christian groups on a temporary basis; Yom HaShoah
commerations and creating new brachot. 584 pages.

Conservative rabbis are currently editing more volumes of teshuvot to be
released within the next two years, including:

(a) "Proceedings of the Committe on Jewish Law and Standards of the
Conservative Movement  1991 - 2000".  The secretary of the CJLS is
currently editing a large number of CJLS responsa to be published in a 2 or 3
volume set sometime within the next year.

(b) Responsa of the Va'ad Halakhah of the Rabbinical Assembly of Israel:
Volume 7

(c) "Responsa and Halakhic Studies" Rabbi Isaac Klein.  The first edition
(Ktav, 1975) is no longer in print, but a second augmented edition is being
prepared by Rabbi Golinkin, and should be published within a year or so.

(d) The Masorti movement is preparing a number of volumes of responsa
anthologies, on various topics, in Hebrew and Russian.  Contact the Masorti
movement for a listing of what they currently have available.

(e) A variety of responsa and halakhic studies by Conservative rabbis are
periodically published in "Conservative Judaism" and in "JTS Magazine".  To
subscribe to these publications, or read some articles for free online, go to
the following websites:

http://www.rabassembly.org/
http;//www.jtsa.edu/

Other volumes of Conservative responsa are available.  Feel free to write to
me for a complete list.

United Synagogue Book Service   (212) 533-7800, ext. 2003
Rapaport House, 155 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
http://www.uscj.org/

The Jewish Theological Seminary of America   (212) 678-8842
JTS Publications, 3080 Broadway, New York, NY  10027
http://www.jtsa.edu/

The Masorti Movement
http://www.masorti.org/
schechter@schechter.org.il

Shalom,

Robert Kaiser

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"It is not our task as liberal Jews to complain about the Orthodox attitude or to be bullied by it, but rather to choose our legitimate path according to the inner logic and development of liberal Judaism" (Rabbi Walter Jacob)

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