Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are that of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Union for Traditional Judaism, unless otherwise indicated.
Do I Belong in UTJ?
QUESTION:
I don’t feel I fit in to the Conservative movement, but I am searching for something more doable for my family than modern day Orthodoxy. Do I belong as part of UTJ?
ANSWER:
As a Vice President of UTJ who was ordained through its Institute of Traditional Judaism, I say yes. [I’m speaking for myself but with input from several other UTJ members.] I feel that UTJ has a lot to offer Jews across the denominational spectrum who are interested in a down-to-earth approach to Torah and halakhah.
One of the advantages of being small and transdenominational is that there is room for lots of people even if one doesn’t agree with every stance our organization might take. Our position is that halakhah defines what God expects of us, but being an amalgamation of old-school Conservative folks and left-wing/Modern Orthodox folks, we have a healthy respect for people who are not (or are not yet) observant and believe it is important to speak to and with such people and seek to draw such people toward halakhic observance.
Note that I think UTJ takes a specific view of how halakhah functions. We view halakhah as the result of reasoned analysis of the rabbinic sources (while different members of UTJ have different views of what such reasoned analysis might be), taking both history and modernity into account but giving neither veto power over halakhah. This sometimes distinguishes us from others who, at least in my view, have a greater tendency to either assume the validity and authority of contemporary thought on the one side or to insist on maintaining the status quo on the other side.
I believe our organizational structure allows us to respond to questions in a way that is less constricted by denominational labels and also to be more open to a diverse range of views within our halakhic approach.
In a way, your question reminds me of another question of whether a convert must be fully halakhically observant for the conversion to be valid. On this subject, see my drasha at https://utj.org/viewpoints/parashat/yom-kippur-committing-to-torah/ which relies heavily on thoughts from UTJ President Rabbi David Novak. In truth, that question is inherently flawed, as none of us is 100% observant (thank God for teshuva, repentance). The question really is whether the convert accepts that s/he is expected to observe halakhah. If you believe that halakhah expresses God’s will, that it takes modernity into account but is not beholden to it (nor allergic to it), then you have a place in UTJ.
To join UTJ visit https://utj.org/join-us/. You can also donate at https://utj.org/donate/.
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Ordained by the UTJ’s Institute of Traditional Judaism in 2004, Rabbi Noah Gradofsky has remained a steadfast member, serving for years as a member of the UTJ Executive Board, the board of Morashah - UTJ's rabbinic fellowship - and as chairman of the UTJ conference committee.
Rabbi Gradofsky served as a full-time rabbi at Temple Israel in Long Beach, NY, for 6 years and has since served a number of synagogues on a contract basis. He is also a full-time practicing attorney.
Rabbi Gradofsky is also a moderator of the UTJ Facebook group, and he is a prolific writer on Jewish law and sociological topics affecting the religious Jewish community. Among his essays and writings are:
To learn more about Rabbi Gradofsky and access any essays not yet included in Viewpoints, go to: www.e-ark.net
Rabbi Gradofsky is married to Dr. Melissa Klapper and lives in the Philadelphia area.