Dr. Michael Cohen's talk

I really liked Dr. Cohen’s talk about the beginnings of the Conservative movement, though at the end I found myself wanting to know more. Judaism and all of its depth is so interesting to me. Spiritually I find a connection with its teachings, but culturally and educationally I always find myself wanting more (hence the Jewish Studies minor). This brief history of the movement was very well explained, especially in light of the blurred lines and beliefs that came with it. I wish we had time to learn more about Schecter, whose name I have heard my entire life but have known nothing about. As I said in the question/answer period, I want to know more about what those blurred lines really consist of between the movements, and why it is that people disagree over those topics. Maybe we could even have a class on why the famous people in Judaism, be it Schecter or the others whose names we hear everywhere, are actually famous. The most intriguing discussions are the ones which open up all sorts of possibilities for further research, and Cohen’s talk definitely achieved this. He seems like a great, untapped resource that would be an enthusiastic addition to our Jewish Studies department.
One of the issues that I think have been glazed over in both Cohen’s talk and our discussion last week is the affect of the society that is “America” on the religion and culture of Judaism. I feel like I have all of these arguments to support my beliefs and all of these ideas about how to create affective change, but I wonder how many of them really draw from Jewish ideas as opposed to American ideas. Is it possible for the two to truly co-exist? In looking at some of the different responses to last weeks speaker, specifically Roni’s, I can’t help but wonder if some of my beliefs are truly so “Americanized” that they discount the basics of Judaism. Come to think of it—what are the basics of Judaism?? I feel like I’m rambling, but I guess the bottom line is this. At one point in high school, I was at a youth group retreat and we were participating in a program that touched upon American and Jewish identity. The question was asked “Are you and American-Jew, or a Jewish-American?” I’m pretty sure that, at the time, I answered American-Jew, and yet now I find myself wondering what that means. And for that matter, if it’s true, do I like that answer? These topics about the blurring lines of what’s acceptable for each sect, and the fact that these severely differing sects of Judaism even exist, really make you think about what it means to be Jewish and to live life according to Jewish ideas and beliefs. I guess I just have to believe that there can be a balance between the part of myself that is overtaken by America, and the part of myself that refuses to let go of Judaism.