Michael Cohen - How Solomon Schechter's Students Created Conservative Judaism

Dr. Cohen was a very animated speaker about this topic. You could sense his enthusiasm about Solomon Schechter and his teachings. This topic was very interesting especially because it is so foreign to me. Being a Reform Jew, I don't know if its my naivety or it is not recognized, but I had never heard of this man or his teachings. It is interesting that he had followers even before he had arrived to the United States, and that they listened and carried out his teachings. It is an enigma that although his teachings were to unite people they drove people apart instead and created these three major sects of Judaism. It even broke up these three sects into more divisions by not making strong statements supporting certain issues. I find the institutions fascinating because they skirted around many issues that it's hard to believe they could come to a consensus about anything to teach.

I'm amazed that people followed him still despite how many problems they had when they tried to bring his teachings to other areas. This speaks to his hold on people and how much they believed in him. I'm not sure that I could portray that much of a confidence in a leader like that facing so many obstacles like they did.