Conservative Judaism

保守派犹太教

Conservative Judaism, known as Masorti Judaism outside North America, is a Jewish denomination that stresses commitment to Halakha - Jewish law - as well as openness to modern culture and scholarship in the interpretation of Halakha. The term “conservative” is meant to denote an intent to conserve Jewish tradition, not an espousal of political conservatism. The Conservative movement began as a reaction against Reform Judaism in Germany in the mid-19th century and organized for the first time as a congregation in the early 20th century in the US. Conservative Judaism quickly became the largest Jewish denomination in the US, a status it retained until Reform Judaism superseded it around the turn of the 21st century. Conservative Judaism represents a much smaller percentage of the Israeli Jewish community, though Israeli Jews tend to self-identify less on denomination and more on level of adherence.