Rabbi’s Update 1/23/2026

Dear Friends:

The Conservative Movement made news in recent weeks with the report of the “Joint Intermarriage Working Group” -- “joint” because it had members from the Rabbinical Assembly, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, and the Cantors’ Assembly. You can read the report here. The Executive Summary of the report is here.

The report can appear self-contradictory in that it on the one hand maintains the ban on Conservative rabbis and cantors officiating at marriages where one party is not Jewish; but it also does teshuva: “Many families shared that they have felt dismissed, shamed, or excluded by past Movement approaches. We acknowledge this hurt, apologize for the alienation it caused, and are committed to repairing relationships whenever possible.”

The apology was the main thing which made news in the coverage of the statement. For a typical example see this article.

It was also one of the things which most bothered many Conservative rabbis, including not a few who are in favor of allowing Conservative rabbis to officiate at marriages where one person is not Jewish. The perception among many of my colleagues is that Conservative rabbis have acted with fidelity to Jewish tradition as we understood it; that sometimes our perception of the demands of tradition can change but that does not mean we should apologize for our past fidelity to our understanding of the demands of tradition as it stood in the past.

I’m not sure that that interpretation of what the statement about teshuva meant is correct but it can certainly be read that way. A full explanation is beyond the scope of my brief Friday morning note but Keleigh and I will be sponsoring the Kiddush on Feb. 7 followed by a Kiddush Konversation. I will discuss the Intermarriage Working Group report and what it might mean for the future of our movement, so please read at least the Executive Summary of the report if you’re planning to come. Feb. 7 is the Shabbat when we read Parashat Yitro which was both my father’s and my Bar Mitzvah parasha.

I want to also call your attention to the Jewish Cross-Denominational Statement Against Violent Immigration Enforcement which was signed by the rabbinic, cantorial, and synagogue organizations of the Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist movements. The statement says, among other things: We who lead the North American Reform, Conservative/Masorti, and Reconstructionist Jewish Movements stand with the members and leaders of Jewish communities in Minneapolis—and before that, in the Chicago area and other cities in the United States—who have confronted Immigration and Customs Enforcement nonviolently, legally, but resolutely. We fear that additional communities will need to be prepared to do the same in the months ahead.

As a member of our Movement’s Social Justice Commission as well as its subcommittee dealing with immigration, I had a bird's-eye view of the negotiations which led to the issuance of this statement. It’s significant particularly in view of the fact that the United Synagogue virtually never signs on to public statements, but the crisis is so severe that in this instance they agreed to do so. May our country once again know both internal and external peace.

If you or someone you know is in need because of having been laid off, or has lost benefits of some type and needs immediate help, please let me know. I can access limited funds through the Jewish Federation almost immediately. For longer-term help, the Hebrew Free Loan Society will loan up to $18,000 interest-free and the Jewish Federation has set up a hotline to access assistance at 703-JCARING.

As a reminder, I am having drop-in hours on Thursday afternoons from 2 to 4 at the shul. For my drop-in hours, you do not need to make an appointment -- that would negate the whole point of drop-in hours -- but I’d urge you to check and make sure I am there regardless as sometimes there are unavoidable pastoral or other emergencies which might take me away from the building. 

As always, if I can do anything for you or you need to talk, please contact me at rabbi@kehilatshalom.org rather than through the synagogue office. I am happy to meet you at the synagogue by appointment; if you want to speak with me it’s best to make an appointment rather than assuming I will be there when you stop by. 

Additionally, if you know of a Kehilat Shalom congregant or another member of our Jewish community who could use a phone call, please let me know.

L’shalom,

Rabbi Charles L. Arian