The Nation - News from March 13, 1988

Conservative Judaism offered its first comprehensive definition of principles and said that its faith is linked to Israel but not bound to it. A statement released in New York declared that both Israel and the Diaspora, the countries to which the Jews have been dispersed, are partners meant to “aid and enrich the other in every possible way.” It said the Jewish identity, however, is essentially a matter of religion, not geography. The statement, “Emet Ve-Emunah,” Hebrew for “Truth and Faith,” was drawn up over 2 1/2 years by a 35-member commission of scholars, rabbis and laity. “We do not believe that Jewish identity can be replaced by Israeli identity, or the ability to speak Hebrew. We are convinced that Jewish religion is essential as a source of ethical and moral values,” the panel wrote.