Jewish Law

Jewish Law

Do you have a question about Jewish law and practice? The best place to start is with your local Conservative/Masorti rabbi, who can answer many questions and help direct you to resources for further reading. [You can use the USCJ Congregation Finder to locate a Conservative/Masorti synagogue near you, or, if you need assistance, you can email info@rabbinicalassembly.org to be connected to your nearest RA rabbi.]

If your inquiry regards a halakhic matter not currently addressed by CJLS teshuvot, your RA rabbi can submit the question for potential consideration. Please note that the CJLS can only respond to inquiries from Rabbinical Assembly members, not the general public.

This page contains a wealth of resources for you to explore, including CJLS teshuvot and RA publications available, as well as guidelines for holidays and life cycle events. 

Subscribe to Jewish Law
List price
$34.95
The Observant Life: The Wisdom of Conservative Judaism for Contemporary Jews
Price
$34.95

Martin S. Cohen, senior editor
Michael Katz, associate editor
List price: $34.95
ISBN 9780916219499
Pages 981 hc

Discounts available for RA members and retailers.

Contact books@rabbinicalassembly.org or 201-216-9400 ext. 2 for more info.

A decade in the making, The Observant Life: The Wisdom of Conservative Judaism for Contemporary Jews distills a century of thoughtful inquiry into the most profound of all Jewish questions: how to suffuse life with timeless values, how to remain loyal to the covenant that binds the Jewish people and the God of Israel, and how to embrace the law while retaining an abiding sense of fidelity to one’s own moral path in life.

Written in a multiplicity of voices inspired by a common vision, the authors of The Observant Life explain what it means in the ultimate sense to live a Jewish life, and to live it honestly, morally, and purposefully. The work is a comprehensive guide to life in the 21st Century. Chapters on Jewish rituals including prayer, holiday, life cycle events and Jewish ethics such as citizenship, slander, taxes, wills, the courts, the work place and so much more.

Also available in: Kindle Edition | Nook Edition

Resources & Curricula: Book Club | Parashat Ha-shavua

List price
$65.00
Responsa: 1980-1990
Price
$18.00

The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Conservative Movement David J. Fine, editor List price: $65.00 Sale price: $18.00 (72% Discount) ISBN 9780916219277 Pages 900 hc Contact books@rabbinicalassembly.org or 201-216-9400 ext. 2 for more info. Combines in a single volume all the Law Committee responsa from the 1980s, reorganized and fully indexed. Key responsa of the 1980s include: inclusion of the matriarchs in the Amidah, conversion of children, abortion, cremation, among others.