Rise of Conservative Judaism

Conservative Judaism is one of the major movements of modern Judaism, occupying a position between Reform and Orthodox Judaism. It grew from the Positive-Historical school in 19th-century Germany, associated with the rabbi Zacharias Frankel, who held that Jewish law should be respected but could develop historically. In the United States the movement took shape in the late 19th century with the founding of the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, and Solomon Schechter became its leader in the early 20th century. It maintains traditional practices such as the Sabbath and dietary laws, while accepting modern scholarship and, since the 1980s, the ordination of women. Outside North America it is often called Masorti Judaism.

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