Robert Gordis

Rabbi, religious leader, and scholar

• Born: February 6, 1908
• Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York
• Died: January 3, 1992
• Place of death: New York, New York

Gordis chaired the Commission on the Philosophy of Conservative Judaism, which in 1988 released Emet Ve-Emunah: Statement of Principles of Conservative Judaism, a document that helped define the Conservative Jewish movement.

Early Life

Robert Gordis (GOR-dihs) was born on February 6, 1908, in Brooklyn, New York. He began his journey to becoming an esteemed rabbi-scholar when he entered the Jewish Theological Seminary, a Conservative Jewish seminary in New York City. The institution, at which Gordis was ordained in 1932, was quickly becoming one of the most important centers of Conservative Judaism in not only the United States but also the world.

Gordis’s early years as a rabbi involved intensive study of a great number of religious texts. He began his career as a teacher soon after graduating from the seminary. In 1937, he became a teacher at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Around the same time, he served as a rabbi at the Temple Beth El at Rockaway Park, Queens. Gordis’s participation at Temple Beth El would last more than three decades, during which time he would establish a Conservative Judaism school.

The rabbi’s early interests were also heavily focused on the study of the Bible and the development of his own theories on religion. Gordis published a book in 1945 on his interpretations of Conservative Judaism, called The Wisdom of Ecclesiastes. The book was one of the first of its kind, regarding a rabbi’s personal commentary on Conservative values, and led Gordis to make a significant impact in the Conservative Jewish community. His study of Ecclesiastes, a book of the Hebrew Bible, continued into the 1950’s and culminated in a book called Koheleth—The Man and His World, published in 1951.

Life’s Work

Gordis’s influence became prominent during the 1950’s and 1960’s. After the success attained from publishing his first works, Gordis cofounded a quarterly journal called Judaism in 1952. He served as chairman and editor for the publication. In 1954, Gordis published A Song of Songs: A Study, Modern Translation, and Commentary, which included a large amount of Gordis’s thoughts on an important scriptural passage read during the Jewish Passover.

Gordis’s study of the Wisdom books of the Jewish Bible continued well into his career. By 1974, Gordis had released critical analyses of the books of Esther and Lamentations. The in-depth nature with which he conducted his research on these books proved that his interest in Jewish scripture was not superficial; Gordis spent decades perfecting his work and releasing comprehensive commentaries on these books.

Gordis’s work, however, was not limited to scriptural commentary. Many of his later books illuminated Gordis as the rabbi-scholar he became. Gordis wrote several volumes about modern-day Judaism and the difficulties secularism created for those practicing Judaism.

Despite the incredible amount of literature Gordis published, it was not his own books for which he would become most recognized. That honor belonged to Emet Ve-Emunah: Statement of Principles of Conservative Judaism. The document, released in 1988, was the first attempt in about a century to define specifically what it meant to be a Conservative Jew. Much of this denomination’s definition previously came from activists who claimed that it was neither the far-right Orthodox Judaism nor the far-left Reform Judaism, a definition that primarily described what Conservative Judaism was not. Gordis’s involvement in Emet Ve-Emunah was paramount. As the chairman of the Commission on the Philosophy of Conservative Judaism, Gordis was in charge of putting the document together.

Gordis died on January 3, 1992, in his Manhattan apartment after a long illness. His legacy continues in his son, David M. Gordis, and his grandson, Daniel H. Gordis.

Significance

Gordis’s significance as an important part of the Conservative Jewish movement was made concrete by his involvement with Emet Ve-Emunah. Since its creation in 1985, the document has been studied by numerous Conservative Judaism congregations. According to the document, the Conservative movement was distinct because of its ability to combine many of the old Jewish traditions with modern-day interpretations of events, such as the increased presence of women as equal members of society and the aftermath of the Holocaust.

His work was even enough to inspire son David and grandson Daniel to pursue active roles in the Conservative Jewish movement. The two have written extensive memoirs about Gordis and his contributions to Jewish religion and society.

Bibliography

Gordis, Daniel H. “Sacred Texts in Sacred Context: Images of My Grandfather.” Judaism: A Quarterly Journal of Jewish Life and Thought 40, no. 4 (October, 1991). A piece by Gordis’s grandson about Gordis’s interpretations of books from the Jewish Bible and Daniel’s thoughts of his grandfather’s interpretations.

Gordis, David M. “Interreligious Dialogue: Lessons from My Father’s House and Beyond.” Judaism: A Quarterly Journal of Jewish Life and Thought 40, no. 4 (October, 1991). Gordis’s son, David, describes his father’s teachings and how influential Gordis was in his life. Much of this work describes Gordis as a father and the kind of experiences his son had growing up.

Gordis, Robert. Understanding Conservative Judaism (Emet Ve-Emunah: Studies in Conservative Jewish Thought). Jersey City, N.J.: Ktav, 1979. An older edition of some of Gordis’s thoughts on Conservative Judaism, which would eventually lead to the creation of the 1988 historical document explaining this denomination.