About
We envision and pursue an authentic and dynamic Judaism that inspires today’s and tomorrow’s generation of Jews to seek meaning, find connection, and experience wholeness (shleymut) in a world that is complex and ever evolving.
What We Do
We strengthen synagogues. We are the network that ensures there are thriving centers of Jewish practice across North America, Israel, and beyond that celebrate both tradition and contemporary life. Together, we demonstrate what an authentic and dynamic Judaism looks like, inspire people to be a part of it, and advance its critical role in the world.
Per USCJ’s Strategic Plan, “it focuses on the raison d’être of a congregation or synagogue, i.e., that it is a sacred community. Second, it signals a welcome to those who resonate with the ideas of Conservative Judaism as expressed in the vision statement, but who do not necessarily belong to official Conservative congregations or feel comfortable with the Conservative movement label.”
Our Values
Our values define who we are and how we work. We hold ourselves accountable to these pursuits each and every day as we demonstrate what an authentic and dynamic Judaism looks like.
We thrive in the tension of old and new
Balancing tradition and modernity is a dance, which ignites innovative ideas—those that shape our work to strengthen synagogues and those that influence how we live meaningfully as Jews today.
We find unity in diversity.
A range of viewpoints and backgrounds—religious, racial, ethnic, sexual, socio-political—strengthens us all. We celebrate our differences and believe that those differences make our wholeness possible.
We are dedicated to lifelong Jewish growth.
It is our imperative to ensure that Jews at every age have meaningful opportunities to learn and grow—through traditions, study, Torah, prayer, and mitzvot – and to feel inspired to take action, serve the world, and connect to God and a higher purpose.
We act with integrity and strive for excellence.
Our success is defined by the success of our partners. We are accountable to each other, to our synagogue, and to the larger Jewish community, which means being responsive, communicating honestly, and always doing our best work.
We are part of something larger than ourselves.
Our connections to the Jewish people in North America, Israel, and around the world strengthen us intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually, and active collaboration among sacred communities benefits every synagogue and the larger world.
Where We Are
Our network of nearly 600 congregations extends across North America and includes synagogues in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Congregations are divided into seven geographic districts, each led by a dedicated Kehilla Relationship Manager (KRM) who provides grassroots support and acts as your liaison with USCJ.
USCJ districts
These three combined former regions – Great Lakes and Rivers, Midwest, and Mid-Continent – cover the continent’s heartland, from the Twin Cities down to Mexico City and Pittsburgh to the Rocky Mountains. The states included in the district are Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania (west of Altoona), South Dakota, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Contact Mindy Block Gordon.
Set as my districtMetropolitan New York includes Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queens, and the Bronx; Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam counties, and Greenwich, Connecticut.
Contact Linda Sussman.
Set as my districtThe Mid-Atlantic district is made up of the former New Jersey and Mid-Atlantic regions; it includes all of New Jersey and Delaware and Pennsylvania from the Delaware River to Altoona.
Contact Valerie Thaler.
Set as my districtNortheast is made up of the former Canadian, Connecticut Valley, Empire, and New England regions. In Canada it includes Ontario Province and the Provinces to its east, New England (except Greenwich, Connecticut), and New York State north of Interstate 84.
Contact Miriam Abrams-Stark.
Set as my districtThe Northern Pacific region includes Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Northern Nevada, Montana, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.
Contact Rachel Sisk.
Set as my districtThe combined Seaboard and Southeast regions stretch south down the eastern seaboard from Maryland to Florida, go west to include Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, and east to include the islands of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Barbados.
Contact Jo-Anne Tucker-Zemlak.
Set as my districtThe Pacific Southwest region includes southern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, and Hawaii.
Contact Rachel Sisk.
Set as my district
Our Home in the Heart of Israel
Founded in 1972, the Fuchsberg Jerusalem Center (FJC) campus houses the Conservative Yeshiva and Agron Guest House. It also hosts Nativ, our academic gap-year program for incoming college freshmen, USY Israel programs, and other signature projects such as Jewish day school programs in Israel, along with a range of classes and events that inspire an authentic and dynamic Judaism.
As the Conservative movement’s embassy in Israel, each year FJC engages thousands of people — from teens to adults — with a pluralistic point of view that celebrates the creativity and possibility of Jewish life and culture.
Affiliations
Whether promoting religious pluralism in Israel at the Kotel (Western Wall) or meeting with U.S. leaders on political issues — USCJ acts as a respected and trusted representative of today’s Conservative movement.
Among our official affiliations:
- We are a member organization of the Jewish Council on Public Affairs; Jewish Federations of North America; Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations; Jewish Community Relations Council, National Council of Synagogues; and the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations
- Our lay leaders are part of the Jewish Theological Seminary Board of Trustees; Masorti Foundation Board of Directors and Mercaz USA Board of Directors
- We appoint leaders to the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and the Rabbinical Assembly Joint Commission on Rabbinic Placement and Committee on Jewish Law and Standards
Executive Team
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Financials
USCJ was formed in 1913. It is a religious association of congregations of the Conservative Movement of Judaism and is exempt from federal income tax under Section 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) of the Internal Revenue Code.
We endeavor to be conscientious stewards of the contributions made by our donors and philanthropic partners, as we seek to strengthen kehillot and represent the values and beliefs of an authentic and dynamic Judaism throughout the world.
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