Conservative Judaism's foundational concepts remain widely misunderstood, as evidenced by Daniel H. Gordis's recent critique of Positive-Historical Judaism. Through textual analysis and historical interpretation, a careful reexamination of Zacharias Frankel's Positive-Historical Judaism, Solomon Schechter's Catholic Israel, and the role of Wissenschaft des Judentums reveals significant flaws in Gordis's criticism. "Positive" Judaism fundamentally refers to Judaism's legal character and halakhic commitment, while "historical" Judaism encompasses the faith's lived expression throughout time - not merely a critical approach to Jewish sources. Similarly, Catholic Israel represents the collective consciousness of Jewish people across history rather than contemporary lay authority in halakhic decision-making. Leading Conservative scholars Harold Kushner and Neil Gillman further demonstrate how Gordis underestimates historical consciousness's continued relevance while overstating halakhic authority's viability in modern democratic society. Far from being an exhausted idiom, Positive-Historical Judaism emerges as an underutilized resource that, when properly understood, provides a viable foundation for Conservative Jewish identity by integrating halakhic observance, Torah study, and historical consciousness.