The contentious battle over mixed-gender seating in synagogues came to a head at Adath Israel Congregation, exposing deep rifts between Orthodox and Conservative approaches to Jewish law and modernity. Through theological and legal analysis of halakhic prescriptions and constitutional interpretation, the responses of Conservative Jewish leaders Isaac Klein and Morris Adler reveal contrasting frameworks for navigating religious change. Klein frames the dispute as primarily legal rather than halakhic, arguing that the congregation's constitutional designation as "Orthodox Israelite" is incompatible with mixed seating arrangements. He advocates for denominational honesty, asserting that congregations adopting mixed pews should identify as Conservative. Adler, conversely, envisions Judaism as an evolving cultural organism that naturally sheds outdated practices, considering gender-segregated seating an anachronism in modern Jewish life. He warns that preserving such traditions through legal technicalities undermines Judaism's vitality. Their divergent perspectives illuminate broader tensions between traditional halakhic authority and contemporary Jewish religious expression, highlighting fundamental differences in how Conservative and Orthodox Judaism approach religious adaptation.