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Continuity and Change the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Seminario and the Conservative Movement in Latin America

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Abstract This article examines the evolution of the Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano (SRL) over its first fifty years, analyzing both institutional continuity and transformative changes within the Conservative Movement in Latin America. Through archival research utilizing the Marshall T. Meyer Human Rights Archives at Duke University and institutional documentation, this study traces the development of the seminary from its founding under Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer to its current organizational structure. The methodology combines historical analysis of correspondence, institutional records, and publication histories with assessment of contemporary leadership and programming. Key findings demonstrate significant organizational maturation, with Latin American administrators now occupying roles previously held exclusively by Meyer, expanded governance including multi-national board representation, and comprehensive academic divisions encompassing rabbinical education, Jewish studies, cantorial training, and graduate programs. The seminary has successfully ordained 186 rabbis despite operating through periods of severe political upheaval, economic instability, and terrorist attacks in Argentina. Publication efforts have produced crucial Spanish and Portuguese translations of major Jewish works, particularly those of Abraham Joshua Heschel, creating unprecedented resources for half a billion Spanish and Portuguese speakers worldwide. The study reveals how Meyer's integration of Heschel's teachings with human rights activism established a distinctive Latin American Conservative Jewish identity that continues to influence graduates across the political spectrum. The research concludes that the SRL represents a unique synthesis of North American Conservative Judaism with Latin American social consciousness, successfully adapting Jewish religious education to regional linguistic, cultural, and political contexts while maintaining theological continuity with the broader Conservative movement.

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    Published 2014

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