A fundamental ideological divide emerged in post-war American Jewish life between Jewish Community Centers' secular cultural approach and Conservative Judaism's vision of synagogue-centered religious pluralism. Through qualitative analysis of institutional practices and surveys of nearly 100 Conservative rabbis, clear philosophical tensions surface between these competing frameworks for Jewish organizational life. Conservative rabbis overwhelmingly prioritize synagogue centrality, with 74% currently emphasizing this approach and 90% desiring such emphasis under ideal conditions. The research reveals that these religious leaders view "religious civilization" and "historical religion embracing all Jewish life" as interchangeable concepts, demonstrating broad consensus on synagogue-centered Jewish identity. While Jewish Community Centers provide valuable social and recreational services, their secular ethnic-cultural principles fundamentally conflict with Conservative Judaism's framework positioning the synagogue as the central institution encompassing all aspects of Jewish expression. Based on comparative institutional analysis and questionnaire data examining educational practices and philosophical orientations, integrated Synagogue-Center institutions emerge as superior educational and practical solutions, particularly for summer programming and adolescent engagement, by combining religious purposefulness with social effectiveness under unified synagogue leadership.