The establishment of a Conservative Zionist political party in Israel sparked intense debate among Jewish religious leaders in the 1960s, revealing fundamental tensions between religious autonomy and political necessity. Three prominent voices emerged: Rabbi Myron M. Fenster, drawing from his leadership of Moriah Congregation in Haifa (1962-63), opposed Dr. Robert Gordis' proposal for a Conservative political party despite acknowledging the movement's challenges of lacking governmental recognition, subsidies, and official status. Fenster advocated maintaining Conservative Judaism as an independent religious force focused on teaching, congregation-building, and religious voluntarism rather than entering political competition. Jacob Stein raised practical concerns about MERKAZ (Movement for the Reaffirmation of Conservative Zionism), questioning the wisdom of creating another Zionist organization when existing structures served similar purposes and warning against fragmenting unified Jewish support for Israel. Dr. Gordis countered that political engagement had become necessary given the growing Orthodox religious monopoly in Israel, asserting that Conservative Judaism must actively pursue equal religious expression rather than accept marginalization. Their interchange illuminates the broader conflict between idealistic separation of religion and politics versus pragmatic responses to religious discrimination in Israeli society.