Some have suggested that Conservative Judaism is a "lab", where our successful "products" are experienced without the brand of their birth-context. Reconstructionism, the JCC movement, and the Chavurah movement were each born from within the Conservative Movement. In fact, most of the trans/post-denominational phenomenon is also being lead by "products" of the Conservative Movement. This makes me very proud, and keeps me humble. A denomination is, after all, utilitarian. It serves to strengthen the particular spiritual identity of its affiliated communities in an effort to work for the betterment of the world. The ShefaNetwork was born in December of 2004 to create a virtual community of professional and lay activists in the Conservative/Masorti movement and a place to discuss the movement's direction and ways of strengthening Conservative Judaism for the future. This book charts the network-wide conversation from 2005-2011 as a collective effort to dream into a reality a thriving Conservative Movement.
