Torah Reading - Conservative Judaism

Conservative Judaism

Conservative Judaism generally follows practices for Torah reading similar to Orthodox Judaism except that:

• In most but not all Conservative synagogues, women can receive an aliyah and can chant from the Torah out loud ("leyn"). This has been an option for Conservative synagogues since 1955.
• In some Conservative synagogues, women who are B'not Kohen (daughter of a Kohen) or B'not Levi (daughter of a Levite) can be called for the first or second aliyot. The Masorti movement in Israel, and some Conservative congregations in North America, permit only men to be called for the Kohen and Levite aliyot even if women can be called for the other aliyot.
• Some Conservative synagogues do not call a Kohen or a Levite first at all, although Conservative Judaism as a whole retains some elements of special tribal roles.
• Some Conservative congregations use a triennial cycle, reading approximately a third of the Torah every year and completing the reading in three years.