Rabbi is anything but Conservative in his optimism

Rabbi Steven Wernick, who took over as leader of the troubled United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism in July, jokes that he signed a contract for three years "or until I drop over from exhaustion." Although the 42-year-old appeared to be going strong during a visit to the Twin Cities last weekend, the exhaustion comment isn't as much of a joke now that he has logged more than 100,000 miles of travel in six months.

"When I was considering this job, a lot of my friends asked me why on Earth I'd ever want it," said Wernick, a native of Winnipeg who got his undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota. "I asked myself the same question."

The organization was in disarray. Its revenues had dropped 12 percent in a year, and it wasn't just a short-term trend; overall, the Conservatives' share of American Judaism has fallen from 43 percent to 33 percent over the past two decades. Many people think Conservative Judaism is in crisis. Wernick is not among them.

"I think there's the possibility of a crisis on the horizon if we fail [to turn things around], but we're not there yet," he said. "Our problem is not one of ideology or theology; it's one of organization."

One of the first things he did when he became vice president and CEO (the president is a lay position) was to pare the board of directors from a whopping 200 to a more manageable 75. Then he hit the road to touch base with as many member synagogues as he could. He added 12 Minnesota congregations to that list on this trip.

"I want to hear what they're saying," he said. "I want to know what they're feeling, and I want to find out what they want from us in terms of service and support."

He exudes optimism. "I believe that we are on the brink of a renaissance," he said. "There are many wonderful parts of Conservative Judaism that people overlook. We're still the second-largest Jewish denomination in the United States [behind Reform]. Yes, we have some tough decisions to make, but we're making them. Every place I've been, people have been excited about the changes we're making."

A statue of stature The St. Paul Cathedral is the first stop on a nationwide tour for a replica of Michelangelo's Pietà, a life-size sculpture of the Virgin Mary holding the body of Jesus Christ after his death.

The marble casting is available for viewing through April 11 in the cathedral's Sacred Heart Chapel. But there's a special event this weekend: A lecture by University of St. Thomas art historian Kara ZumBahlen. The lecture is at 6:30 p.m. Sunday in the cathedral. Admission is free.

Girls' afternoon out A girls choir from Estonia is in town to perform at a choral directors' convention next week. The choir, which specializes in sacred music created and arranged by Estonian composers, is working in a couple of appearances for the general public this weekend.

The choir, officially known as the Girls Choir of the Old Town Music House in Tallin, will give a concert at 4 p.m. Saturday at Mayflower Church, 106 E. Diamond Lake Rd., Minneapolis. A free-will offering will be collected. The group also will sing Sunday at Mayflower's 11 a.m. worship service.

West meets East Patrick Dougherty, a St. Paul psychologist who is on the forefront of the merger of Western science with Eastern spirituality, will be giving a reading from his newest book, "A Whole-Hearted Embrace." The event is at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Magers & Quinn Booksellers, 3038 Hennepin Av. S., Minneapolis.

Jeff Strickler • 612-673-7392