For much of its 40-year history, Temple Shalom has taken a difficult middle road.

It’s not Reform. It’s not Conservative. It’s both.

Imagine a Protestant church that decided to specifically serve Lutherans and Presbyterians.

Temple Shalom rabbi Mel Glazer is proud of the synagogue’s seemingly split congregation, saying it represents the new American Judaism.

“We are the synagogue of the future,” he said.

On Saturday at a private event at Antlers Hilton Hotel, Temple Shalom members and guests will talk about that future as well as celebrate the synagogue’s 40-year efforts to unite the diverse Colorado Springs Jewish community.

Temple Shalom is one of only 15 American synagogues that is both Reform and Conservative.

Reform Jews treat Jewish laws more liberally than their Conservative counterparts.

The temple’s dual affiliation places it in the vanguard of the new American Judaism, Glazer said, which sets aside issues of religious observance to emphasize Jewish community.

It is something Temple Shalom has embraced over its 40-year history, temple leaders say.

Combining denominations different in worship style and observance would seem impossible. But Glazer and past temple presidents say they’ve made it work.

But it hasn’t always been easy.

Reform Judaism is an outgrowth of the “higher criticism” developed by 19th-century European religious scholars. Rather than accept the Bible and Torah accounts on face value, scholars subjected the works to the rigors of historical and literary inquiry. In general, their conclusions were that the Bible and Torah were a mix of fact, fiction and fable.

The higher criticism led some educated European and American Jews in the mid 19th century to create the Reform movement. It relaxed centuries-old Jewish customs and observances that Reform Jews tend to view as cultural creations frozen in time with little relevance today.

Reacting to the Reform sensibility, the Conservative movement sprung up in the 1890s as a midway between Reform and Orthodox.

By the 1940s, Colorado Springs had an Orthodox congregation; a Conservative congregation, B’nai Israel; and a Reform group, Temple Beth El.

With a Jewish population numbering only in the hundreds, the three congregations struggled to stay afloat. By the early 1960s, B’nai Israel and Temple Beth El discussed a merger. But issues involving recognition of the newly formed state of Israel and observance protocol prevented it, said Temple Shalom historian Perry B. Bach.

Even so, the Reform and Conservative congregations set aside their differences in 1971 and merged. The former B’nai Israel synagogue, at 1523 E. Monument St., became the home of the new congregation, Temple Shalom.

Accommodating the various levels of observance and showing mutual respect for one another have been keys to holding the congregation together, leaders say.

Temple Shalom created a Friday service in English for Reform Jews and a Saturday service, mostly in Hebrew and with more ritual, for Conservative Jews.

Members have also learned to bend in their customary worship style for the good of the congregation.

Paulette Greenberg, Temple Shalom president from 1987 to 1989, said she donned a prayer shawl and kippah while president when at the synagogue, even though she is Reform. Greenberg also keeps kosher at the temple, though not at home.

Perhaps the biggest issue at Temple Shalom over the years involves the Mitzvahs, or Jewish ceremonies in which children accept responsibility for observing their faith. Within Reform and Conservative congregations, Bat Mitzvah occurs when girls reach 12, and the Bar Mitzvah when boys reach 13.

Among the children’s tasks is to attend some traditional Saturday services. But since the services are mostly in Hebrew, some say the Reform children aren’t getting much out of the ceremony and would like the children to attend the Friday Reform services instead.

But temple leaders say the Mitzvah issue has largely faded in recent years.

Another nearly moot issue involves cliquish behavior among congregants based on level of observance, leaders say.

Trudy Taxman, temple president from 2002 to 2004, said by the time of her presidency, hardly anyone one was taking sides regarding observances.

Congregates are aware of the degree of one another’s religious commitment, Taxman said. They see who’s attending the modern service and the traditional service. “But it doesn’t matter because we are all in the Jewish community,” Taxman said.

Glazer said the Temple Shalom congregation has come together because in recent decades the religious beliefs and observances between Reform and Conservative Jews have narrowed.

The future of American Judaism and Temple Shalom is based on community rather than religious observance, Glazer said.

“We are the vanguard of the non-Orthodox American Jewish community,” he said.

At the anniversary celebration on Saturday, temple members will have the opportunity to place prayers in a Western Wall replica, as Jews do in Jerusalem to the real wall.

They believe, both the Reform and Conservative members, that God apprehends their prayers.

Woodland Park artist Dale Pittock built a replica Western Wall for the 40th anniversary of the Temple Shalom in Colorado Springs . The celebration begins 6 p.m. Saturday and it’s open to the public. People are encourage to place prayers in the cracks of the wall as custom in the real one in Jerusalem and a representative from the temple will deliver them later to the real wall. Photo by CHRISTIAN MURDOCK, THE GAZETTE

Christian murdock

Temple Shalom at 1523 E. Monument in Colorado Springs Photo by mbr

Stuart Wong