Across the great divide

A few weeks ago, I asked a friend about how a mutual friend at another university is doing. He responded, "Not so well. She needs a boyfriend." He then made another point, which I thought was interesting. He said something along the lines of, "Her problem is that she knows all the Orthodox boys. Honestly, I don't know why people don't look to the Conservative community more often." He was, I assume, refering to the more right wing branch of the Conservative movement, the Shomer Shabbat group. These people are, superficially, very similar to the left wing of Orthodoxy. I got to thinking about his idea this past weekend, when I was at the local Conservative synagogue for my cousin's Bar Mitzvah. There was an Aufrauf as well. The couple who is getting married consists of a girl whom I know, and a Rabbinical student at JTS. I know the girl, and she is definitely towards the right of the Conservative movement. I saw their engagement announced on Only Simchas.com. When it came time for the Aufruaf aliyah, the two of them got up together and said the Brachot together. [And this is the reason that the Orthodox, at least those of us who take our religion seriously,] And this is the reason that the Orthodox, at least those who take Orthodoxy seriously, even on the left wing, cannot date Conservative Jews. The difference is just too big.


UPDATE: Apparantly, I was too vague about who takes what seriously. Thanks to Lana for pointing it out, and helping me clarify.


UPDATE 2: This girl explains the difference in somewhat starker terms than I do. But it is exactly this difference in outlook that divides us.