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During his recent visit to central New Jersey, the chief executive of the Conservative movement's umbrella organization told The Jewish State that he received positive feedback from the community on restructuring that shook up the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, including the New Jersey region.

Rabbi Steven Wernick, three months into his new role as executive vice president and CEO of the USCJ, met for lunch with about 30 local rabbis at East Brunswick Jewish Center Oct. 1 and with Rutgers Hillel officials later that afternoon in New Brunswick.

Last month, the USCJ merged its New Jersey and Mid-Atlantic regions as part of the consolidation of 15 regions into six districts, in addition to the elimination of at least five jobs in its New York City headquarters. The moves, in response to the USCJ's budget crisis and ongoing losses of member synagogues, are examples of Wernick's sense of urgency since assuming his new position July 1.

"There was no doubt that the circumstances of United Synagogue required hitting the ground running, and I think that the urgency of the moment and the opportunity that's presented by that urgency requires a continued high level of energy and involvement," Wernick said in an interview at Rutgers.

Wernick said that at East Brunswick Jewish Center (EBJC), he was "very encouraged" by the dialogue that took place on the USCJ's restructuring.

"The No. 1 question is by making the geographic areas bigger, how do you provide more service, and my response to that is we live in a borderless society as it is," Wernick said. "I don't think that the sense of connection is related to geography. The sense of connection is related to relationship."

The USCJ's goal is to make its staff members more proactive in relationship-building with congregations in their own communities and others, so that no matter where they are, synagogues feel like they are well connected and that USCJ "understands who they are and what their needs and wants are, and has the necessary skill and resources to help them accomplish the very best in creating vibrant communities," Wernick said.

"I think that my colleagues [at EBJC] were very enthusiastic by that idea and very supportive and understanding about that approach," he said.

At Rutgers, the discussion revolved around how USCJ and Hillel can partner to engage both college students and perhaps even local communities in supporting each other, Wernick said.

From his meetings, Wernick said he learned that central New Jersey is "a very dense Jewish community," regarding its number of Conservative synagogues, and that those synagogues represent diverse constituencies in terms of size, demographics, geography, and ritual practice.

After spending seven years as an associate rabbi at Temple Beth Sholom in Cherry Hill earlier in his career, Wernick said he realized that "there are certain macro challenges that we all face [in the Conservative movement] that perhaps New Jersey, because of it's density, it doesn't feel as urgent in all corners."

That being the case, instead of a quantitative issue, "The overall challenge [for the Conservative movement in New Jersey and elsewhere], rather, is [creating] dynamic Jewish communities that are expressive of Torah, Avodah, and Gemilut Chasadim," Wernick said.

"At the end of the day, it's all about creating and maintaining communities that express Jewish life in meaningful ways, through the study of Torah, through worship of God, and through acts of love and kindness that enhance and enrich our world," Wernick said. "I believe very strongly that Conservative Judaism continues to have a major voice."

Following his time in Cherry Hill, Wernick was the spiritual leader of Adath Israel in Merion Station, Pa., near his native Philadelphia. He spent his childhood at various other stops, including Manitoba, Minnesota, and California while following the pulpits of his father Eugene -- who now leads Congregation Beth Ohr in Old Bridge.

"My father is my best friend and my greatest adviser, and we share lots of things, and [he is] probably my biggest cheerleader," Wernick said. "He has a lifetime of experience within the rabbinate and in the pulpit, and I continue to learn from him every day."

Wernick said his transition from congregational life to a leadership role in his movement's umbrella organization has been very smooth so far.

"It's been easy because I think leadership is leadership," Wernick said. "When you're a congregational rabbi, you're the leader of a community. As the executive vice president and CEO of United Synagogue, I'm a leader of an organization, and so the same skills of leadership and priority-setting and inspiring people and moving together in a direction, those skills are the skills that are there."

The leaders of the USCJ, including International President Ray Goldstein, "brought me in specifically because they understood that they needed to turn a corner and move in a new direction, and they've been extraordinarily supportive to the one, in the vision and the plans that I've laid forth thus far, so I couldn't be happier with that support."

From the various communities he has visited throughout North America since starting his new position, Wernick said that by talking with rabbis and other community leaders, he is discovering that "Everybody's excited for the possibility that a new direction and a new vision can provide for [USCJ and the Conservative movement]."

"Conservative Judaism is very much alive and I think is poised for a renaissance, and I look forward to playing some small role in helping to bring that about," he said.