movement leaders admit they face big challenges as kyung lahton reports. >> reporter: it was a massive party as some 1,200 conservative jews gathered to celebrate the movement's 100th anniversary. the meeting was sponsored by the united synagogue of conservative judaism, the umbrella group for the nation's more than 30 conservative congregations, and from the beginning a century ago, the movement has taken a middle road from the more traditional orthodox jew dayism and the more liberal reform movement. dr. steven wornick is head of the group. >> it is a judaism that is deeply rooted in tradition, but yet has modernity. >> reporter: according the a new research poll by pugh research center only 30% would identify with the judaism, and they say it is in part because of how well jews have assimilated. >> the jews have been wildly successful, and the question becomes, why be jewish and for the first time in jewish history where you can opt-out, the question is, why opt-in? so the religions in the center that take a more nuanced or mosaic approach to religious life, making that life has bee

. >>> coming up, kyung lahton on one of the challenges of the main branches of judaism and the conservative movement as it turns 100. >>> and debra potter on "12 years of slaves." the movie getting rave reviews about the story of slaves, slave owners, abolitionists and christianity. >>> and lucky severson profiles a new york lawyer teaching law students in thailand to help the poor. >>> major funding for "religion & ethics newsweekly" is provided by the lily endowment, an indianapolis-based private family foundation dedicated to its founders' interest in religion, community development, and education. additional funding by mutual of america, designing customized individual and group retirement products. that's why we're your retirement company. >>> welcome. i'm bob abernethy and it is great to have you with us. welcoming those among the deal this week that ended the debt ceiling and ended the government shutdown. for weeks a broad-ranged of faith-based groups actively lobbied congress to consider the toll the crisis was taking on vulnerable families and the poor. on tuesday, religious leade

>> " >>> coming up, kyung lahton on one of the challenges of the main branches of judaism and the conservative movement as it turns 100. >>> and debra potter on "12 years of slaves." the movie getting rave reviews about the story of slaves, slave owners, abolitionists and christianity. >>> and lucky severson profiles a new york lawyer teaching law students in thailand to help the poor. >>> major funding for "religion & ethics newsweekly" is provided by the lily endowment, an indianapolis-based private family foundation dedicated to its founders' interest in religion, community development, and education. additional funding by mutual of america, designing customized individual and group retirement products. that's why we're your retirement company. >>> welcome. i'm bob abernethy and it is great to have you with us. welcoming those among the deal this week that ended the debt ceiling and ended the government shutdown. for weeks a broad-ranged of faith-based groups actively lobbied congress to consider the toll the crisis was taking on vulnerable families and the poor. on tuesday, religious leade