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Chairman'sMessage By Gerald M. Schreck

n 1964, in an article entitled “The Gilbert Klaperman, Ralph Pelcovitz, shemittah year comes to a close, and Vanishing American Jew,” Look Fabian Schonfeld and Max Schreier to Rabbi Dr. Ari Z. Zivotofsky, our eru- IMagazine predicted the demise of participate in a roundtable discus- dite Legal-ease columnist, who ques- American Jewry, and, of course, Ortho- sion—possibly the first of its kind—on tions whether or not a pomegranate, dox Jewry along with it. Ironically, the growth and evolution of American that quintessential Rosh Hashanah Look Magazine no longer exists while Orthodoxy. The dialogue touched fruit, contains 613 seeds. Finally, in a Orthodoxy today is flourishing. upon a broad range of critical topics, special section, we examine the very To be sure, Look Magazine was from the frightening pace of intermar- real problem of addiction, and how simply commenting on the reality: riage to challenges on the college cam- our community should respond to this some fifty years ago Orthodox Jewry pus to the shtiebelization phenomenon. terrible disease. was foundering, overwhelmed by the We at Jewish Action feel truly hon- As space is tight, I won’t point challenges of transplanting Judaism to ored to be able to provide our readers out every article in this jam-packed America. Jewish education was in its with the penetrating insights of these issue. However, I do want to take a infancy, and Orthodoxy seemed help- distinguished rabbis, each of whom moment to mention our magazine’s less in the face of the other stronger has spent decades serving the commu- fresh and exciting redesign. Members denominations. nity. Beginning their rabbinic careers of our editorial board have long dis- “I remember when I arrived in when American Orthodoxy was frag- cussed redesigning the magazine’s Rochester, New York, the story was ile, these rabbis, each in his own way, look, but we finally took the plunge Reform A, Conservative B, and Ortho- helped make American Orthodoxy because of the incessant urging of our doxy a poor third,” recalls Rabbi Max what it is today. highly talented creative director, Eli Schreier in this issue’s cover story, Also in this issue, our own Phil Kaufman of KZ Creative in Brooklyn “Fifty Years in the Pulpit: Seven Vet- Chernofsky, educational director of [www.kzcreative.com]. Launched to eran Rabbis Tell It Like It Was.” This the Seymour J. Abrams Orthodox coincide with Rosh Hashanah, the seminal article is a transcript of a re- Union Jerusalem World Center, pro- clean, new look provides the magazine cent Jewish Action-sponsored sympo- vides us with a unique take on the with a contemporary feel that comple- sium that included some of the most year ahead. Aspects of Rosh Hashanah ments our timely and original articles. prominent and venerable pulpit rabbis are explored with Rabbi Allen I always look forward to receiving of our time. In January, Jewish Action Schwartz of Congregation Ohab Zedek your feedback. Please continue to send invited Rabbis Rafael Grossman, in New York, who reminds us of the your thoughts and comments to me at Joseph Grunblatt, David Hollander, Dr. significance of writing a prozbul as the [email protected]. Gemar chatimah tovah!

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