The United Synagogue of America
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u. thy children . thy builders." (BERAKHOT 64) Jv/« ri וי! THE UNITED SYNAGOGUE OF AMERICA 1973 Biennial Convention CONCORD HOTEL KIAMESHA LAKE, November 11-15, 1973 NEW YORK THt AMERICAN JEWISH COMMIÎTÇÊ Blaustein library TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword v Officers & Board of Directors 1973-1975 vi Officers & Board of Directors 1971-1973 xi Program xvii Plenary Sessions 1 The Future is Now Jacob Stein, Honorary President, United Synagogue of America 4 That Fateful Yom Kippur Rabbi Bernard Segal, Executive Vice-President, United Synagogue of America 5 A Call for Holy Discontent Rabbi Harold Schulweis, Valley Beth Shalom, Encino, California 7 In Search of a Higher Unity Rabbi Gerson D. Cohen, Chancellor, The Jewish Theological Seminary of America 10 The Dilemma of Choice Kenneth Rush, Deputy Secretary of State, The United States of America 13 Who Will Stand With Us? Abba Eban, Foreign Minister of Israel 16 "From Strength to Strength" Arthur J. Levine, President, United Synagogue of America 19 Conferences in Convention: Conference on Demography—Golden Agers, Young Marrieds, Singles in our Congregations The Brooklyn Picture Martin Lerner, Executive Director, Brooklyn Jewish Center 21 The Florida Picture Rabbi Seymour Friedman, Director, Southeast Region, United Synagogue of America 22 The Successful Young Married Club Rabbi Howard J. Hirsch, The Park Synagogue, Cleveland Heights, Ohio z4 The Role & Responsibility of the Synagogue Towards Singles, Widows & Divorcees Rabbi Simon Glustrom, Fair Lawn Jewish Center, Fair Lawn, New Jersey 26 Conducting a Congregational Self Study Stanley I. Minch, Executive Director, Chizuk Amuno, Baltimore, Maryland 28 Means of Effecting a Congregational Merger ־& Ways Sam Horowitz 32 Ways & Means of Effecting a Congregational School Merger Ruth Perry, Vice-President and National Coordinator of Educational Activities, Women's League for Conservative Judaism 34 Conference on Intermarriage The Familial Milieu Dr. Mortimer Ostow, Director, Department of Pastoral Psychiatry, The Jewish Theological Seminary of America Rabbi Arnold S. Turetsky, Temple Israel Center, White Plains, New York 41 The Educational Milieu Rabbi Richard Israel, Director, B'nai Brith Hillel Foundation, Greater Boston 45 The Impact of Intermarriage on the Synagogue William Abrams, President, Eastern Canada Region, United Synagogue of America 47 Dr. Robert Coblens, President, Pacific Southwest Region, United Synagogue of America 48 Conference on the Jewish Collegian s are not the 60's׳The 70 Rabbi Steven Shaw, Department of Jewish Studies, City College of New York 51 Conference on Parent Education Program Parent Education: Family Oriented Jewish Education Dr. Morton Siegel, Director, Department of Education, United Synagogue of America 56 Organizing and Implementing a PEP Program in Your Congregation Joseph Braver, Assistant Director, Department of Education, United Synagogue of America 60 Parent Education: Learning for Living ״Rabbi David Artz, South Baldwin Jewish Center, Baldwin, New York ..63 Conference on Rite & Ritual Ritual & Customs—Their Historical Perspective and Contemporary Significance Rabbi Mordecai Waxman, Temple Israel, Great Neck, New York 66 Home Rituals & Customs—The First Step in the Right Direction Rabbi Fishel A. Pearlmutter, B'nai Israel, Toledo, Ohio 68 Synagogue Worship Nona Levin, Adath Jeshurun, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania 7° Zev Rosen, President, B'nai Israel, Toms River, New Jersey 71 Hazzan Samuel Rosenbaum, Beth El, Rochester, New York 74 Synagogue Rites, Functions & Ceremonies Bar-Bat Mitzvah Dr. Jay Stern, Educational Director, Beth El, Rochester, New York 77 Torah Reading Rabbi Herman Kieval, Temple Israel, Albany, New York 80 Weddings, Anniversaries, Holiday Celebrations Rabbi Yaakov G. Rosenberg, Adath Jeshurun, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania .82 Conference on Role & Status of Women in Conservative Judaism Jewish Law & the Conservative Movement—the Question of Being Counted in the Minyan Rabbi Seymour Siegel, Chairman, Rabbinical Assembly Committee on Jewish Law & Standards 84 Dr. Ruth Waxman, Managing Editor, Judaism 85 Sora E. Landes, Director, Forman Day School, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania 87 Women's Role as a Jewish Communal Leader— Reflections in Law and History Rabbi Edward M. Gershfield, Associate Professor of Talmud, The Jewish Theological Seminary of America 9° Evangelization on the American Scene Donald Campion, S. J., Editor-in-Chief, America 94 Rabbi Bernard Mandelbaum, President, America-Israel Cultural Foundation 96 Dr. David Hunter, Associate General Secretary of the National Council of Churches 98 New Affiliates 101 Solomon Schechter Awards 102 Resolutions 105 Committee on Resolutions, 1973 116 Convention Committee 118 RABBI ALVIN KASS, Editor JOAN SPIVAK, Assistant Editor Biennial Convention FOREWORD Foreword The 1973 Biennial Convention marked the sixtieth anniversary of the United Synagogue of America. The convocation provided a worthy tribute to the vision of the organization's founders as 2000 delegates from all over North America gathered to plan for the continued growth and progress of Jewish life in the Diaspora and, at the same time, to deepen their commitment to the enrichment of life in Eretz Yisrael. At the first convention in 1913 Solomon Schechter characterized the labors of the United Synagogue as nothing less than a "work of Heaven" upon which depended the "continuance and survival of traditional Judaism on this continent." It was in that spirit that the 1973 Biennial grappled with immensely difficult questions in an effort to assure the realization of the rabbinic mandate which constituted the theme of the convention, that "our children" truly become "our builders." Chief among the concerns of the participants was the future of our young people on and off campus whose commitment to Judaism has been challenged by the galloping rate of intermarriage. How, for example, can we use our schools, camps and adult education endeavors more effectively to turn the tide of Jewish indifference and illiteracy? Delegates confronted the implications of women's liberation for the female role in the synagogue. Whether women should be counted toward the minyan or receive aliyot were especially hotly debated topics. New strategies were promulgated to handle the myriad problems associated with demographic change. Not only neighborhoods, but entire cities have experienced drastic social and economic alterations. Much of this urban change has jeopardized the future viability of many Jewish institutions, but most particularly, the synagogue. On the international scene, convention sessions discussed what could be done to increase even further the number of Jews leaving Russia, as well as to stop the persecution of those Jews indicating a desire to emigrate from the Soviet Union. The future of Israel in these difficult post-Yom Kippur War times also drew the rapt attention of the Biennial delegates at many crucial sessions. At the same time, convention participants manifested firm determination to do battle against governmental discrimination towards Conservative Judaism and its rabbis in Israel. Leading religious and political leaders also addressed themselves to the fundamental issues of war and peace. For four days the 1973 Biennial Convention undertook an intensive and thorough examination of the knottiest and toughest problems facing us both as Jews and Americans. While much remains to be accomplished before these issues are finally resolved in a totally satisfactory way, many constructive suggestions emerged from the deliberations, excerpts from which are contained in these Proceedings, a volume whose contents will undoubtedly serve as a valuable resource book for many years to come. RABBI ALVIN KASS, Editor v UNITED SYNAGOGUE OF AMERICA OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS 1973-1975 President ARTHUR J. LE VINE Vice-Presidents WILLIAM ABRAMS FRANCIS MINTZ HARRY B. ARON HYMAN PAVE HORACE BIER ABRAM PIWOSKY DR. DAVID L. CHAMOVITZ PHILIP SELBER PHILIP GREENE HAROLD STUBENHAUS HAROLD GROH JERRY WAGNER DR. SHELDON I. KRIEGEL ARTHUR ZIMMERMAN BEN MAGDOVITZ Treasurer Recording Secretary SIMON SCHWARTZ HAROLD PRESSMAN Financial Secretary Honorary President DAVID ZUCKER JACOB STEIN HONORARY DIRECTORS CHARLES ABRAMOVITZ VICTOR LEFF MILTON BERGER REUBEN LEVENSON ABE BIRENBAUM JOSEPH M. LEVINE HYMAN BRAND PERRY LEVINSON ARTHUR S. BRUCKMAN BENJAMIN MARKOWE JACK GLADSTONE ISRAEL OSEAS BERT GODFREY MEYER ROBINSON REUBEN GOLDMAN SIDNEY L. SCHIFF B.L. JACOBS DR. HENRY SIMON HARRY LAKIN LOUIS WINER vi REGIONAL PRESIDENTS Central States Ohio JOSEPH KAPLAN CHARLES MENDEL Connecticut Valley Ontario Canada JERRY WAGNER HAROLD COHEN Eastern Canada Pacific Northwest WILLIAM ABRAMS EDWARD MOSKOWITZ Eastern Pennsylvania Pacific Southwest DAVID BRUMBERG DR. ROBERT COBLENS Empire Philadelphia DR. SHELDON I. KRIEGEL ISADORE M. MARDER Michigan Seaboard MYRON MILGROM ERNEST GREENWALD Midwest Southeast DR. SHELDON KAMIN JOSEPH GOLDEN New England Southern New Jersey WILLIAM MORGAN BERNARD COHN New York Metropolitan Southwest HARRY WATERSTON DR. EDWARD GENECOV Northern California Western Pennsylvania ARTHUR ZIMMERMAN DR. DAVID L. CHAMOVITZ Northern New Jersey SIMON SCHWARTZ ATID INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE JONATHAN WAXMAN CANTORS ASSEMBLY REPRESENTATIVE HAZZAN GREGOR SHELKAN EDUCATORS ASSEMBLY REPRESENTATIVE DR, ARYEH ROHN JEWISH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY REPRESENTATIVES RABBI MAX ARZT RABBI DAVID C. KOGEN RABBI NEIL GILLMAN RABBI STANLEY SCHACHTER DR, SIMON GREENBERG vii NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SYNAGOGUE ADMINISTRATORS REPRESENTATIVE