ASSOC. R.I. JEWISH HISTORICAL l30 SESSIONS S T. PROVIDENCE, RI 02906 Support Read By Jewish More Thon Agencies 35,000 With Your People Membership THE ONLY ENG LISH JEWI SH WEEKl Y N R I AND SOUTl-1EAST MASS VOLUME LXI, NUMBER 46 THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 1979 25¢ PER COP'! The Status Of Tax Exemptions IRS Seeks To Avoid Exemption Tangles NEW YORK (JTA): The Internal religious schools. Revenue Service (IRS) indicated at a special The exemption of Jewish and other meeting with representatives of six private religious nonpublic schools was affirmed by school agencies last Thursday that it was a 1975 I RS ruling but concern of Jewish determined to avoid any adverse impact on organizations was aroused by what they Jewish day schools in its revision of considered ambiguities in proposed 1978 regulations to decide which private schools revenue procedures, as such I RS are entitled to tax exempt status, one of the regulations arc called. Jewish representatives at the meeting said. The 1978 proposals, while specifying that The special meeting was called by the the proposed revisions were not to apply to IRS Commissioner, Jerome Kurtz, after the "church-related and church-operated IRS received many complaints, by mail and schools" cited in the 1975 ruling, proposed al three days of recent hearings, on propos- nevertheless that tax exempt private schools ed regulation changes, geared to finding would have to meet "certain affirmative whether a particular nonpublic school was record keeping and publicity requirements guilty of racially discriminatory admission along with other guidelines for determining policies and not entitled to tax exemption. whether schools have racially dis- Rabbi Bernard Goldenberg, chairman of criminatory policies as to students." the executive committee of Torah The revis ions are aimed at private Umcsorah, the National Society for schools in areas in which public schools arc Hebrew Day Schools, and Dennis Rapps, being or have been integrated. Under the executive· director of the National Jewish proposed revisions, such private schools THE FIRST RHOOE ISLAND JEWISH BABY OF 1979: Justin Basker Block, who was barn •to Commission on Law and Public Affairs would be presumed to be discriminatory if Leslie and Robert Block of 39 Sefton Drive, Cranston on Friday, January S at 7:55 a.m. is (COLPA), appeared for Jewish day schools. their minority enrollment was not at least the first Jewish baby of the new year 01 far 01 we can ascertain. Justin ls the Blocks first The other organizations represented at the 20 percent of the local school age minority child and weighed in at seven pounds, six ounces. Maternal grandparents are Mr. and hearing were the Council for American population, if there had been a substantial Mrs. Herbert Fierstone of Botton, Ma1sachuMll1, and Bessie Fierstone of Providence is the Private Education, the National Associa- increase in white student enrollment which great-grandmother. Paternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Roland C. Block of Cranston. lion of Independent Schools, Christian may be related to the integration of the Schools International, and Lutheran and area's public schools. The burden would be Seventh Day Adventist Schools. on the school to satisfy the I RS that it did hearings in December Martin Cowan, ulations results from the day such schools Background Of The baue not discriminate against minorities. COLPA vice-president, and Nathan Z. · are organized, starting usually with a The issue dates back to July 1970 when Jewish Groups Asked to Testify Dershowitz, director of the Commission on kindergarten and first grade and adding the IRS announced guidelines lo deny tax Jewish organizations, concerned that Law, Social Action and Urban Affairs of grades an nually as pupils prepare for exempt status to racially discriminatory Jewish day schools might be inadvertently the American Jewish Congress. promotion to the next grade. private schools, reportedly aimed at involved, asked lo testify at hearings They testified that few Blacks, Orientals Goldenberg said the meeting last Thurs­ academies organized by white parents op- arranged by the IRS for Dec. 4 and extend- or members of other minorities in this day was called to discuss changes the posed to attendance by their children at ed two days in response to mounting country ~re Jewish and therefore very few private school officials considered integrated public schools. The guidelines protests from private school groups. To students at Jewish religious schools arc necessary in the proposed 1978 revisions to excluded private schools in which student clarify the issue and reinforce the tax members of such minorities. They also avoid ensnaring nondiscriminatory private testified that the undeniable consistent admission policies had no relation to racial exemption for Jewish day schools, two (Continued on page 22) considerations, referring specifically to groups of Jewish organizations sent to the growth in Jewish day school student pop- Conservatives To Vote On Ordination Of Women On Jan. 30 in Los Angeles during the an­ Because of the tough job market ahead of large congregation. million members in 823 congregations in nual convention of the Rabbinical them, many male students at the seminary, Orthodox Judaism still adheres to rigid the United States and Canada, have ap­ Assembly, a society of more than 1,100 however, along with the seminary's faculty observance of all tenets of Halakha , but proved women's being counted in the mi­ Conservative rabbis serving more than a members, seem to oppose the ordination. Conservative Judaism has tried to find a nyan and being called to read from the million congregants, Judaism's Conser­ The chancellor of the seminary however, traditional and flexible past. Torah during milled worship. But many vative wing must decide whether ii will per­ Dr. Gerson D. Cohen is mandated to "ad­ · Some rabbis in the Conservative (Continued on page 16) mit women to become rabbis. vocate" the commission's findings to the movement, which counts more than a As such, more than a dozen women rabbis on Jan. 30 in Los Angeles. already are ordained rabbis in the more Many Conservative rabbis and layman liberal Reform and Reconstructionist believe that Jewish law, (Halakha) Rabbis Who Perform wings. Yet, Conservatives, unlike the precludes women from ordillation because Reform sect, find themselves caught it exempts them from studying Torah and between responsiveness and tradition, the from forming a quorum of worship Mixed Marriages Rises two pillars of their movement. (minyon) and because it emphasizes The number of rabbis willing to perform Jewish marriages are with non-Jews, and At the California parley, a special com­ women's family leadership rather than marriages between Jews and non-Jews, the assumption is that the Jewish partner mission, well aware of bitter divisions in the public leadership. But many Conservatives while still a small percentage, has risen often dilutes his or her practice. Conservative ranks, will present its report consider this view necessarily outdated and steadily despite continued opposition by all "If a Jewish person asks me to be present after a two-year study period. discriminatory. rabbinical groups, according to Rabbi at such an important moment in life, I am Pressure to permit the ordination of "We want a decision that nobody feel Irwin H. Fishbein of Westfield, N.J., who not going to say no," said Rabbi Fishbein, women is mounting recently, from younger queasy about," said Rabbi Gordon Tucker, has compiled a list of his colleagues who who conducts a counseling service for men and women in the Conservative wing. assistant to the chancellor of the seminary. will perform mixed marriages. young couples. More than half of the 200 graduate students "If the decision should favor ordination, we Before the Central Conference of While Rabbi Fishbein is a member of the at the Conservatives' Jewish Theological would get the message across that this is American Rabbis, the Reform wing of Reform group, his interest in mixed Seminary in New York City are women, only an option for some congregations. Judaism, confirmed its opposition to mixed marriages has made him unpopular with but 126 rabbinical students are all men. The interest in ordination has grown in marriages in 1973, only 78 rabbis said some of his colleagues, he said. The Reform However, several Conservative women are the last decade, partly because of rising publicly that they had performed such group, while opposing mixed marriages, already performi-ng most rabbinical expectations of women in all fields. Jewish marriages. Now, 157 rabbis have said they has no sanctions against any members who 'duties. Included within this group are women are aware that thousands of clergy have performed mixed marriages, Rabbi perform them. · Lynn Gottlieb, a graduate student in most Protestant denominations. , Fishbein said. Rabbi Fishbein said his figures on the at the seminary, who serves two deaf Until recently Judaism had only one case In addition, more than 300 other rabbis number of rabbis who perform mixed congregations in New York, and Carol of an ordained woman, in Germany in the perform mixed marriages but do not want marriages were gained last year from a Glass, a seminary graduate who is an unor­ 1930s. But in 1972, Sally Priesand was or­ to be identified, he said, but most of them canvass conducted by mail of Reform rab- dained associate at a major temple in ·dained by the Hebrew Union College, the have certain requirements before they will bis. There are 1,268 members of the Central Minneapolis. Yet the study commission is Reform seminary, and a dozen other participate in a ceremony involving a mixed Conference of Rabbis, according to Rabbi fully aware that a vote against ordination of women have followed her, with dozens of marriage. Elliot Stevens, an official of the organiza- women could probably drive thousands of others coming along in Reform and M ixcd marriages are opposed by tion.