< ."i יין PROCEEDINGS 1957 BIENNIAL CONVENTION s.״- • PLEASE RETUM £Q ; > UNITED SYNAGOGUE OF AMERICA M-.*™ יי• :s3m te NOVEMBER 17-21, 1957 CONCORD HOTEL KIAMESHA LAKE, N.Y, Theme: "Lengthen thy cords and deepen thy stakes! ISAIAH 54:2 PROCEEDINGS 1957 BIENNIAL CONVENTION UNITED SYNAGOGUE OF AMERICA NOVEMBER 17-21, 1957 CONCORD HOTEL KIAMESHA LAKE, N. Y. Theme: "Lengthen thy cords and deepen thy sta\es" ISAIAH 54:2 u TABLE OF CONTENTS Program viii Welcoming Address—Herman Levin 1 President's Report—Charles Rosengarten 3 What Is Conservative Judaism—Dr. Louis Finkelstein 9 Imperatives in Jewish Life—Charles Rosengarten 17 Imperatives in Jewish Life—Rabbi Harry Halpern 23 Current Social Action Issues—Jules Cohen 29 Lengthen Thy Cords and Deepen Thy Stakes—Rabbi Bernard Segal . 32 Symposium on Proposal for Establishment of the World Council of Synagogues 36 Standards for Synagogue Practice 49 Torah Institute 53 Presentation of Solomon Schechter Awards—Abe Birenbaum 54 PresentatioMcKeldin—Morrin of Solomos n SpeizmaSchechten r Award to Governor Theodore R. 56 Acceptance of Solomon Schechter Award—Governor Theodore R. McKeldin 58 Presentation of Solomon Schechter Award to the Levittown Jewish Center—Rabbi Bernard Segal 62 A Philosophy of Conservative Judaism—Israel B. Oseas 63 National Enrollment Plan—Joseph N. Gorson 67 Report on National Enrollment Plan—Dr. Henry Simon 68 Resolutions 70 Treasurer's Report—George Maislen 80 Presentation of Camp Ramah Awards—Louis Winer 82 Memorial Service Eulogy for Dr. Maxwell Abell—Charles Rosengarten 83 Tribute to the Memory of Maxwell Abbell by leaders of the Chicago Council 84 Eulogy for Samuel Friedenberg—Benjamin Markowe 90 Eulogy for Aaron Gordon—Ben Lax 91 Eulogy for Herman P. Kopplemann—Joseph Sachs 92 Eulogy for Rabbi Elias L. Solomon—Samuel Rothstein 94 Eulogy for Rabbi Jerome Labovitz—Joseph N. Gorson 95 Induction of New Affiliates—Rabbi Israel M. Goldman 97 Summaries of Workshops 105 THE UNITED SYNAGOGUE OF AMERICA OFFICERS 1955-1957 President Charles Rosengarten First Vice-President Bernath L. Jacobs Vice-Presidents Hyman Brand Israel Oseas Morris Speizman Harold Easton Reuben Goldman Samuel Wolberg Dr. Leonard Sidlow Treasurer Recording Secretary George Maislen Dr. Milton Nevins Executive Council Dr. Max Arzt Reuben Levenson Milton Berger Herman Levin Harry Berkowitz Leon Levine Abe Birenbaum Rabbi Bernard Mandelbaum Rabbi Aaron Blumenthal Benjamin Markowe Arthur S. Bruckman Charles Oliff Dr. Moshe Davis Samuel Rothstein Dr. Louis Finkelstein Joseph I. Sachs Rudolph Fried Albert Satovsky Stanley Garten Frank Schaeffer Jack Gladstone Joel Schenker Bert Godfrey Sidney L. Schiff Samuel Goldstein Yale Schulman Hon. Emanuel Greenberg Ira Schwarz Herman Greenberg Mrs. Louis Sussman Dr. Simon Greenberg Bernard Trager Herman Katz Louis Winer Rabbi Wolfe Kelman Irving J. Yeckes Victor Leff Joseph G. Zaglin Executive Director Rabbi Bernard Segal THE UNITED SYNAGOGUE OF AMERICA OFFICERS 1957-1959 President Bernath L. Jacobs Vice-Presidents Milton Berger Herman Levin Dr. Henry Simon Bert Godfrey Joseph I. Sachs Morris Speizman Ben J. Lax Samuel Wolberg Treasurer Recording Secretary George Maislen Arthur Bruckman Executive Council Hon. Daniel Albert Reuben Levenson Charles Altman Joseph Levine Dr. Max Arzt Leon Levin Harry Berkowitz Dr. Bernard Mandelbaum Abe Birenbaum Benjamin Markowe Rabbi Aaron Blumenthal Israel B. Oseas Hyman Brand Charles Rosengarten Dr. Moshe Davis Samuel Rothstein Harold Easton Bernard Rubinstein Dr. Louis Finkelstein Joel Schenker Rudolph Fried Sidney L. Schiff Stanley Garten Yale Schulman Jack Gladstone Ira Schwarz Reuben Goldman Dr. Leonard Sidlow Herman Greenberg Mrs. Louis Sussman Dr. Simon Greenberg Bernard Trager Abe J. Kaplan Louis Winer Rabbi Wolfe Kelman Irving Yeckes Julius Kushner Joseph Zaglin Victor Leff Executive Director Rabbi Bernard Segal PROGRAM FRIDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 15 TO SUNDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 17, 1957 TORAH INSTITUTE FACULTY: Dr. Mordecai M. Kaplan, Professor of Philosophies of Religion, The Jewish Theological Seminary of Amer- ica, "The Need for a New Zionism" Dr. H. L. Ginsberg, Professor of Biblical History and Literature, The Jewish Theological Seminary of America, "The View of the Moral World Order as Reflected in Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes" SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1957 3:00 P.M. REGISTRATION Lower Lobby 3:30 P.M. OPENING OF EXHIBITS Sun Lobby 4:00 P.M. MINHAH SERVICE Convention Synagogue READERS: Barnet Shapiro, Temple B'nai Israel Irvington, New Jersey Irving Rosen, Congregation B'nai Israel, Toms River, New Jersey MA'ARIV SERVICE READERS: Menasseh Mendelsohn, Temple Beth Ahm, Springfield, New Jersey Benjamin Chemin, Temple Beth El, Plainfield, New Jersey 4:30 P.M. JOINT MEETING OF EXECUTIVE AND NA- TIONAL COUNCILS, UNITED SYNAGOGUE OF AMERICA Lower T.V. Room PRESIDING: Charles Rosengarten, President, United Synagogue of America 7:00 P.M. OPENING BANQUET Dining Room INVOCATION: Rabbi Aaron H. Blumenthal, President, Rabbinical Assembly of America OPENING REMARKS: Herman Levin, Chairman, Con- vention Committee CHAIRMAN: Charles Rosengarten, President, United Synagogue of America ADDRESS: "Lengthen Thy Cords And Deepen Thy Stakes"—A Vision Of The Future, Rabbi Bernard Segal, Executive Director, United Synagogue of America BIRKAT HAMAZON: Julius Kushner, Co-Chairman, United Synagogue Book and Art Service 9:45 P.M. RECEPTION TO FOREIGN DELEGATES Curtain Room 10:30 P.M. SOCIAL PROGRAM Cordillion Room "A Night In The Synagogue"—Liturgical selections by Hazzan David Kusevitsky and the Sholom Secunda Choir. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1957 8:15 A.M. SHAHARIT SERVICE Convention Synagogue READERS : Meyer Biddelman, Temple Beth Ahm, Springfield, New Jersey Dr. Maxwell M. Kaye, Temple B'nai Israel, Irvington, New Jersey Horace W. Bier, Temple B'nai Israel, Irvington, New Jersey D'VAR TORAH: Rabbi Everett Gendler, Mexico City, Mexico 9:00 A.M. BREAKFAST Dining Room Regional Conferences 10:00 A.M. PLENARY SESSION Cordillion Room "Symposium on World Council of Synagogues" CHAIRMAN: Bert Godfrey, Toronto, Canada, President, Ontario Region, United Synagogue of America PARTICIPANTS : Rabbi Kurt Wilhelm, Stockholm, Sweden Rabbi Guillermo Schlesinger, Buenos Aires, Argentina David Freeman, Haifa, Israel Professor Mordecai Kaplan, New York City Sefton David Temkin, London, England Rabbi Charles Lehrmann, Grand Duchy of Luxem- bourg Rabbi Lionel Singer, Johannesburg, South Africa Rabbi Alfred A. Philipp, Jerusalem, Israel Rabbi Everett Gendler, Mexico City, Mexico LUNCH Dining Room CHAIRMAN: Yale Schulman, New York City, Chairman, United Synagogue Book and Art Service BIRKAT HAMAZON: Bernard Rubinstein, San Antonio, Texas, President, Southwest Region, United Syna- gogue of America PLENARY SESSION Cordillion Room "Synagogue Standards" CHAIRMAN: Sol Singer, Columbus, Georgia, President, Southeast Region, United Synagogue of America PRESENTATION OF STATEMENT ON STANDARDS FOR SYNA- GOGUE PRACTICE: Stanley Garten, New York City, Chairman, Committee on Congregational Standards, United Synagogue of America DISCUSSANTS: Rabbi Armond E. Cohen, Park Synagogue, Cleveland, Ohio Charles Esensten, Los Angeles, California, President, Pacific Southwest Region, United Synagogue of America Abraham Satovsky, Detroit, Michigan, President, Na- tional Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs, United Synagogue of America MINHAH SERVICE Convention Synagogue READERS : Jack Golding, Congregation B'nai Israel, Kearny, New Jersey Hyman Slifer, Congregation Beth Sholom, Union, New Jersey 4:45 P.M. MA'ARIV SERVICE Convention Synagogue READERS : Hyman Hait, Congregation Beth El, South Orange, New Jersey Simon Schwartz, Congregation B'nai Israel, Toms River, New Jersey 5:00 P.M. STAFF CONSULTATIONS 7:00 P.M. DINNER Dining Room "Eretz Yisrael Banquet Dedicated to the Tenth An- niversary of the State of Israel" CHAIRMAN: Joseph Levine, President, Chicago Council, United Synagogue of America PRESENTATION OF SOLOMON SCHECHTER AWARD TO GOVERNOR MCKELDIN: Morris Speizman, Charlotte, North Carolina, Presi- dent, Seaboard Region, United Synagogue of America ADDRESS: The Honorable Theodore R. McKeldin, Governor, State of Maryland BIRKAT HAMAZON : Leon Levin, President, Shaar Hasho- mayim Congregation, Montreal, Canada 10:30 P.M. SOCIAL PROGRAM Cordillion Room "A Night In Israel"—Israeli songs and dances per- formed by the Uz Group. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1957 8:15 A.M. SHAHARIT SERVICE Convention Synagogue READERS : Ira Schwarz, Congregation Oheb Shalom, Newark, New Jersey Albert Eichler, Temple B'nai Israel, Irvington, New Jersey Jack Braverman, Conservative Congregation of Hill- side, Hillside, New Jersey D'VAR TORAH: Rabbi Alfred A. Philipp, Jerusalem, Israel 9:00 A.M. BREAKFAST Dining Room Regional Conferences 10:00 A.M. PLENARY SESSION Cordillion Room CHAIRMAN: B. L. Jacobs, First Vice President, United Synagogue of America PRESIDENT'S REPORT: Charles Rosengarten, President, United Synagogue of America REPORT OF NATIONAL PLANNING COMMITTEE: Dr. Henry Simon, South Orange, New Jersey, Presi- dent, Northern New Jersey Region, United Syna- gogue of America DISCUSSANTS : Joseph N. Gorson, Chairman, National Planning Com- mittee, Jewish Theological Seminary of America, United Synagogue of America, and Rabbinical Assembly of America Max Stein, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Vice Presi- dent, Ontario Region, United Synagogue fo America 1:00 P.M. LUNCH Dining Room CHAIRMAN: T. George Sternberg, Bay City, Michigan, President, Michigan Region, United Synagogue of America BIRKAT HAMAZON: Hyman Garb, President, Southern