Page Ten

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle

Friday April 19, 1946

JWV Letter to Truman Protests
Conservative Judaism Presented As An
Orientation Between Orthodoxy and R eform Killing of Jews by German Police

By
Rabbi Ralph Simon
(Congregation Rodfei Zedez,
Chicago, Ill.)

During recent years the rank
and file of our people have be-
come increasingly aware of the
program and activities of the
Conservative wing in American
Jewry. During the war years,
thousands of young Jews in the
army camps were exposed for
the first time to religious services
which were conducted in the Con-
servative tradition. Most chap-
plains, regardless of their indi•
vidual preferences, discovered
that this type of worship could
best meet the needs of men who
came from varied religious back-
grounds. Moreover, communities
throughout the country have been
adopting the Conservative prac-
tice and have been seeking Rab•
binical leadership from the Jew-
ish Theological Seminary in New
York, which is the training school
for Rabbis who represent this
point of view.
This trend was evident already
before the war when the Rab-
binical Assembly of America (the
national association of Conserva-
tive Rabbis) found it impossible
to satisfy the calls that were
coming from all parts of the
United States, not to mention
Canada, Australia, Mexico and
South America. The entry of our
country into the war intensified
an already serious dearth of per-
sonnel. Over one hundred Con-
servative Rabbis joined the Army,
Navy, Marine Corps, and Marl-
time services as chaplains. At
the present moment scores of
communities a n d congregations
are awaiting the release of these
religious leaders to civilian life.
It is evident that the Conserva-
tive Movement will be one of
the major forces in the future de-
velopment of American Judaism.
Until recent years, Conservative
leaders concentrated their efforts
on the creation of a great Theo-
logical School and Its subdivi-
sions; the Library and Teachers
Institute. These departments func-
tioned, by and large, as profes-
sional schools for the training of
Rabbis and teachers. The Jewish
Theological Seminary realized,
however, that a firm foundation
for Judaism could not he laid
without the existence of an in-
telligent and enlightened laity. It
therefore organized the National
Academy for Adult Jewish Stu-
dies, which serves as the coordi-
nating agency for the Adult Study
Movement in a chain of congre-
gations throughout the country.
Under the energetic leadership of
Its director, Dr. Israel M. Gold-
man, it has promoted adult study
programs In the Conservative
Synagogues and has already is.
sued an impressive list of study
guides and booklets that provide
lively and interesting courses for
men and women who seek to
come closer to the sources of
Jewish Inspiration.
The latest of the publications
to appear under the imprint of
the National Academy for Adult
Jewish Studies is "Conservative
Judaism — An American Philoso-
phy" by Dr. Robert Gordis. The
designation of Dr. Gordis to write
this volume was indeed a happy
choice. He is one of the brilliant
young leaders in the American
rabbinate, serving now as presi-
dent of the Rabbinical Assembly
of America. He is endowed with
the dual virtues of sound inten-
sive scholarship enlivened by an
Interesting popular style. The
author has undertaken to answer
the question that many men and
women are asking: "What is Con-
servative Judaism? What is its
philosophy? Is It merely an op-
portunistic compromise between
Ortsodoxy and Reform or does it
represent a point-of-view that is
historically sound and grounded
In basic principles. It was for

the purpose of providing a clear
formulation of the philosophy of
Conservative Judaism for the
average intelligent American that
Dr. Gordis wrote his book. For
those who have been seeking
light on this subject it repre-
sents a welcome and readable an-
swer to an oft propounded ques-
tion.

and the consciousness of a com-
mon destiny in the future. The
Jewish people is a cultural and
spiritual unity." While we are
neither a political nor a military
entity, we reserve a central role
for Palestine as the living and
creative homeland of a Judaism
which should function there as
the dominant culture.
It comes as a surprise to most
These basic principles are the
people to learn that Conserva- guide-posts of this newest yet
tism is the latest grouping to ap- vigorous grouping in Jewish life.
pear in Jewish life. It came into It provides a rationale for rever-
being as a solution to the prob- ent and intelligent observance of
lem of sincere devoted Jews who Jewish law; for gradual and
could not find themselves at home creative change; for scientific
in an Orthodoxy with its "denial study of the past; and for a vi-
of change as the law of life, its tal life in the future. As a re-
opposition to modernism, and its sult of these convictions one
refusal to grow with times"; nor finds Conservative leaders in the
could they accept "the perils of forefront of the struggle to main-
emptiness of content and spir- tain beautiful ceremonialism in
itual anemia which are the be- the synagogue and home, while
setting weaknesses of Reform." they likewise experiment with
Knowing what they did not new rituals and practices which
want, these men sought a new modern life may demand. One
orientation that could profit by finds the Conservative synagogue
the contributions of both older invariably sponsoring Intensive
wings In Jewish life and avoid Jewish education for youth and
their vitiating weaknesses.
adults; and it interprets educa-
Dr. Gordis traces the growth tion in the broadest sense to in-
of Conservative ideology, sketch- clude appreciation of Jewish art
ing briefly and interestingly the and music. In keeping with its
contributions of Rabbi Zechariah understanding of the totality of
Frankel of Germany, Dr. Solo- Jewish life, Conservative leader-
mon Schechter, Achad Ha'am, ship is unanimously Zionist and
Prof. Israel Friedlaender, Dr. is to be found in the forefront
Louis Ginzberg, and Prof. Mor- of the movement. Dr. Gordis
decai M. Kaplan. What these points cat how Conservatism in
men arrived at was not a "timid its brief history is already point-
Reform or a watered down Or- ing the way to the emergency of
thodoxy." They created a sound, an American Judaism in which
historically-true formulation of tradition will blend harmoniously
Judaism as ''the evolving reli- with the demands of the present.
gious civilization of the Jewish Maintaining a friendly and re-
people." Every word in this def- spected attitude toward the other
inition is Important.
wings in American Israel, it
Judaism is not a static reli- honors Orthodoxy "for the devo-
gion. Its entire history is a rec- tion and learning which have
ord of evolutionary changes to characterized it" and it is "grate-
meet the needs of the day. Con- ful to Reform for its insistence
servatism therefore continues the on decorum and esthetic appeal
process of adjustment to life in the service and for its gene-
while preserving the spirit of rally liberal attitude toward mod-
Jewish law. It avoids the errors ern thought."
of both extremes, of clinging to Conservatism is a challenge to
the lifeless letter of the law, or all Jews, calling them to a new
of ruthlessly destroying its au- appreciation of our traditions
thority. The next part of the def- based upon a frank acceptance
inition emphasizes the fact that of the modern world in which we
Judaism is more than a few ar- live.
tides of belief. It is rather a
The book has 79 pages of well
complete civilization or culture. set, clearly printed text, followed
We are not members of a philo- by a guide for study and discus-
sophical society but rather part sion written by Josiah Derby. It
of a living people. In living as a is natural that in a book so small
religious group we have created there will be only sparse treat-
a complete way-of-life, possess- ment of many weighty subjects .
ing all the varied attributes of The author has included a biblio-
language and literature, art, mu- graphy for those who wish to
sic, customs and law, institutions read more fully.
and industry. We whittle Juda-
The National Academy f o r
ism down to a mere skeleton un- Adult Jewish Studies and its
less we recognize the Importance sponsor, the Jewish Theological
of maintaining our rich cultural Seminary of America, are to be
heritage In all its life-giving as- congratulated for this contribu-

NEW YORK — Protesting ag-
ainst the recent shooting of Jew-
ish Displaced Persons by German
police in the DP camp outside of
Stuttgart, Germany, the Jewish
War Veterans of the United
States dispatched the following
message to President Truman:
March 30, 1946.
Hon. Harry S. Truman
President of the United States
The White House
Washington, D. C.
The Jewish War Veterans of
the United States join with other
Americans in protesting the use of
German police in Jewish DP
camps in Germany. The outrag-
eous acts committed against our
people by German police indoc-
trinated with the Nazi philosophy
is an affront against decency and
humanity. The Jews who remain
in the DP camps are the remnants
of 6,000,000 of their dead breth-
ren who have been murdered by
the Nazis. Every inch of the soil
on which they now must live is
drenched with the blood of their
families who have been wiped out
by these same Germans.
We fall to understand how the
American Army can allow Ger-
mans to have any authority what-
soever over Jews in view of the
past. These Jews have fought to
live thus far. Their will to sur-
vive will cause them to fight fur-
ther and to resist any German
invasion of their rights. Having
recently returned from Germany
as head of an American Jewish
Conference team of observers, I
charge that the German black
market Is the worst in Europe.
To accept the word of these same
Germans against Jews who still
do not have the amenities of life
after six years of slavery under
the Nazis is unbelievable.
Your reputation r.s a fair and
just humanitarian is a guarantee
against any repetition of further
senseless outrages against Jews.
We urge you to use your good
offices to withdraw German
guards from Jewish DP camps
and to give these fighting Jews
the consideration which their
years of torture in the hell of the
German concentration camps en-
titles them.
ALFRED FLEISHMAN,
National Director,
Dept. of Public Relations,
Jewish War Vets. of U.S.

Used Clothing to
Go with Prepaid
Duty to USSR

Used clothing may now he sent
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also allowing a 20% reduction In
the current rate of duty for all
second-hand wearing apparel.
This clothing must be In good
condition and must be accom-
panied by a Board of Health cer-
titivate showing that it has been
properly fumigated.
All merchandise should be
brought or sent to our agent,
World Tourists, Inc., 1123 Broad-
way, New York 10, New York,
Telephone: Chelsea 2-2838, for
shipment to the U.S.S.R.

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