DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle Page Sixteen Need Social Security for Jewish Civil Servants By RABBI LEON SPITZ For some unaccountable reason clergymen and domestic servants are exempt from social security. In plain words they are thrown to the dogs upon reaching their retirement age. Rabbis, religious school instruct- ors, cantors, and social workers must die in harness or be ex- posed to either starvation or char. ity in old age. This is the respect and this is the honor American Jewry Is paying to its spiritual leaders. A happy exception are the more prosperous Reform Rabbis who still are being pensioned when they attain the status and title of Emeritus. But very few indeed of their orthodox and conservative colleagues enjoy the privilege. Perhaps a quarter of a century ago the late philantroplst, Jacob H. Schiff, realized the unfairness of it all and he set aside a Pen- sion Fund of $100,000 to serve Rabbis of all denominations with- out prejudice, and this fund has been only insubstantially aug- mented. Whatever progress has been made in that direction is to be credited to the Reform wing which has already launched a retirement pension program for its member- ship—a program which calls for annual payments to be made, both by the Rabbis and their congre- gations. Already almost 50% of the membership of The Central Con- ference of American Rabbis is participating in this program. The Conservative group has at its recent convention, and acting through the Rabbinical Assembly of America, for the first time ap- proved a similar project, which was endorsed by the national lead. ers of the United Synagogue of America. It is expected that moral pres- sure will be used to influence the 500 affiliated congregations to join the plans. Unless there is both a general and a generous response from the congregations forthcom- ing, the Rabbis will be helpless. They will be precluded from join- ing the project and the entire thing will turn into a pious wish. There is one fundamental weak- ness in the plan. The more pros- perous and better organized con- gregations may be calculated to heed the challenge more readily. But these are the pulpits whitn employ the high salaried Rabbis. It is the poorer congregations which underpay their Rabbis un- der the existing set-up that are more likely to abstain from con- tributing their share; and it will be in the nature of things that their Rabbis who need the pro- tection most will be the last to receive it. However, prominent lay leaders have expressed the opinion that Rosh Hashonah Greetings less of denominational classifica- tion, orthodox, reform, conserva- tive, etc. to which every individual employee and every congregation and institution of every type shall be challenged to contribute—to be supplemented by contribution s from intelligent and fair-minded philanthropists—and administered on a national level by a Repre- sentative Board. Such a fund, and thus adminis- tered, will not penalize the indi- vidual Jewish religious or com- munal workers in the event that the particular institution which he serves may not see the light. It will embrace the entire body of the so-called Jewish Civil Serv- ice without prejudice. And it will work towards a closer and more harmonious solidarity among the men and women who make Jew- ish communal service their life's career. employers generally have in this country come to realize the fair- ness of protecting the employee in his old age; and that congrega- tional officials will be impelled to be good sports. In orthodox Rabbinic circles ti- e ?Mire idea has apparently nct ye. 'cached even the discussion stage. the older European Rabbis serve .vithout stated salaries and wan- tge somehow to subsist In their dd age. The younger orthodox tabbis are still generally speak. ag too young to glimpse the spec- sr of old age creeping upon them. 3ut sooner or later they too will fe impelled to stare reality in he face. Social security for Rabbis is a :vying need. The integrity of Amerrcan Jew- But why for Rabbis only? Why not include the cantors, and sextons, and Hebrew teachers, Le Shono Toro Tikoseru! each and all the professional synagogue officials? And the Jewish center and other social and community work- ers, too? 8547 TWELFTH ST. These to serve Judaism and TY. 4.9484 these too were created in the image of Every—Jew. Why should S they be callously abandoned in I old age? The problem is both real and A Happy New Year To All earnest. The Jewish Civil Service in this land has come of age. The problem demands an adequatq and TAILORING an unretarded solution. TO. 8.1504 Which shall the solution bc? 12146 Dexter There is a choice between two solutions. The first and most logical and, therefore, most acceptable solu- I tion, is to demand and obtain for our Jewish communal servants the rights and privileges which are open to other American citizens of the employee class—Social Sec- urity. To afford this to certain employee classes and to deny it to others is discriminatory and un- American. The second solution is to create and maintain a general Jewish Photographers nation-wide Pension Fund for 305 W. CONGRESS Rabbis, synagogue employees, edu- cators and social workers—regard- Friday, September 27, 1946 ry compels a proper solution of this vexing problem. They who during the years of their active service wear the Crowns of the Torah, of the Priesthood and of Community Service, must not be put off with a schnorrer's dole in Greetings • SHEWACH BROS. Wholesale Grocers 1345 DIVISION Rosh Hashonah GREETINGS To Our Many Friends • . PETER'S ' Sports Apparel& Uniforms Inc. 1228 GRISWOLD Rosh Hashonah Greetings and Best Wishes to all Jewish Clubs and Organizations and to the entire Jewish Community MAX GAIL ORCHESTRAS A Dependable Source of Good Music Your Party Can't Fail With Music by Gail NATE'S Dairy Grocery M. KIRSCH the sunset of their lives. Such o scandalous "chillul hashern," ish self respect cannot afford to tolerate. 545 NEW CENTER BLDG. MADISON 5600 Orkan-art013-01:41:81-00000000 NEW YEAR'S GREETINGS AND BEST WISHES TO ALL MY FRIENDS DR. (MAYOR) STEPHEN S. SKRZYCKI 10040 JOS. 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