Friday, August 24, 1956—THE DETROIT JEWISH N EWS-8
•
Invasion of Reform Movement into Israel
Threatens State's Homogeneity, Rabbi Says
By F1tANK SIMONS
What is to be the next step
in Jerusalerh now that .a build-
ing permit has been granted to
the American School of Arche-
ology, to be constructed under
the auspices of the Reform
Movement'S Hebrew Union Coll
lege-Jewish Institute of Reli-
gion?
According to Rabbi Max J.
Wohlgelernter, secretary, to the
Israel Chief Rabbinate, who is
back in Detroit for the High
Holy Day season, there is neith-
er a simple answer nor a solu-
tion.
The problem, which according
to some sources could lead to
"civil war in -Israel," developed
when Dr. Nelson Glueck, a lead-
HIGH HOLIDAY
SERVICES
DOWNTOWN
SYNAGOGUE
RABBI:
Leo Steinhat.iser
CANTOR:
Samuel Unovitz
Will Be Held at
VETERANS' -
MEMORIAL
BUILDING
EAST JEFFERSON AVE.
At the Foot of Griswold
Phone: WO. 2-4593
Downtown: Synagogue
Temporarily at
727 David Stott Bldg.
Isaac Agree Memorial
Association, Sponsors
ing archeologist and leader in
the Reform movement, an-
nounced that the library of the
new institution would be used
by students for conducting Re-
form services of worship.
After this announcement, re-
ligious leaders boycotted meet-
ings of the Jerusalem Council
so that the quorum required to
pass on the building permit was
not obtained until last week
when Mapai Mayor Gershon
Agron forced the issue and ob-
tained the permit.
Up to the time of Dr. Glueck's
announcement of Reforrri ser-
vices, Rabbi Wohlgelernter said,
there had been certain differ-
ences among one or two syna-
gogues in the conduct of ritual.
"Never before," he added,
"had there b e e n- an effort
made to introduce a new sect
into Judaism as had . been
done by the announcement of
Reform intents."
Rabbi Wohlgelernter, charg-
ing that the introduction of Re-
form is a "threat to the homo-
geneity of Israel," cited state-
ments in t h e Israeli press,.
Which, he said, were not op-
posed' to religious reforms in
general, but were specifically
against change at this time.
He quoted from the General
Zionist newspaper, Ira b o k e r,
Which in an editorial, "An Un-
necessary Battle," asked Dr.
Glueck to give up his plan.
, The newspaper charged not
that there is no room for reform
in religion, but a step now will
not • bring reform. Instead, it
will bring civil war on the basis
STATE FAIR
PARADE
Fri., Aug. 31 — 11 a.m.
Downtown Detroit
omm.... ■■ =r
CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM
(CONSERVATIVE)
ANNOUNCES HIGH HOLYDAY SERVICES
.
At the site of its new
'
SYNAGOGUE BUILDING
LINCOLN ROAD - West of Coolidge
Across from the Tyler School
ROSH HASHANAH
SEPT. 5-6-7
YOM KIPPUR'
SEPT. 14-15
MORDECAI HALPERN, Rabbi - ALEX SCHARF, Cantor
FOR
TICKET
INFORMATION
FOR MEMBERSHIP
INFORMATION
MR. L. LAWSON
LI 4-2663
-
MRS. ALBERT ROSENBLUM
LI 5-8834
Tickets Available Now for
Auxiliary Services
In the Newly Air-Conditioned Social Hall of
CONGREGATION AHAVAS ACHIM
19091 Schaefer
CANTOR HENRY BLANK will Officiate
Services Will Be Augmented by the Appearance of
RABBI JACOB CHINITZ
CANTOR JACOB TAMBOR
and High Holiday Choir
Supervised by MORRIS SKOLNICK
Free to Our Worshippers: Junior Services, .
Supervised Nursery & Play Room
Call at Synagogue: UNiversity. 4-6428
of religion, and there are many
"more urgent and fateful deci-
sions t6 be made at this time."
The Haboker editorial went
on to call attention to differ-
ences between Israel Jewry and
Diaspora Jewry, asserting that
"what is tolerated there will
cause an uprising here."
"A sizeable portion of Is-
rael's citizens are not relig-
iously observant," the editor-
ial concludes, "and yet they
are making concessions for the
religious segment out of rec-
ognition that this is a Jewish
state. Corrections shout d.
come, but these people under-
stand that they must gird
with tolerance and wait for
a suitable moment."
A source of great antagonism
to a large portion of world
Jewry was the expression used
by the Chief Rabbinate to point
out that Reform in Israel would
mean the establishment "in our
sacred city of - a cross • in the
temple of God."
Rabbi Wohlgelertner explain-
ed that the phrase "tzelem Elo-
kim," as translated by the Eng-
lish press, was interpreted. as
"cross of God" rather than "im-
age Of God," which he said is
the literal translation.
He admitted, however, that
through the years, in common
phraseology the term has been
used to mean "cross" sand not
"image." •
The major conflict which
could arise- out of the introduc-
tion of Reform in Israel, Rabbi
Wohlgelernter said, is based on
the composition of the laws of
the state itself.
He emphasized tha1 the laws
pertaining to marriage, divorce
and family life are vested in re-
ligious law, with full responsi-
bility given over to rabbinical
courts.
Groups which have come to
Israel have abided by its laws,
Rabbi Wohlgelernter said. He
commented on the practice of
polygamy among Yemenites, and
stated that they abide by the
decisions of the rabbinate b;m-
ning- such a practice.
With the introduction of
-Reform, a rabbi, however,
could then recognize the mar-
riage of _ a divorced person
who did not have a "get" (the
traditional sanction for di-
vorce given by Orthodox rab-
bis all over the world).
"Which rabbinical law would
be recognized under such cir-
cumstances?" Rabbi Wohlgel-
ernter asked.
The rabbi also charged that
concessions agreed to by_ Dr.
Glueck, such as the wearing.
of yarmelkas, use of Hebrew
in prayer and other traditional
practices in the proposed syna-
gogue were not necessary. If
they were to go this far, they
might as well use existent
synagogues, Rabbi Wohlgelern-
ter said. -
One of' the major concerns
over the introduction of Re-
form appeared to be its pos-
sible attraction among non-
observant Jews. Ho w eve r,
given tune, the religious ele-
ments feel more people will be
-
••
••■•
:• ■ •••
• ,
attracted to - the • Orthodox sulate, with Jewish Agency
I leaders and With representa-
synagogue.
Rabbi. Wohlgelernter said he tives - b national Jewish or-
did not know what the next ganizations.
He said he is laying the
step would be now that the
school had been approved; groundwork for a visit here .
however, he thought if no sometime in mid-winter of
great crusading effort were Chief Rabbi Isaac Halevy
made by Reform to flaunt the Herzog.
Rabbi Wohlgelertner is still
fact it existed in Israel, there
might , still be services there on a year's leave of absence
and the problem would disap- from his post as director of the
Yeshivath Beth Yehudah. He
pear quietly.
The secretary to the Israel will stay here until after the
Chief Rabbis left here Monday holidays, leaving for Israel on
morning for New York for Sept. 30. His family will leave
conference at the Israel Con- Oct. 5 to join him there.
SHULSINGER BROS.
Sole
Distributors of Israeli Cards
and
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,
-
.Beth Tikvas Distributes
Auxiliary Service Tickets
According to spokesmen of
Cong. Beth Tikvah, announce-
ment of the congregation's
auxiliary - High Holy Day serv-
ices at Rainbow Terrace has
■ beeri received warmly in the
community.
A number of members who
have moved to the Northwest
section have expressed en-
thusiasm over the move, and
tickets are being distributed
at a rapid pace.
The services will be con-
ducted by Rabbi Leizer Levin,
spiritual leader of the syna-
gogue, and Dr. Max Kapustin,
director of the Wayne State
University Hillel Foundation.
Tickets for the auxiliary
service are available at the
air-conditioned Rainbow Ter-
race-, -18451 Wyoming.
REGISTRATION NOW
CONG. 131 NAI DAVID
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL
Meeting at Francis Scoff Key School
Jerome and Rosemary, Oak Park
* MID-WEEK HEBREW SCHOOL
* SUNDAY SCHOOL PROGRAM , -
* HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL
PREPARE YOUR CHILD ADEQUATELY FOR
BAR-MITZVAH — BAS-MITZVAH
'CONSECRATION
WITH A TRADITIONAL AND RELIGIOUS
" JEWISH EDUCATION
BOYS and GIRLS,
AGES 5 - 15, ACCEPTED
SESSIONS BEGIN SUNDAY,
S eptember 9th at 10 a.m.
AT THE KEY SCHOOL
TRANSPORTATION ARRANGEMENTS ARE NOW
AVAILABLE
FOR REGISTRATION OR INFORMATION
CALL SYNAGOGUE OFFICE, TO 8-8776
OR MRS. EDYTHE EMERY,
SCHOOL REGISTRAR, LI 4-4864
SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTIONS IN TUITION
ALLOWED TO SYNAGOGUE MEMBERS
NEW MEMBERS WELCOMED
NEW SYNAGOGUE BUILDING ON SOUTH-
FIELD AND 91/2 MILE ROAD SITE WILL BE
CONSTRUCTED DURING 1956-7