Friday, August 31, 1956–.-THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS-36
Two Detroit Leaders Condemn Restrictions on
Formation of jerusalem Reform Synagogue
Dr. Richard Hertz, Morris Garvett
Criticize Chief Rabbinate's Action
Two leaders in the ranks of
Reform Judaism in Detroit this
week severely condemned the
actions of the Chief Rabbinate
in Israel in denying the right
to worship in their own syna-
gogue, in Jerusalem, to Reform
Jews.
Dr. Richard C. Hertz, Rabbi
of Temple Beth El, and Morris
Garvett, eminent Detroit at-
torney who has served as pres-
ident of both Temple Beth El
and Temple Israel, in state-
ments to The Jewish News, as-
sail the decisions of the Chief
Rabbinate of Israel as being
intolerant, as marking coercion
and as harmful to the State of
Israel.
The position of the Chief
Rabbinate was outlined by
Rabbi M. J. Wohlgelernter,
who recently loined the
Chief Rabbi's secretariat, in
a statement to the city editor
of The Jewish News. Rabbi
Wohlgelernter claimed that
use of the term "cross" hi
the translation of the word
"tzelem" was a wrong one
in the JTA cable to The
Jewish News, with reference
to the establishment of a
Reform synagogue in Israel.
He said the word "image"
should have been used.
The London Jewish Chroni-
cle report on the Chief Rab-
binate's action used the term
"idol."
Recent reports from Jeru-
salem indicated that May or
Gershon Agron of Jerusalem
had opposed the Chief Rabbi's
actions and that he and a ma-
jority of the Jerusalem Coun-
cil are favoring the granting
of the right to a house of
worship of their own • to Re-
form Jews. (S e e Story on
Page 1).
. Hertz, Garvett Statements
Dr. Hertz, who expressed his
indignation over the Chief Rab-
binate's actions, returned t o
Detroit last week after spend-
ing the summer studying reli-
gious conditions in Israel. His
statement follows:
"Dr. Nelson Glueck's case is
the talk of Israel.
"The intolerance of the Chief
Rabbi for Reform Judaism is
unbelievable. By at t e mpting
to delay Dr. Nelson Glueck,
president of Hebrew Union
College-J e wish Institute o f
Religion, permission to build in
J e r us alem a n archaeological
school for higher Jewish stu-
dies, the Chief Rabbi displayed
a bigotry that is bound to do
more harm to Orthodox
Judaism than it will to the Re-
form movement.
"Last year the government
granted Dr. Glueck a site for
the school near the King David
Hotel, a short distance from
`No Man's Land' overlooking
the Old City of Jerusalem. In
order to begin construction of
the building, a license had to
be granted by the Jerusalem
Municipal Council, which also
sits as the Local Town Planning
Commission. The Chief Rabbi
attacked the idea of building
the Archaeological school, be-
cause Dr. Glueck suggested that
religious services would be held
for students praying with
covered heads in Hebrew, using
the Reform ritual, and that the
services would be held in the
library of the archaelogical
school.
"When Chief Rabbi Herzog
tried to maintain Orthodoxy by
politicial force and deny fel-
low Jews the right or the fa-
cilities in which to pray, he
was clutching for straws in
trying to preserve Orthodox
Rabbinic authority. Historical
Judaism always believed in
persuasion rather than coercion.
Coercion is a two-edged sword
and has long been the hall-
mark of totalitarianism. Unfor-
tunately, religion in Israel has
become a political football, a
particular subject of political
! party interest. There is a
spiritual hunger in the State of
Israel today that is not being
met by the Chief Rabbi or his
traditional Or t h o doxy. The
Chief Rabbi scarcel y
strengthens his case for Ortho-
doxy by seeking to deny to
fellow Jews the facilities in
which to offer prayer in the
sacred tongue of Hebrew. As
long as Orthodoxy in Israel be-
comes a subject of political
party interest, it can never
take on the moral fervor of so-
cial justice or the passion of
prophetic righteousness needed
to capture the youth of Israel.
The Chief Rabbi has admitted
privately that only 20 percent
of the Jews in Israel are
Orthodox, which means that 80
per cent have no channel in
which to express their sincere
religious convictions.
"When it seeks to estop
the sincere and conscientious
desires of fellow Jews to
pray in Israel, it means that
freedom f or religion is
throttled. Unless f r e e d o
for religion prevails
in the State of Israel,
no other kind of free-
dom is safe there. The atti-
tude of the Chief Rabbinate
is most distressing, because
the citizens of the State of
Israel and its friends
throughout the world have
repeatedly pointed to this Na-
tion as the one arsenal of
freedom in the Middle East.
"It seems ironic that Jews
who have known religious per-
secutions more intimately than
any other people, who have
continuously protested all over
the globe against religious per-
secution, should now indulge
in an act of oppression them-
selves, particularly because the
Chief Rabbi offers no protest to
the toleration of Christianity
or Mohammedanism within the
borders of Israel. Yet he seeks
to prevent freedom for Reform
Jews • to follow the dictates of
their own conscience.
"The Jerusalem Post recently
featured an editorial on the
Nelson Glueck affair in which
it said (July 20, 1956), 'When
orthodoxy tries to counter the
attempts of sincere men and
women to find an acceptable
way of Judaism for themselves
by such intolerance as is being
revealed in -this reaction to
Professor Glueck's far too rea-
sonable proposal, it is surely
courting disaster.' \
"It seems to me highly inde-
fensible, therefore, that the
Chief Rabbinate should seek to
suppress one of the most prom-
ising avenues of Jewish religious
expression that would appeal
to the thousands upon thousands
of unaffiliated, and help turn
s u c c e e ding generations of
Israelis away from atheism.
"When the Chief Rabbi opined
that Reform in Israel would
mean the establishmant 'in our
sacred city of a cross in the
Temple of God,' he has insulted
Reform Jews the world over.
When the Chief R a b b i de-
nounces Reform Judaism as a
destroyer of Judaism and a de-
filer of the Holy City, banning
'R e f or in Judaism within the
boundries of the State of Israel,
it is high time for Reform Jews
outside of Israel to stand up
and protest against religious
persecution in Israel."
Mr. Garvett's Statement
The statement of Morris Gar-
vett, in a letter to The Jewish
News, follows:
"During the last few weeks,
Reform Jews have been greatly
disturbed by the reports corn-
ing out of Israel regarding the
attempt of Dr. Nelson Glueck,
President of the Hebrew Union
College-Jewish Institute of Re-
ligion, to procure a building
permit for the proposed Amer-
ican School for Archaeology in
Jerusalem which would also
house a Reform Synagogue.
Your readers are aware, of
course, of the opposition of the
Chief Rabbinate of Israel and
t h e Orthodox groups t o D r.
Glueck's plan and of the use
of their political power to pre-
vent its accomplishment.
"The Chief Rabbinate, in a
formal statement, accused Re-
form Judaism of 'terrible de-
struction,' alleged that Reform
Judaism in Israel would mean
the establishment in Jerusalem
of 'a cross in the Temple of God'
and warned that it would 'defile
the Holy City.' The pronounce-
ment then concluded with the
edict that 'it is forbidden to
enable it (Reform Judaism) to
get established in our country.'
Thus, we have a formal ban or
excommunication upon Reform
Judaism and all its works. The
State of Israel having been es-
tablished with the help of Re-
form leadership and vast sums
of money contributed by Re-
form Jews, Orthodoxy has not
staked out that country as its
own preserve to the exclusion
of Reform Judaism.
"Great as my indignation
has been at the intolerance
and arrogance displayed by
the Chief Rabbinate and the
seeming sanction of the Gov-
ernment of Israel to such at-
titudes on the part of a poli-
tical party in that country, I
would have maintained public
silence but for the interview
which you reported with
Rabbi Max J. Wohlgelernter,
of our own city, who is now
secretary to the Chief Rabbi-
nate of Israel.
"It is a source of amazement
to me that Rabbi Wohlgelernter
should add his sanction to the
strange principle adopted ' by
Orthodoxy that Christianity and
Mohammedanism are welcome
and may be observed by its
adherents in Israel, but not Re-
form Judaism. Rabbi Wohlgel-
ernter knows American Reform
Jews; he has ministered to an
American congregation; he has
rendered important service in
the furtherance of Jewish edu-
cation in America, as I myself
can testify; and he has worked
side by side with Reform Jews
for years in many endeavors for
the interests of all Jews every-
where in the world. If, as our
Rabbis have taught, the right-
eous even among the heathen
may share in the world to come,
how does he, an American Jew,
having lived in the atmosphere
of complete freedom of worship
for all men, justify the excom-
munication of fellow Jews?
"Does Rabbi Wohlgelernter
really believe that the worship
of Reform Jews would 'defile
the Holy City'? Does he really
believe that Reform Jews would
plant 'a cross in the Temple of
God'? He raises some question
about the word tzelem which
he says should be translated as
"image" rather - than as `cross'—
the Jewish Chronicle of Lon-
don, England, uses the expres-
sion 'an idol in the sanctuary'—
but does he really believe that
Ref or m Jews are idolators?
And, does he believe with Tel
Aviv's Orthodox paper Hatzofe
that 'Reform Judaism is more
cl/ngerous than openly secular
movements, because it uses de-
ceitful tricks to conceal its true
nature, which is to turn Jews
into Gentiles'? If he does not
believe these things, he should
forthrightly say so and disas-
sociate himself from those who
do.
"Whatever may have been the
experiences of the Chief Rabbis
of Israel and the leaders of the
Orthodox groups in the coun-
tries from which they came or
had to flee and within which
Reform Judaism was unknown,
Rabbi Wohlgelernter is not
without personal experience
with Reform Jews and Reform
Judaism. Has he forgotten the
endless hours, over many years,
during which he sat with Re-
form Jews, among other s,
planning for the support of Jew-
ish education—planning which
included education in Ortho-
doxy but not in Reform Juda-
ism? Has he forgotten that
funds in substantial measure
for the support of his own
Orthodox religious school came
from Reform Jews through their
contributions to the Allied Jew-
ish Campaign of the Jewish
Welfare Federation—and that
none of such funds ever were
allocated for the support of any
Reform religious school? I
know personally of funds contri-
buted by Reform Jews, in addi-
,tion to their Allied Jewish Cam-
paign contributions, directly to
the Orthodox school of which he
was the head, because of their
respect for his sincerity and for
Orthodoxy generally. Assuming
the power to exist, are such
Jews to be cast into outer dark-
ness, with his approval, by
Orthodox Rabbis across the
seas? Are they to be denied
freedom of worship in the land
which was the cradle of their
faith?
"Rabbi Wohlgelernter reports
that he is laying the ground
work for the forthcoming visit
of Chief Rabbi Herzog to this
country. It would be naive to
suppose that this visit will not
be for the primary purpose of
raising funds for the Chief Rab-
binate and for Orthodox insti-
tutions in Israel. Heretofore,
Reforrh Jews, in giving of their
means for religious institutions
in Israel have made no point
of the fact that their contri-
butions were being used for
the furtherance of Orthodoxy
only. Now, however, the Chief
Rabbinate, in its official capac-
ity, has pronounced its excom-
munication of Reform Judaism.
I am not sufficiently acquainted
with t h e Rabbinic laws of
cherem to hazard an opinion
as to the right of the Chief
Rabbi legally or morally now
to accept money from Reform
Jews but, under these circum-
stances, does Rabbi Wohlgel-
ernter Luppose that any Reform
Jew may with dignity and self-
respect contribute to the sup-.
port of Orthodox institutions in
Israel which have publicly ex-
pressed their contempt for his
religious convictions?
"For a long time now, Ortho-
doxy and Reform have lived
side by side in America in com-
plete harmony. Our own Jewish
Welfare Federation bears wit-
ness to the mutual respect that
exists between the two groups.
It would be a great tragedy if
anything were permitted to
mar this relationship and im-
pede the philanthropic work fol.
Jews everywhere to which this
and other united communities
are dedicated. In the approach-
ing Days of Awe, may all of
us, Orthodox and Reform alike,
pray that no divisive influence,
originating in the dark mists of
medievalism, be permitted to
come between us."
Miss Anna Oxenhandler
Criticizes Wohlgelernter
Miss Ann Oxenhandler, one-
time educational director of
Temple Beth El and later of
Temple Israel, in a letter to
The Jewish News, also cri- --
ticizes Rabbi Wohlgelernter's
view s. Miss Oxenhandler
writes:
"Since the release of the
first report on the `cherem'
pronounced on Reform by the
Chief Rabbinate of I s r a e 1,
which appeared in The Jewish
News, I have been looking for
an expression from an American
Orthodox or C o n s e r v ative
Rabbi, many of whom know
some of us Reform Jews from
personal experience; I have
been looking for an expression
from a leading Orthodox or
Conservative layman, lifting his
voice in protest against the
blind parochialism of the Chief
Rabbinate of Israel—but — in
vain!
"So I recalled the ancient
warning of Rabbi Hillel which
says: `If I am not for myself—
who will be -for me?'—and I
ask:
"Are these silent ones fear-
ful of a personal cherem? Or,
is there at stake the `traife'
dollars which American Reform
Jews have sent into Israel and
so they risk no comment?
"Two S•abbosim I spent in
Tel Aviv a little while back.
I, a Reform Jew, who, accord-
ing to the Israel Rabbinate
would bring the cross into the
Holy City of Jerusalem, sought
out a service for prayer; I
necessarily attended an Ortho-
dox service. There was not one
young person present at this
Shul—one of the many which
according to Rabbi Wohlgelern-
ter accounts for a 60 per cent
attendance on t h e Sabbath!
The young people whom I saw
were too busy—although all
businesses were closed—t h e y
were busy washing cars and
clothes and scrubbing floors—
on a bright Shabbos morning.
This is better for the perpetua-
tion of our Faith?
"One might almost account
for the rabbis of Israel as suf-
fering from Xenophobia—but
how explain Rabbi Wohlegl-
ernter?
"The Chief Rabbinate of
Israel to the contrary notwith-
standing, the devout Reform
Jew witnesses for "Kiddush
Hashem" even as do-es the
devout Orthodox Jew! Defec-
tions from the ranks of Ortho-
d o x y—t o indifference a n d
atheism---,are best noted in
Israel."
Rosh Hashanah Plate
—Courtesy, Jewish Museum, New • York
Photograph by Frank J. Darmstaedter
Feience Plate with blue and white decorations.
Inscription: "Rosh HaShanah," (Delft, Holland, 17th
century).