CCAR Tackles Social Justice Issue
Revise Platform First Adopted in 1928
In a major switch from ques-
tions of ritual and ceremony,
the Central Conference of Amer-
ican Rabbis, which concluded
its 71st annual convention here
Sunday, took a strong stand on
major ethical, social and spiri-
tual challenges facing Jewry
and the world.
Nearly 500 Reform 'rabbis at-
tended the week-long deliber-
ations, which were held at the
Sheraton-Cadillac Hotel.
The CCAR, for the first time
since 1928, comprehensively re-
vised its social justice platform
and took a positive position re-
garding race relations, health
protection, housing, automation,
birth control and harnessing the
atom for peace.
In resolutions, the rabbis
voted "sympathy and encour-
agement" to the Negro sit-in
demonstrators, deplored the
breakdown in Summit diplo-
macy, urged Congressional en-
actment of medical care for
the aged and issued a plea to
candidates in the coming elec-
tion to "abjure religious and
racial prejudice."
Acting on the Adolf Eich-
mann incident, the convention
expressed confidence that he
will be accorded every measure
of justice in trial, and expressed
the hope that his apprehension
"will serve as an incentive to
the nations of the free world to
ferret out others" who are re-
sponsible for crimes against
humanity.
A paragraph in the Eichmann
resolution asking that he be
spared the death penalty was
stricken in view of the CCAR's
policy of opposition to capital
punishment.
The convention also sought
abolition of the House Commit-
tee on Un-American Activities
and transfer of its duties to the
House Judiciary Committee;
asked President Eisenhower to
review the case of Morton So-
bell, convicted as an atom spy;
deplored persecution in the So-
viet Union and instructed CCAR
officers to act with other na-
tional bodies for amelioration
of the situation.
In delivering the conference
sermon Saturday morning at
Temple Beth El, Dr. Nelson
Glueck, president of the Hebrew
UniOn College-Jewish Institute
of Religion, warned against
"vague humanitarianism and
well-fed sentimentality" which
may "tend to supplant the rest-
less search for truth and the
realistic implementation of the
imperatives of faith."
He said that there is burning
in Jews today a desire "for in-
tellectual re - Judaization, to
know why they are and should
remain Jews, and how they and
their children can find in Juda-
ism the spiritual strength that
all human beings so element-
ally require. They want more
than communal activities."
Dr. Glueck added, "We
must guard against the situ-
ation when the getting and
giving of money becomes the
major warrant of community
standing and leadership, when
the Jewish body politic is not
suffused with the philosophy
of our spiritual tradition."
In recommending emphasis
on the ethical challenges of the
day, Rabbi Philip S. Bernstein,
of Rochester, N.Y., a past presi-
dent of CCAR, said, "Obviously
we should have the most crucial
concern with theology. Ritual,
certainly," he added, "but not
as flight into . . . storm cellars
of religious security nor as
flight from reason."
The conference was told that
the incidence of intermarriage
among Jews is low compared to
other religious groups, but that
it is slowly increasing.
In a convention seminar,
Rabbi Bernard Kligfeld, of Long
Beach, N.Y., said that the cur-
rent Jewish percentages of in-
termarriage is reported in spe-
cial census figures at about
seven percent. By contrast, he
emphasized, half of all Catholics
find their mates outside of the
church.
"Nearly everywhere," Rabbi
Kligfeld said, "Jewish women
have been • more conservative
than Jewish men in intermar-
riage."
At the same seminar, Rabbi
Jerome D. Folkman, of Col-
umbus, 0., stated that in a
mixed marriage, the social
identification of the Ameri-
can family is generally made
by the breadwinner. As a re-
sult, a prospective marriage
between a male proselyte and
a Jewish bride presents more
difficulty than the reverse
combination.
The Columbus rabbi said that
marriages between Jewish men
and non-Jewish women have
been more frequent in the past
because of sex distribution of
the Jewish population.
In 1957, he said citing a De-
partment of Commerce report,
there were 127,000 Jewish men
between 20 and 24 years of age
as compared to 106,000 Jewish
women. At the same time, he
added that that same report
showed 160,000 Jewish males in
the 14 to 19 age group as con-
trasted with 190,000 females, in-
dicating that pairings between
Jewish females and male pros-
elytes can be expected with
greater frequency.
Rabbi Bernard J. Bamberger,
of New York, was re-elected
president of the CCAR. Rabbi
Harry Essrig, of Grand Rapids,
was elected to a four-year term
*on the board of trustees.
Rabbi Harry Lasker, national
director of the Jewish Commit-
tee on Scouting presented a
plaque to the rabbis for their
continued efforts for the Boy
Scouts of America, now cele-
brating its 50th anniversary.
Early Deadline for Next Issue
On account of Independence Day, there will be an
earlier deadline for all copy for the July 8 issue of
The Jewish News.
Copy for that issue must reach us by noon on
Friday, July 1.
The usual 11 a.m. deadline on Wednesday remains
for Classified Advertising.
60 DAYS OF
"SPRING FEVER
SELLING SPREE"
19
60
DAN C. ROSE
Fleet Sales Mgr.
MAKING SPRING TIME DEALS TO BEAT THE BAND!
CALL DAN ROSE TODAY AT TRinity 5-0500
JERRY McCARTHY CHEVROLET CO.
6250 WOODWARD AVE., JUST S. of MILWAUKEE
If your savings
are not earning 3 Y2 70
you are losing money
... and it's time for a
SAVINGS CHECK-UP!
WHERE YOU SAVE DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE, AND WHEN YOU COMPARE
THE BENEFITS YOU ENJOY AT STANDARD FEDERAL, YOU'LL SEE WHY !
HIGHER EARNINGS! At Standard Federal every
dollar in your account earns at the profitable
current rate of 33i70.
than $11,000,000 established by sound, conserva-
tive management policies.,
STABLE AND DEPENDABLE! Your savings account
SAVING IS SIMPLE! You save the handy passbook
way and your savings are readily available. It's
easy to save by mail too with Standard's Free
Save-By-Mail kit.
SECURITY IS UNSURPASSED! The Federal Savings
and Loan Insurance Corporation insures your sav-
ings up to $10,000. Your savings are further pro-
tected by Standard Federal's own reserves of more
at Standard Federal is with Detroit's oldest and one
of America's strongest savings and loan associations.
Present assets exceed $170,000,000. And Standard
Federal hasn't missed a semi-annual dividend since
it opened its doors in 1893!
SAVINGS RECEIVED ON OR BEFORE JULY 11th WILL GET A
FULL SIX MONTHS' EARNINGS ON DECEMBER 31st. YOU'RE
INVITED TO COME IN SOON. WE'D LIKE TO SERVE YOU.
It's easier and more profitable to save at STANDARD
SAVINGS EARN
31/2%
Current Rate
SAFETY
OF SAVINGS
INSURED
TO $10,000
STANDARD
FEDERAL
SAVINGS
Safety for Savings...since 1893
MAIN OFFICE:
GRISWOLD AND JEFFERSON
WOodward 5-4774
BRANCH OFFICES:
17540 GRAND RIVER near Southfield
25712 GRAND RIVER at Beech Road
16841 SCHAEFER ROAD S. of McNichols
10641 JOY ROAD 1 block E. of Meyers
16530 EAST WARREN at Outer Drive
11600 KELLY ROAD and Whittier
1406 N. WOODWARD 1 block S. 12 Mile Rd.
OFFICE HOURS
Main Office: Mon. thru Thurs. 9:00 AM-4:00 PM, and Fri. 9:00 AM-6:00 PM
Branches: Mon. thru Thurs. 10:00 AM—S:00 PM, and Fri 10:00 AM-8:00 PM