AN OPEN LETTER TO THE LEADERS OF THE JEWISH WELFARE FEDERATION AND THE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER The Board has by this action not only gravely hurt the sensibilities of religious Jews, but has gone far beyond its authority as one of the agencies of the community to estab- lish what must be regarded as a matter of policy of the entire Jewish community. The Rabbinate of the city and many concerned laymen condemn the presumption of a few men, elected by a small segment of the community, in taking steps which involve the convictions of the entire community. Ali agency which has in its name the word "Jewish" and "ComMunity" and which receives its support from public and Jewish, is not a parochial body fund name of autonomy trespass upon the and of the larger community, as well as rig upon he Towed institutions of Jewish :traditions. The final vote on the part of the Center Board to open the Jewish Center for Sabbath activities, including the health club and gymnasium, was unfortunately taken with little awareness or concern for the sanctity of the Sabbath in the Jewish Community. Jewish Communal leadership, lay as well as Spiritual, bears an overwhelming responsibility—not only in areas of Thilanthropy--.--but in leading a community to recognize the spiritual foundations of our people. It is tragic enough that individual awareness of the Sabbath is so lacking without extending it to the institutions of the Jewish Community. That other cities and communities have failed in this respect is no reason or excuse for Detroit to foll. suit. US HIGHLY COMMEND THE FORESIG D ESS VALIANT MINORITY ON THE BOARD ESS- FULLY OPPOSED THIS DECISION. THE CENTER IS NOT A PRIVATE INSTITUTION. NOR IS IT JUST THE PROPERTY OF ITS MEMBERS, I.E. THOSE WHO USE ITS FACILITIES. IT BELONGS TO THE ENTIRE JEWISH COMMUNITY, TO ALL who contribue towards it through their contributions in the Allied Jewish Campaign. 's Board cannot but The majority action of the Ce help lead to further disintegration, both of the Sabbath and the relative harmony that has prevailed in our community. In our democracy, there is no other reason for segre- gating ourselves in a separate "Jewish" Center unless it be for religious purposes, for reasons that will allow the foster- ing of "religious" values. For such an institution to act on what is essentially a "religious" question in opposition to and in total disregard of the expressed sentiments of the religious leaders representing every shade of religious opinion — contains the seeds of far-reaching dangers to Jewish life. We cannot be responsible for the disruption of our community and the creation of tensions and consequences which will long continue to harm Detroit Jewish life as a result of this unfortunate and offensive decision on the part of the Board of the Jewish Community Center. We therefoi- e appeal to your sense of Jewish dignity and responsibility for an immediate and decisive reversal of the Sabbath opening decision. CONGREGATION RABBI PRESIDENT ADAS SHALOM DOVID BEN NUCHIM AHAVAS ACHIM BETH AARON BETH ABRAHAM BETH MOSES BETH SHALOM BETH SHMUEL BETH TEFILO EMANU'EL TIKVAH BETH YEHUDAH B'NAI DAVID B'NAI MOSHE CHESED SHEL EMES GEMILUTH CHASSODIM HILLEL FOUNDATION, WAYNE U. MISHKAN ISRAEL MOGEN ABRAHAM—BETH JACOB SHAAREY SHOMAYIM SHAAREY ZEDEK TEMPLE ISRAEL YOUNG ISRAEL OF DETROIT YOUNG ISRAEL OF NORTHWEST DETROIT YOUNG ISRAEL OF GREENFIELD YOUNG ISRAEL OF OAK WOODS Jacob E. Segal Chaskell Grubner Milton Arm Benjamin H. Gorrelick Israel I. Halpern Hyman Agress Mordecai S. Halpern Joseph Rabinowitz Leizer Levin Joshua Spiro Hayim Donin Moses Lehrman Israel Rockove Joel Litke Max Kapustin Isaac Stollman S. P. Wohlgelernter Leo Y. Goldman Morris Adler, Irwin Groner Leon Fram, M. Robert Syme J. Maurice Kare Joseph Borenstein Abe Friedman Joseph Lovy Henry Pokart Israel Silverman . Samuel. H. Prero Joshua Sperka Yaakov I. Homnick Isadore Rosenberg Morris Dorn Meyer Levin Melville Richman Harry Gunsberg N. P. Rossen Paul Mosbach Phillip Stollman Max Kaplan Joseph Balberor Hillel L. Abrams Ernest Greenfield Meyer Eisenberg Jack Ginsburg