Rabbi Parzen's -Arehiltects of Conservative
Judaism' Throws Liight on Personalities in
Movement, -Historical Events in Jewry, Zionism
Rabbi Herbert Parzen, former procedures during services, intro- tion and ideology, did invite avow-
Detroiter who has held pulpits in uction of the ,sermon in the verna- ed Zionists . (Profs. Max L. Marg-
. the West, Middle West and in cular.
olis, Henry - Mailer. Max Schloess-
There are. succeeding, Rabbi inger)
Eastern congregations. and who
ty.
to join the Seminary fac-
Lesser,
years
of
indecision,
mark-
has acquired recognition for his
historical analyses, has made a ed _by Reform inroads, litigations
There were many controversies
definite contribution to Conserva- by Orthodox against the intrusion
in which Dr. Adler was involv-
Judasim with his series of of Reform in New -Yo - congrega-
ed. His militant anti-Zionism
biographical essays on. religions • tions and the'
ventual revolt
brought him into several con-
leaders in-"Architects of Conserva- a. glirrst Reform. with the emerg-
flicts. The Parzen history throws
live Judaism,"'- just published by. ence of efforts err the Jewish
much light on the Zionist issue
Jonathan David •( 131 E. 23rd, NY TheOlogical Seminary • under the
as it was fought in Conservative.
10). leadership of Dr. Sabato MoraiS
ranks against the Adler position.
Devoting himself entirely now (1823-1897), who succeeded Rabbi - Thus. while Rabbi Parzen's book
to writing, Rabbi . Parzen's literary Lesser in the pulpit of, the Phila- is a collection of biographies, it
efforts' have resulted in several delphia Mikveh Israel Congrega- emerges also as a valuable history
important. projects—his evaluative tion. The various stages in the
of important -eras
works on Zionism and especially SeMinary's development are inter-
in American Jew-
his studies of Conservative Juda- _ estingly reviewed and the early
ish life.
ism's history and the leaders in leaders are listed in the process of
The Adler story •
Conservative Judaism. A graduate establishing a school for rabbis
is followed by a
who became the pioneers in Con-
most evaluative
servative Judaism.
review of the con-
'It • is with the appearance on
tributions to Con-
the scene of Dr. Solomon Sche-
servatitve J u d a-
chter (1848-1915) that the Semi-
ism and to Am-
nary's growth commenced land
erican Jewry by
the Conservative movement be-
Dr. Louis Ginz-
gan to grow. The United Syna-
berg—"The Pro-
gogue was organized, an ideo-
ponent of Hala-
logy emerged. Tradition again
Dr. Adler kha." Here too,
Was exalted. The Schechter views . there are many incidents in the
as elaborated upon by , Rabbi eminent scholar's life. that will
Parzen introduce the great per- fascinate the' reader. Dr. Ginsberg
sonality whose influence is felt had controversies with Prof. Mord-
in Jewish life to this very day. ecai M. Kaplan. These are related
Dr. Schg) chter. it is pointed out here, and other occurrences point
in the Parzen book, "effectively to an active and creative life. Prof.
marked out the broad areas of in- Ginzberg's influence in Conserva-
`tellec'tual freedom." He "opposed • tive Jewish efforts in described by
the religious isolation' of Western Rabbi Parzen as "decisive."
Jewry" and "pleaded for their co-
Two distinguished leaders —
operation with Eastern Jewry in P r o f. Israel Friedlander, "A
order to secure the future of Jud- Teacher of Cultural Judaism."
aism. He complimented Eastern who died a martyr'S death in Pol-
Jewry - for their simple faith. their and while on a mission for the
deep knowledge of Jewish lore and JDC in 1920; and Prof. Mordecai
RABBI HERBERT PARZEN
their will and , strength to live and M. Kaplan, ''The Great Dissenter -
• the University of Michigan be- to die for their belief . . . He de - -complete the array of geniuses
of
fore he had commenced his studies nied the oft-repeated claim that described by Rabbi Parzen. They.
for the rabbinate—they were be- Judaism is legalistic and must be' too. were - ontroversial figures:
both added nobly to the glorious
gun . in Detroit under private Tal- ecitne 'spiritualized.''
Dr. Schechter
chapter of Conservative Judaism.
medic teachers—and holder of an
was disturbed by
MA degree • from Coltimbia
There is a concluding chapter
versity. Rabbi Parzen was ordain- the neglect - of
offering a glimpse ahead, indicat-
ed .at . the Jewish Theological Sern- - 4 Jewish learning
ing that changes are taking place
hy ass imilation
in Conservative Judaism, that
In "Architects of Conservative that often led tc.
under the present head of the
Judaism" he (foes, indeed, env apostasy, and "het
Seminary. Dr. Louis Finkelstein,
erge as a social historian as urged that the
a right-wing movement was in evi-
well as an authority on the Con- rabbi return to
dence. But there are committees
servative movement. To explain .,,11 is t r a ditional
functioning that are striving to
the indelible marks left on Am- function — to
make new changes—as part of 4
erican Jewry by the leaders in learn Torah and
left-wing activity. New responses
Conservative Judaism. he also to teach it."
traces the deVelopment of the "While he dis-
Jew ish religious movements. approved of the
Thus. turning back to Pharis- predominance of
aism, he discusses Hassidism, secularism in the
comments on the Reform move- Zionist move-
ment and its expanded influence ment . . . he re-
and examines the challenges-that mained a stead Prof. Schechter
emerged f r o in Conservative fast Zionist, as he understood
Zionism, to the end of his days."
architects'.
•
Rabbi Parzen declares that
He commencts his study with a
review of the activities of Rabbi ' "Dr. Schechter temerges as the
architect of a religious move-
•Isaac Lesser -( 1806.1868). who lab-
'ment which, he believed, had
ored in Philadelphia and who is
the potentialities to save Amer-
described IV Rabbi Parzeiras "The
ican Jewry for Jewish tradition
Defender of the Faith." While
and creative Jewish living."
,a there was no Conservative move-
There is much of interest in the
ment in Lesser's time, Rabbi Par-
zen states that the eminent rabbi chapter reviewing the administra-
of the last century had encouraged_ tion - of Dr. Cyrus Adler, Prof.
the abolishing of "auction sales of Schechter's successor as . president
Mitzvot," discontinuance rof "the of the Jewish' Theological Semin-
wholesale repetition of .. the Mi ary.
Dr. Adler drew into Conserva--
_ sheberah," adoption of decorous
tive ranks many prominent Amer-
ican Jews. The Seminary grew
under his leadership.
He believed in the restoration
of Zion "and he coming of the
Messiah," but "Zionism as a poli-
tical movement he rejected alto-
Nobody
gether."
UNDERSELLS
Dr. Adler had advocated the set-
tlement'of JeWs in what is now
GREAT LAKES
Iraq. The polemics that ensued—
DON'T EVER
referred to by Rabbi Parzen as
"purposeless" — nevertheless bring
FORGET 'IT ! !
to light an interesting controversy
ASK FOR
that occured at the turn of this
century, and the Parzen study
"Morrie
shows the sharp contrasts between
Sherman"
the Schechter and Adler attitudes
Sales Manager
towards Zionism.
Nevertheless, Dr. Adler, whose
chief 'labors for the Seminary
were in the areas ofadministra-
are expected, the introduction of
the organ in services is becoming
apparent in some Conservatitve
synagogues! As Rabbi Parzeh views
the impending changes, "history
surely repeats itself in the Con-
servative movements."
Many personalities in addition to
those receiving emphasis in this
volume, and incidents of historical
value, are mentioned in this work
which enhances the literary career
of Rabbi Parzen.
—P.
Israel: Where One Can Come
From Rufus Learsi's
"Filled With Laughter"
The immigrant from behind the
Iron Curtain was not too com-
municative. Finally someone ask-
ed him the over-all question: "How
did you find living conditions over
there?"
"Thank God, I couldn't com-
plain," he answered.
"And how do you find living,
conditions in Israel?"
S.
"Thank God, I can complain."
Political Adv.
MARTIN W.
BAGINSKI
.
ELECT
*
Former State Representative
Con-Con Delegate
,* Combat Veteran WW 11
* Active in, the field of Mental
Health
Political Advertisement
Political Adv.
Dedicated
to Justice
ti
Boaz
IEGE
FENCE
JUDGE C AIDu AT Arsr
Great Lakes Fence
16540 GlaENFIEL15
B R 3:2900
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
30 Friday, August 28, 1964
11 607
ad:arse," by Civic; takit
and Fraternal Organization,
Vote September 1St
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