Conversions to Reform Judaism Reported
Tripled in New York Area in Last Decade
Conversions to Reform Judaism
in the New York area have tripled
in the last decade according to a
report from the New York Feder-
ation of Reform Synagogues.
A study, based on 10 years of
conversion classes conducted at
the House of Living Judaism in
New York shows that:
Conversions have become more
readily acceptable in our social
structure; converts are extremely
devoted and dedicated members
of the Jewish faith with a large
majority joining synagogues; and
in Judaism, marriage accounts for
90 per cent of the converts.
, Leaders of Reform Judaism
continue to stress that Jewish
religious groups will only con-
vert non-Jews who are no longer
identified with another faith.
However, a number of Reform
Jewish laymen and rabbis de-
sire that the Union of Ameri-
can Hebrew Congregations pur-
sue a more aggressive campaign
to win the unchurched and un-
synagogued.
which were initiated by the Fed-
eration a decade ago, had grown
in enrollment from less than 100
to more than 300 annually.
This year, from January to the
middle of June, 150 students en-
tered the course-45 men and 105
women; 91 of this group com-
pleted the nine - week course in
basic Judaism, and their conver-
sion ceremonies are taking place
during the next number of weeks.
On Dec. 10, 1963, the Feder-
ation began gathering more com-
prehensive data on persons regis-
tering for conversion classes in-
cluding • family background, for-
mer religious affiliation and Jew-
ish background.
As a result, December 1963-64
data showed that of 295 registered
students, 205 were women ,and 90
men. In this group, 36 people (16
men, 20 women) came to study
Judaism without partners.
On the question of the parents'
religion of the prospective Con-
vert, 227 reported both parents
were of the child's faith; five
parents were of the same faith
(not the child's) and in 63 cases,
both parents came from different
faiths.
The religious background
designated by the 295 students
on the cards indicated that 170
were Roman Catholic, 21 Pro-
testant, 20 Methodist, 19 Episco-
palian, 18 Lutheran, 12 Presby-
terian and the remainder di-
vided among other Protestant
denominations.
United Orthodox Council Sought at Rabbis' Parley
LONG BEACH, N.Y. (JTA)— coming Knesset elections. Rabbi
The Rabbinical Alliance of Ameri- Abraham B. Hecht was re-elected
ca concluded its annual convention president of the group.
here with the adoption of a reso-
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
lution calling for the establish-
Priclay, July 16, 1965-13
ment of a "United Orthodox Coun-
cil to represent the collective view-
point of all Orthodox rabbinic and
. Amazing New POSTALIA
law organizations in the United
States." The delegates also agreed
LOWEST COST
to oppose all federal and state
Postage Meters
legislation concerning Jewish
ritual slaughter.
50 Per
In other resolutions, the dele-
Month
gates praised President Johnson's
aid to education and anti-poverty
Mail 10 pcs. a day or 10,000.
programs and urged the formation
Rate remains same. No extras!
of a religious bloc in Israel which
SAVE $ $ $ $
would combine all candidates of
the various religious parties in NEW STANDARD
.
$8
At this year's UAHC Biennial Israel in one slate for the forth-
General Assembly in San Fran-
cisco, Nov. 13 -18, delegates
are expected to discuss a resolu-
tion proposed by the Union's com-
.
mittee on Proselytism calling for
the formulation of a program to
win "converts to Reform. Judaism
among the unaffiliated, both un-
synagogued and unchurched."
Like
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The Federation, a regional af-
filiate of the UAHC, conducts
conversion classes for its 101
member Reform temples in the
greater metropolitan area and
eastern Connecticut. Reform tem-
ples in nearby New Jersey also
send their converts to the classes.
The report, covering the years
1954-64, stated that the classes,
Court Upholds
Ban on Prayers
NEW YORK (JTA)—The United
States Court of Appeals unani-
mously upheld the city and state
School authorities in banning the
recitation of prayers in public
schools. The decision by the three-
judge appeals Court reversed an
order by Brooklyn Federal District
Court Judge Walter Bruchhausen
that had granted a group of 15
Queens parents of various faiths
an injunction against the prayer
ban.
Tice parents, representing 21
children in a Whitestone, Queens
public school, obtained the injunc-
tion against an order by the school
principal in 1962 to stop the reci-
tation_ of prayers following the
U.S. Supreme Court decision
against the New York State Re-
gents prayer. A non-denomination-
al brief Grace after meals recited
by .kindergarten pupils and a
School-wide Thanksgiving recita-
tion mentioning "God" were dis-
continued at that time.
In ruling in favor of the princi-
pal, the Board of Education and
the State Regents Board, the ap-
peals court said that the school
authorities were entitled to weigh
the wishes of those parents favor-
ing prayers in the school against
the "likely desire of other parents
not to have their children present
at such prayers, either because the
prayers were too religious or not
religious enough and the wisdom
of having public educational insti-
tutions stick to education and keep
out of religion with all the bicker-
ing that intrusion into the latter
is likely to produce."
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To everything there is a season,
and a time to every purpose un-
der the heaven.—Ecclesiastes III:1
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