Reform Assembly Adopts Resolution
to Encourage Missioniziug of Converts
(From JTA and News Services
to The Jewish News)
SAN FRANCISCO—At least one
—and possibly two—controversial
issue has come out of the 48th
biennial general assembly. of the
Union of American Hebrew Con-
gregations here.
The first is an adopted resolu-
tion calling on the Reform move-
ment in America to proselytize
and "missionize converts to Juda-
ism among the unsynagogued and
unchurched," the first time in 1,-
700 years that Jews will seek
openly to convert people to their
faith.
The second is the announced in-
troduction of a course in Reform
religious schools which will take
up such moral and ethical ques-
tions as sexual behavior. The
course will be offered to the Re-
form congregational schools in
February, marking the first time
that such curriculum material will
be taught in any Jewish religious
school.
Rabbi Maurice N. Eisendrath,
president of the UAHC, who made
the proposal on proselytization,
suggested to the 3,000 lay and rab-
binic delegates here, representing
664 Reform temples as well as
temple men's clubs and sister-
hoods, that a special committee be
forined for the proselytization
drive. The proposal was adopted
as part of the resolution on the
subj ect.
(In his address, Rabbi Eisendrath
also called on the Reform move-
ment to take "a forthright stand"
to put an end to what he called
"second-class status" accorded to
the Reform and Conservative rab-
bis in Israel. Discussing domestic
American affairs, he warned
against a possible resurgence of
"neo-McCarthyism" in the United
States."
The course relating the ethi-
cal and moral values of Judaism
w i 11 answer questions con-
fronted daily by youngsters,
such as sexual behavior, family
conflicts and intermarriage.
Members of the UAHC board of
trustees, meeting in connection
with the general assembly of the
UAHC and 25th assembly of the
National Federation of Temple
Sisterhoods, were told in a report
by Rabbi Alexander Schindler,
director of education of t h e
UAHC, that "such curriculum ma-
terial will be taught for the first
time in any Jewish religious
school (Conservative, Orthodox or
Reform).
"Only a few church schools are
teaching such subjects today. Our
young people demanded such a
course and contrary to what many
people believe, most public schools
do not have any kind of planned
sex education," he said.
The material is contained in a
new volume to be published this
week by the UAHC department of
education. The book is "Con-
secrated Unto Me," by Rabbi Ro-
land B. Gittelsohn of Temple Is-
rael of Boston, who has taught
such a course to his confirmants.
The convention heard a report
anouncing plans for the construc-
tion in Haifa of a $2,500,000,
"liberally oriented" high school,
named after the late Rabbi Leo
Baeck. The school would be a
major step, it was stated, "in ad-
vancing non-Orthodox Judaism in
Israel and dramatizing a new era
of Reform Judaism's desires to
further the causes of the state of
Israel."
At several workshops and
study forums, delegates to the
parley discussed a reevaluation
of Reform Judaism's theological
beliefs and religious practices in
the face of contemporary pro-
blems posed by the current sci-
entific and technical develop-
ments.
Sessions were devoted to discus-
sions of art, music, the dance and
drama in Jewish religious life; and
to an examination of the results
of the recent Catholic church ac-
tion for improvement of relations
with the Jews.
Other resolutions were con-
cerned with condemnation of anti-
Jewish persecutions in the Soviet
Union, condemnation of Arab tac-
tics in the Middle East and a state-
ment on Jewish family life, in-
cluding divorce, birth control,
abortion and homosexuality.
Congress was called upon to
adopt a resolution "urging the So-
viet Union to cease discrimination
of any kind against its 3,000,000
Jews."
At the same time, the plenary
session asked its 664 member con-
gregations to "pledge their ener-
gies to an intensified educational
campaign, in concert with all other
Jewish organizations associated in
the American Jewish Conference
on Soviet Jewry to inform and
mobilize public opinion in our
Spur Growth of Israel's Railroads
country and
Ashdod Port Opening Speeded
throughout the
world."
Irwin Fane, chairman of the
UAHC board of trustees, ex-
pressed "dismay" at the "empty
promises" made by the Soviet
authorities in recent months in
which they indicated that condi.
tions of the Jews in their coun-
try were improving.
He charged that "instead of im-
provements, we have witnessed
the shocking performance of the
Soviet delegation to the United
Nations which last month flung
an outrageous insult at the Jew-
ish people by linking Zionism with
Nazism under the rubric of hatred
and inhumanity. Even Communists
in various parts of the Western
world have labeled this as mon-
strous.
"The Soviet government must
be put on notice," he continued,
"that it cannot hope to misguide
the world Jewish community of
public opinion generally with
empty promises, or even with
token concessions. It can expect
nothing less than the ceaseless and
persistent demands by liberal hu-
manitarians all over the world for
a full restoration of rights to So-
viet Jewry."
At Monday night's session, the
UAHC launched a $2,000,000 cam-
paign for establishment of a reli-
gious art center in New York for
the creation of various artistic pro-
jects dealing with Jewish religious
and cultural themes. The center
will encourage member congrega-
tions to utilize newly created
works, including music and drama,
"to deepen and enrich religious
worship and experience."
An evening of modern liturgi.
cal music which marked the
world premieres of two Amer-
ican works for chorus and or-
chestra was presented before
the delegates.
The new port of Ashdod, built in large part with Israel Bond
assistance, will be open to the ships of the world later this year.
Here we see a frogman at work on one of the newly-built piers.
Ashdod will serve as the major port for the Negev, permitting the
faster shipment of exports from that region. Israel Bonds have
also aided in the development of the ports at Eilat and Haifa,
Excessive Use of Words
Rudolph Flesch, the word ex-
pert, warns against excessive use
of words that are currently in
high fashion. "Fad" words this
season that are anathema to Prof.
Flesch include "catalyst, concept,
empathy, escalation, mystique, pro-
liferation, rationale, serendipity
and viable."
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NOBODY UNDERSELLS
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JOS. CAMPAU at CARPENTER
The concert, "Sing Unto the
Lord a New Song," included the
West Coast premiere of Leonard
Bernstein's "The Chichester
Psalms." Concert guests also saw
William Schuman's poem "Judith"
performed as a concerto for solo
dancer and orchestra, and the first
performance anywhere of "Let Us
Remember," a new cantata with
text by Langston Hughes and
music by David Amram, dedicated
to those who have given their life
for freedom in all times, in all
countries.
Edward G. Robinson flew up
Half Mile South of Davison
MINUTE S
HA NGRI-L
from Los Angeles to narrate a
script by Paul Kresh which linked
the musical selections. The Amer-
ican Conference of Cantors pre-
sented an award to young Amer-
ican composer Charles Morrow
for a musical work based on a
passage from the Book of Deu-
teronomy.
Israel's network of rail transportation is being steadily expanded
with the aid of Israel Bonds to link new centers of economic develop-
ment in the Negev with the country's main arteries of commerce.
Shown here are workmen completing a new rail line at Dimona which
will join that industrial town with Beersheba, the capital of the
Negev, and Oron, Israel's phosphate-producing center. The new rail-
way, which is being financed in part by Israel Bond funds, will provide
swift and inexpensive transportation for the heavy bulk loads from
quarries and mineral plants in the Negev.
At the National Federation of
Temple Sisterhood assembly,
a plea that sisterhood leaders
and members strive toward in-
creased attendance at syangogue
worship services, participation in
study classes and program com-
mittees in the coming year was
made by Mrs. Irving E. Hello-
bow, Chicago, president.
The president told her audience
of the new and expanded inter-
religious climate developed by the
ecumenical spirit of the times.
"Our peers within the Protestant
and Catholic world sincerely wish
not only to meet with us but to
work with us," she said. "We must
be alert to developing jointly with
new programs that will meet this
need."
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
6—Friday, November 19, 1965
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