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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, June 16, 1972-11

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(Continued from Page 10)
form rabbinate is not a disgruntled
group.”
One of the major concerns the
rabbis cited was the "Jewish dis-
tance" between themselves and
their congregants.
Half of the respondents said they
felt their congregants had a defi-
nite lack of concern for Judaism.
calling this problem "the single
most frustrating obstacle" they
were experiencing as rabbis.
A typical comment, according
to Dr. Lenn, was that congregants
- care for Judaism, believe in it
vaguely but do not act." Dr. Lenn
said such data indicated the possi- I
bility of "serious" alienation, frus-
tration and disillusionment "on the
part of the rabbi."
Almost 89 per cent of the con-
gregants questioned on their Jew-
ish views stressed the importance
of ethical behavior, 62 per cent
cited Jewish identity, and 63 per
cent a belief in God. However, Dr.
Lenn reported, "Only one in five
think of Jewish study or synagogue
worship as being very important."
The report indicated that enroll-
ing children for a religious educa-
tion still constituted the main
reason for joining a Reform con-
gregation.
The study found that 95 per cent
of eligible Jewish children of Re-
form families are enrolled in re-
ligious schools, two-thirds become
confirmed and one-third become
Bar or Bat Mitzva.
Dowever, despite the majority
enrollment in Reform religious
schools. 60 per cent of the congre-
gational respondents expressed
"dissatisfaction" with the religious
education the children received.
The Reform rabbis, one of whose
prime functions is to teach, have
been particularly concerned about
the quality of Jewish education in
the Reform synagogue. Dr. Lenn
said his findings reflected that con-
cern.
In citing dissatisfactions, the
Reform rabbis mention, in addition
to religious school problems, the
"religious indifference" of their
congregations, the "insensitivity"
of their boards of trustees to both
their needs and those of the syna-
gogues; and professional problems
in job opportunity and pensions.
They were found to believe, in
particular, that they had insuffi-
cient time for study and self-en-
lightenment, particularly in terms
of getting sabbatical leaves for I
those purposes.
A Reform rabbi who is consid-
ered an expert on Soviet affairs,
warned Wednesday that Soviet
authorities may stop granting Jews
exit visas to go to Israel and start
pressuring them to settle in Biro-
bid jan.
Rabbi George B. Lieberman of
Rockville Center, L. I., chairman
of the Soviet Jewry committee of
the CCAR, predicted such a "re-
version to Stalinist methods" in
his report at the convention.
Rabbi Lieberman said he feared
"the time is soon at hand where
Russian Jews will be told that if
you don't like to live in Moscow or
Leningrad, then by all means live
with your fellow Jews, not in Is-
rael but in the Jewish autonomous
region created for you since 1926. -
The rabbi said the Soviet author-
ities would adopt such a line "in
order to silence the demands for
Jewish emigration and equal cul-
tural and religious rights by Soviet
Jews -

S 3 WO H OV0119 ON V N VLNYIV

Refcrm Rabbis
Voice Concern

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