CCAR Chief Asks Conservative, Orthodox to Join With Reform on Conversion Issue JERUSALEM (JTA) — The president of the Central Con- ference of American Rabbis (Reform), Rabbi Robert I. Kahn, made a I public over- ture Wednesday to the other two branches of Judaism to join with Reform Judaism in seeking a common solution to the problem of conver- sions. Addressing a news confer- 'e here marking the start CCAR's 85th annual con- vention, to be held .through next Monday, Rabbi Kahn said he would appoint a corn- ritf9e of rabbis to examine i s 160Row nd allied - prob- ..ems u ,) seek meetings with Orthodox and Coilserva- tive rabbis to look for com- mon ground. "We want to heal wounds, to annul divisions," Rabbi Kahn said. He added: "If we decide on a joint approach with Orthodox and Conserva- tive, we shall be guided by the Halakha." He said the committee he proposed to set up would very probably study possibilities of tripar- tite Orthodox - Conservative- Reform panels which would perform conversions under a pre-agreed unified proce- dure, following a process initiated in Toronto. Rabbi Kahn said he and his colleagues had asked to meet Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren but had re- ceived no response yet. He said the holding of the CCAR convention in Jerusalem (the second here since the Six- Day War) demonstrates "our love for Eretz Yisrael, our affection for Am Yisrael and our support for Medinat Yis- rael." He said Reform Jewry in the U.S. was today a bastion of Zionist support and sym- pathy and was in the fore- front of United Jewish Ap- peal contributing and work. The "return to Jerusalem" by CCAR was to be seen as part of a general reform trend back toward Jewish tradition, Rabbi Kahn said. Greater emphasis was being placed now on performance of mitzvot as "opportunities to enrich Jewish life." Rabbi Kahn stressed that even if a common solution was attained on conversion with the other two branches, Reform Jewry would fight for the full recognition as Jews of those who had been converted in the past by Re- form rabbis without meet- ing the halakhic require- ments. It would be unthink- able, he said, if years or decades after their sincere conversions, after having lived as Jews and raised families as Jews, such per- sons were to.have•their Jew Ohio Jewish Prison Community_ Dispersed After Work Stoppage Backing In mate Union . COLUMBUS, 0. (JTA) — The 80 inmates who formed a Jewish community with a cellblock of their own in an Ohio prison were scattered through the prison after a - work stoppage and the future of the Jewish group is in doubt, according to a rab- binical student serving the' inmates as a part-time rabbi. Michael Zedek, studying for the rabbinate to ' the Hebrew Union College, the Reform seminary, said the Jewish community at the Southern Ohio Correctional facility at Lucasville had an ark in the cellblock, Jewish study courses, self-help pro- grams and a spirit of soli- darity, according to a report in the Ohio Jewish Chronicle. NORTHLAND (Lot G) 1 The report said that Don EASTLAND (Lot 3) Ferdinand, who was not raised as a Jew, helped to organize the Jewish com- munity. Ferdinand, consid- ered the community's leader, was transferred back into the general prison population Dec. 27 after spending seven months in "administrative isolation" for his participa- tion in the work stoppage. The stoppage was held in OPEN NIGHTS 'til 9 support of the Ohio Prisoners SUNDAYS — 12 to 5 Labor Union. Famous "TAM!" Zedek said that when the CALIFORNIA STYLED 80 inmates got their own cell- block last • year, the inmates protected each other from violence and helped each other prepare for appear. ances before the par ole board. He said the• cellblock was kept "immaculately with Much More clean" and that there was an inmate-produced news- paper, posters of Jewish his- torical figures on the cell walls and Jewish stars on • Plaids & Solids display. • 5 Colors & White Smart styling Only a few of the 80 men details, machine were born Jewish but "they washable. Sizes 8 to 18. had found something very attractive in the Jewish idea that a man can change him- self, that he is not burdened with sin forever," Zedek said. He said the prisoners identified themselves with the history of oppression Newest against Jews. The student ALL WEATHER rabbi added that Ferdinand was "one of the few prison- ers who was making some Now Only effort to improve himself." Zedek said that many of the members of the Jewish 9 99 community were also in the Single & double breast- "labor union" but that he felt ed,-long or short, new spring colors. Sizes 8 that if the "union" improved to 18. conditions for inmates, then • 4 CHARGE PLANS • "any person would have to —Master Charge —BankAmericard be for it." His view was —American Express —Surwin's shared by Rabbi David Fass, ir PANT SUITS 99 COATS 1 who helped the Jewish Com- munity when he visited the prison as a rabbinical stu- dent in January, 1973. THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Berlin Choir Gives Israel Performances ishness questioned by Israel. Rabbi Kahn and Rabbi Richard Hirsch, Jerusalem- based director of the World Union for Progressive Juda- ism. strongly attacked Is- rael's monopoly of Orthodox Judaism and the National Religious Party's attempt to tighten that monopoly through Who Is A Jew legis- lation. "It is real irony," said Kahn, "that we who have fought for religious liberty for all Jews in the U.S. must now fight for our own rights as Jews in Israel. We resent efforts by anyone to make Orthodox Judaism the sole religious authority in Israel, and to have it in con- trol of Who Is a Jew." Rabbi Hirsch explained that Reform Jewry's chief complaint was that even those of its rabbis who did abide by the halakhic re- quirements of circumcision and ritual immersion for conversions found that their conversions were not accepted in Israel. He noted with satis- faction, however, that the ministerial committee which under the new coalition agreement Premier Golda Meir is to set up to examine the Who Is a Jew issue, is to consult with all streams in Judaism. - BERLIN—The 80-member the German Embassy in Berlin concert choir is back Israel. home after giving nine con- Daily—Hospital—Sympathy certs in five cities in Israel. . Polish Jews' Asylum COPENHAGEN (JTA) — In 1973, 328 Polish Jews ap- plied to emigrate to Den- mark or sought asylum there. The government granted all 328 requests, Justice Minister Natalia Lind said. FRUIT BASKETS All the concerts organized with the Israeli Chamber Orchestra, were sold out in advance, and the choir sang before audiences of more than 1,000. Rodnick Bros. 21032 Crosbeck M-97 1 Blk N 8 Mile Warren The concert tour had been sponsored by the German Federal Foreign Office and PR 2-4350 World-Wide Delivery See the handsome Sideral col- lection. 5 styles — all automatic, water-and shock-resistant, with calendar, specially designed straps and bracelets. Just compare, $39.95 to $49.95 /4,1 111111§10 CERTIFIED MASTER WATCHMAKER AND JEWELEI HARVARD ROW SHOPPING CENTER Rabbi Fass, now assistant rabbi at Temple Israel in Columbus, said development Classifieds Get Quick Results of the Jewish community helped to get the inmates out of their "hopeless and des- pairing" mood. He said they were able to live in safety in the cellblock, that there were no fights and no knif- ings "and the men were able to protect some of the young_ er fellows from homosexual assaults." He taught the in- mates Jewish history, re- ligion and Hebrew until he gave up his part-time assign- ment at the prison last April. Rabbi Fass charged that the prison authorities were indifferent to the "positive gains as far as men's activity and behavior changes" he said developed from the Jew- ish community. Referring to the break-up of the Jewish group, Rabbi Fass said "the hope is no longer there." Rabbi Nathan Zelizer, for 23 years a chaplain at the Ohio Penitentiary, worked with some members of the Jewish community at the penitentiary b e f or e their transfer to the Lucasville prison. He said that there was not a single ordained Jewish chaplain for any of the state's prisons, even though about 180 inmates, or about 2 per cent of Ohio -"prison inmates, are Jewish. Joseph Havener, who took over as Lucasville prison superintendent Oct. 1, said "We do not permit groups to segregate themselves accord- ing to race or religion" be- cause such arrangements set up "all sorts of management problems." Friday, March 15, 1974-3 tahser & 11 Mile 353-3146 H SOME RSI URTESY PTIONAL. At Glassman Olds, it's suinthial equipment It has to be. Or there wouldn't be a Glassman ()kis. • No, you won 't stroll down red carpets and be crowne(1 With laurel wreaths. But you will be dealing with people who care ' about people iul(1 not just cai-s. • Simply put, Nye want your business. But we also want your go