THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Boris Smolor's

'Between You
... and Me'

Editor-in-Chief
Emeritus, JTA
(Copyright 1975, JTA, Inc.)

THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT: I remember
the time = many years ago — when conventions of the Rab- •
binical Assembly, the association of Conservative rabbis,
were small in attendance and meager in their agenda. They
were concentrated around the Jewish Theological Semi-
nary. This is not the case today.

The Rabbinical Assembly opens its 75th anniversary
convention next week in the Grossinger Hotel with an at-
tendance of more than 1,000 members, with an elaborate
program of discussions reflecting the march of time in
American Jewish life and the problems synagogue schools,
adult Jewish education, reaching out' to college youth, pro-
gramming the work of synagogue centers, iam-ily couns6f-
ing, interreligious activities, innovations in worship serv-
ices, and with other aspects of synagogue work.

The Conservative movement has *gone a long way for-
ward during the last 30 years. It has grown to become a
major force in Jewish religious life. It now claims to repre-.
sent about 350,000 families affiliated with 800 congrega-
tions. It compares with 250,000 families affiliated with the
Reform movement and with approximately 300,000 families
of Orthodox Jews.
The secret of this remarkable progress lies perhaps in
the fact that the Conservative movement is in the center
between the two other denominations in American Juda-
ism. It is not as extreme as the Orthodox movement and at
the same time, it is more traditional than Reform Judaism.
It fits the religious moods of many American middle-aged
Jews today.
* * *
TALKS OF MERGER: A great boost to Conservative
Judaism came in the immediate post-war years after World
War II. Many Jewish men 'in the U.S. armed services be-
came religiously-minded on the battlefield. They returned
home determined to belong to a synagogue.

A remarkable development in recent years is the fact
that one finds now more and more Jews in the communities
who belong simultaneously to a Conservative synagogue
and a Reform temple. The difference between the two de-
nominations is narrowing down with every year to a point
where talks can bef heard now whether the time has not
come to negotiate a possible merger of the two camps.
Many Reform rabbis, long opponents of Zionism, are
now active supporters of Israel. The Reform movement has
also given up its opposition to a number of Jewish tradi-
tional practices. Some basic religious ceremonies previously
ignored by Reform rabbis are now being performed by
them. There are still Reform rabbis who do not observe
Kashrut, but there are also others who have turned to
Kashrut.
On the other hand, the Ccn$Prvative movement has also
yielded in rigidity by eliminating certain traditions to
which it clung for years.
In general, the Conseryative movement is now begin-
ning to make a distinction between Jewish Law (Din) and
Jewish customs (Minhag.) It takes the attitude that while
anything prescribed by Jewish Law must stand, Jewish cus-
toms are only a product of circumstances and habits, and
can therefore be changed.
But despite the fact that_there are trends among rabbis
of both denominations that seem to be drawing them closer
together, the fundamental difference over the principle of
Halakha authority remains large and deep in the two
camps. A merger between Conservative and Reform Juda-
ism seems therefore unlikely in this generation.
* * *
NEW IDEA: The spark plug of the Rabbinical Assembly
is its very active and erudite executive vice president Rabbi
Wolfe Kelman. He has been chief executive officer of the
organization for the last 24 years. It was during that period
that Conservative Judaism has made its spectacular leap
from being the third and most fragile of the three denomi-
national groups in this country to becoMing the most domi-
nant group.Rabbi Kelman foresees the day when rabbis in
this country will more likely be an employe of the local com-
munity than of a particular synagogue. He urges a social-
ized system of pooling rabbinical salaries to be collected and
allocated by a central body.
The system which Rabbi Kelman advocates is now
practiced in England and in Israel. Every rabbi serving the
United Synagogue in England receives a fixed salary from
the central body of the United Synagogue no matter where
he serves, with regular increments and other civil service
beneifts and disabilities. The central body collects dues
from each of its approximately 100 affiliated congregations.
In Israel, the official Orthodox rabbinate, and every lo-
cal rabbi appointed by the authorities, is paid by the govern-
ment and is treated as a civil servant, also independent of
the wealth or poverty of the worshippers in the synagogue
of his community. , r

Friday, April 18, 1975 11

PRICES CUT AGAIN

ON MANY ITEMS IN OUR STORE FOR

Friday Night till 9 P.M. Saturday 9:30-6 p

SUNDAY 12 NOON TO 5 P.M.

BLOCK'S

CLOTHES

FINE QUALITY CLOTHING AND SHOES

Located at

19132 LIVERIVp mISad AVENUE

GOING OUT OF
BUSINESS SALE

City of Detroit G. 0. B. License No 1388

Come 'In Tonight-Saturday or Sunday

FAMOUS NAME BRANDS ON SALE

GGG, Eagle, Le Baron Geoffrey Beene, Pierre Cardin, Brioni, Leon Picardi,
Enro, Johnston & Murphy, Balli and many more.
All of our new Spring and Summer Merchandise included in this sale

THIS SALE DOES NOT AFFECT OUR WEST BLOOMFIELD STORE

TO $135

TO $195.00

SPORT COATS

SUITS

Out of a group $ 4488
these coats in
the latest styles,
fabrics, and col-
ors go at

these
While
last—In the lat-
est styles fabrics
colors they will
sell out at

•

88

No Alterations

No Alterations

USE YOUR BANKAMERICARD, MASTER CHARGE OR MAJOR CREDIT CARDS

TO $39.50

TO $37.50

Out of a group they will
sell fast at

Hurry to get this buy out of
a group at only

SLACKS

7

$ 6

88
No
Alterations

SPORT SHIRTS

$988

TO $30.00

SWEATERS

While these last out of a
group at the low price of

$1388

TO $14.95

DRESS SHIRTS

Buy now, out of a group
these will sell fast at

Waist, Cuff, Sleeve Alterations Free—Major Alterations at cost .

TO $62.50

TO $10.00

TIES

Hurry out of a group these
will sell fast at

$388

$25.00
HATS
Famous name brands-

- Out these go at only
$ 1788

SHOES

Famous Name Shoes go
until sold out of a group at

$3 488

$9.00

BELTS

While these last—Going
out of business prices of

TO $235.00

SUITS

Latest styles, fabrics, col-
ors out of a group at

$109'

$85.00

LEISURE SUITS

While these last out they
go at the low price of

59 88

$

TO $120.00

SPORT COATS

Out of a group these will
sell out fast at only

'688 $6988

$14.95

ROBES

Out these go—Out of a
group to sell out at

$988

ALL SALES FINAL — NO REFUNDS — NO EXCHANGES

