THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Friday, February 2, 1979 5

Rabbinical Assembly Commission Backs Ordination of Women

(Continued from Page 1)
servative movement im-
mediately begin discussion
of procedures to be followed
to educate the community
concerning issues raised in
this report so as to insure as
smooth and as harmonious
an adjustment to the new
policy as possible.
In making these re-
commendations, the re-
port stated, "The com-
- mission is making no re-
commendation in regard
to traditional practices
relating to testimony, and
. -implications concern-
such practices should
drawn on the basis of
this report."
. The minority opinion
stated, "Although the sig-
natories to this section are
in sympathy with many of
the arguments and senti-
ments expressed by our col-
leagues on the commission,
and embodied in the major-
ity opinion given above,. we
remain opposed to the ordi--
nation of women as rabbis
in the Conservative move-
ment." The motivations for
arriving at this minority re-
commendation were in part:
"Our main thrust has to
do with certain halakhic
problems which cannot in
our opinion be separated
from the question of ordina-
tion but flow from it alm6st
inexorably. Not all congre-
gations accept the view that
women may be counted in a
minyan, receive aliyot, or
lead the service in liturgical
prayer as a surrogate for
others. Many more congre-
gations and many Jews out-
side our movement may be
affected by practices in con-
nection with testimony re-
lating to marriage and di-
vorce, where the laws are
restrictive in the case - of
women.
"You cannot, within the
present climate of the Con-
servative movement, ordain
women and expect that they
will not at some point in-
fringe on these Halakhic re-
strictions in the perfor-

mance of their rabbinical nesses in judicial proceed-
ings.
duties.
The recommendations
"We fear the possible
disruption of the unity of now will be submitted to
the movement. One of the the faculty of the semi-
consequences of a deci- nary, the institution
sion to ordain women which trains rabbis for
might very well be the Conservative congrega-
violations of halakhic - tions, and would, accord-
principles adhered to by ing to the report, be cal-
others in the movement, led upon to admit women
which in turn would re- to its rabbinical school.
sult in the untenable pos- . The faculty of the semi-
ition of individual rabbis nary is considering the
being unable " in good report and plans to vote
conscience to recognize on the recommendations
the validity of marriages, of the commission on
divorces, and conver- May 30.
Wednesday night the
sions supervised by one
Rabbinical Assembly
of their colleagues...
"Finally, we are con- adopted a resolution declar-
cerned that at a time when ing that it "will take no ac-
tion on the question of the
American Jewish youth
seem to be turning more -to- ordination of women or on
ward traditional values, the commission's recom-
and to an authentic . mendation prior to the
halakhic life style, this study of the report by the
would seriously com- full membership and the
promise the traditional study, analysis and decision
image of the Conservative of the seminary faculty on
movement, and the Jewish the recommendation."
The resolution also com-
Theological Seminary of
mended
Cohen and the
America as an authentic
halakhic institution. We -members of the commission
feel strongly that such mat- for- the report, praising the
ters of symbolism must be "thoroughness with which
taken as seriously-as possi- all aspects bf the issue were
ble, for a wrong decision on studied, making it a classic
an issue of this magnitude contribution to the litera-
will, in our opinion, alienate ture of the `status of women
many more halakhically- in the Jewish tradition.'
The rabbis, in acting as
committed people than it
they did to send the report
will attract."
on to- the seminary, acted in -
For these reasons, the accordance with the ar-
minority report concluded, rangements under which
"We recommend to the Cohen named the commis-
leaders of the Conservative
movement that appropriate Israelis' Gloom
roles be created for Jewish
women short of ordination Not Warranted
so that their commitment
TEL AVIV (ZINS) —
and talents may be a source Prof. Benjamin Akzin, writ-
of blessing and not of un- ing for the afternoon Heb-
necessary controversy."
rew daily, Yediot Ahronot,
The -report makes no re- blasted -"those Israeli politi-
commendations concerning cians and journalists who,
other traditional sex-role he claims, are spreading a
distinctions in Jewish cloud of pessimism
ritual. For example, wo- throughout the country.
men, including women rab- The author argues that all
bis, will, in the eyes of many of the complaining that "it
Conservative Jews, remain has never been so bad" has
ineligible to serve as wit- no basis in fact.
To begin with, he points
out, the chances for peace
with the Arabs, while not
mission; and a number of exactly 'glowing, 'are cer-
tainly better than they
Michigan clergymen.
A cocktail reception on have ever been since 1949.
behalf of the MSU Hillel Israel's military situation is
building fund has been far superior to what it was
scheduled for 8 p.m. Feb. in previous years.
Akzin does concede that
21_at the University Club
in Lansing. Dean William America's support of Israel
Haber of the University is less than it was previ-
of Michigan and presi- ously, but one must not
dent of the World ORT forget that even in the past
the United States, on sev-
Union will speak.
Reception chairman is eral occasions, placed em-
Mrs. Ruth Magen and Rabbi bargoes on the transport of
Philip Frankel is co- weapons to Israel. We have
chairman. The reception to remember, writes Akzin,
committee includes Sandy that America's policy to-
wards Israel reflects its
Gross and Naomi Revzin.
For information about the overall political vulnerabil-
drive, call Rabbi Allen at ity and that Washington
the MSU Hillel House, (517) fears provoking a confron-
332-1916, or the Bnai Brith tation with the Soviet
office in Southfield, 354- Union and with the Arab
oil-producing countries.
6100.

MSU Hillel House

(Continued from Page 1)
and National Hillel Com-
mission Treasurer Milton
M. Weinstein of Southfield
are serving as honorary
fund drive chairmen.

Also lending their sup-
port to the drive are the fol-
lowing honorary co-
airmen: U.S. Sen. Donald
gle; Michigan Reps.
n Jondahl, David Hol-
,er and Joseph Forbes;
Michigan Sena William F.
Sederburg; Secretary of
State Richard Austin and
Attorney General Frank
Kelley; Michigan Supreme
Court Justices Thomas
Kavanagh and G. Mennen
Williamsi Nathan Rubens-
tein and Stuart Rosenthal of
the National Hillel Com-

t

sion and set up its assign-
ment. Cohen has pledged to
press for its approval by the
seminary faculty.
Rabbi Saul Teplitz, Rab-
binical Assembly president,
hailed the report as "affir-
mative" and "rooted in
halakha with reverence for
Jewish tradition."
Rabbi I. Usher Kir-
shblum of Kew Gardens
Hills, N.Y., who has led a
fight for years against grea-
ter ritual authority for
women in Conservative
Judaism, declared in a
statement issued in New
York that the recommenda-
tion of the commission,
"once adopted by the fa-
culty" of the seminary, "will
utterly destroy Solomon
Schechter's principle of
catholic Israel and his
program for a United
Synagogue of America," the
organization of Conserva-
tive congregations.
Kirshbum added that
seminary approval of ordi-
nation of women "will in-
evitably divide the Conser-
vative movement into two
distinct camps — one for
Conservative-Reform Jews
and the other for true Con-
servative Jews."
Kirshblum said he would
convene the steering com-
mittee of his' dissident fac-
tion on Feb. 21 to map con-
crete plans for future action.
Simon Schwartz, presi-
dent of the United
Synagogue of America, said
he was pleased with the "af-
firmative report" of the
commission. He termed the
recommendation for ordina-
tion of women as "quite
properly in the direction"
that the Conservative
movement has been taking
toward "full and equal par-
ticipation of_ women in
Jewish life."
While declaring that the
congregational movement

looked forward to im-
plementation of the com-
mission report, Schwartz
stressed that "in the norma-
tive procedures of the Con-
servative movement, each
synagogue ultimately
makes its own decision as to
the rabbi it elects."
On another issue, Rabbi
Saul Teplitz, president of
the Rabbinical Assembly,
told some 500 fellow rabbis
that they must understand
what youth was searching
for in turning to the cults
and_urged them to "descend
from the mountaintop" and
begin to cater to the needs of
the young which he called
"legitimate."
Teplitz declared that in
the 30 years since the end of
World War II, "rabbis have
been so caught up in the en-
terprise of establiShing con-
gregations, building out-
ward structures and creat-
ing infrastructures that we
have overlooked the human
being in the process."

In speaking of the cults,
and citing the Jonestown,
Guyana tragedy as an
example, Teplitz said that
young people in the 1960s
turned to drugs for escape,
and "now this need to re-
treat from society's stresses
finds its fulfillment through
identification with a cult."
The estimate is that there
are about 1,500 major and
minor religious cults in the
U.S. with a total member-
ship of about three million,
he said.

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Sally Preisand,
Woman Rabbi,
Quits Position

NEW YORK (JTA) —
The first woman rabbi in
American history, Sally
Preisand, confirmed reports
she has resigned as as-
sociate rabbi of the Stephen
Wise Free Synagogue, her
first and only pulpit since
she was ordained as a Re-
form rabbi.
Declaring hersix years in
the Stephen Wise
Synagogue had been a
worthwhile experience, she
declined comment on the
reasons for her resignation.
She said her resignation
was effective July 1 and
that she intended to stay in
the rabbinate.
She joined the Reform
synagogue in August, 1972
as assistant rabbi and was
advanced about two years
ago to the position of as-
sociate rabbi.

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