THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, April 3, 1981 45
Conservative Jews Seek Religious Pluralism in Israel
JERUSALEM (JTA) —
Two leaders of the Conser-
vative movement in
Judaism have expressed
confidence that the World
Zionist Organization can
serve as an efficient tool to
bring about religious
pluralism in Israel.
SEMOUR COHEN
Rabbis Seymour Cohen,
president of the Rabbinical
Assembly, and Mordecai
Waxman, president-elect of
the World Council of
Synagogues, said in an
interview with the Jewish
Telegraphic Agency that
since the movement for tra-
ditional Judaism joined the
- The bashful man cannot
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with worldly affairs cannot
impart wisdom.
—Hillel
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WZO there are growing
prospects the organization
will serve as a mechanism
to increase the understand-
ing in Israel of the needs of
Diaspora Jewry.
In theory," said Wax-
man, "the WZO is such a
mechanism, but presently it
doesn't have the will or the
spirit to work toward this
end." He expressed the hope
that the Conservatives'
endorsement of - the
Jerusalem Program would
speed up this process.
MORDECAI WAXMAN
The platform was
adopted in an unprece-
ation be changed. This in-
dented convention in
cludes, for example, the es-
Jerusalem of the two
tablishment of a Conserva-
main bodies of the Con-
tive kibutz which is now in
servative movement -
the making, and greater in-
-the World Council of volvement of Conservative
Synagogues and the Jews in all spheres of life in
Rabbinical Assembly.
Israel, particularly in the
The delegates became in-
academic and cultural
directly involved in the cur-
spheres.
rent election campaign as - Another issue that
Labor Party leaders ap-
bothers the Conservative
peared before the conven-
movement is the lack of sen-
tion and promised to enact a
sitivity of the Jewish
law which would guarantee
Agency emissaries to their
religious pluralism. How-
problems. Cohen said that if
ever, both Waxman and the emissaries were more
Cohen did not sound too op-
familiar with the American
timistic about the prospects
scene, aliya from the U.S.
for a dramatic change in the
would increase.
status of 'Conservative
"Things are–changing
Judaism in Israel after the
in the States," said Co-
June 30 elections.
hen. "There were times
Both men rejected the no-
when aliya was looked
tion that the Conservative
down upon, when all ef-
movement has become a forts were directed
natural ally to the Labor toward sending money.
movement. Our natural But things have changed,
ally is proper behavicir by and the world becomes
anybody," said Cohen.
small." Therefore, he
As in the past, the main suggested, more people
issue of the two conventions may consider aliya, only
which took place earlier this they need the proper help
month was the acceptability and the proper incen-
of Conservative Judaism in tives.
Israel. As in the past, the
Waxman recalled a meet-
Conservatives rejected the
ing which took place after
notion that in order to
the Six-Day War between a
change the present situa-
group of Rabbinical Assem-
tion the only possible an-
bly leaders and the late
swer is massive aliya of Premier Levy Eshkol and
Conservative Jews. "There
Education Minister Zalman
is a matter of democratic
Aran. The two Israelis were
principles," Waxman said.
confident that Jews would
7We_should not be denied in
begin to immigrate to Israel
Israel anything that is
en masse. The Conserva-
given to us in the United
tives were less confident.
States."
"Aliya was not a part of the
Cohen declared bit-
political agenda at the
terly: "The Chief Rab-
time," said Waxman.
binate in Israel cannot
Now, however, things are
decide who is a Jew or
changing. Without the help
the status of Jews
of Israel or the WZO there is
elsewhere." Waxman ob-
a favorable atmosphere for
served that "half of or-
aliya. We are in a new
ganized Jewry in
state," said Waxman. As the
America, probably the
two Conservative leaders
bulk of Jews, perhaps in
put it, the motivation for-
the entire world, would
aliya is more practical than
endorse religious
ideological. People are more
pluralism in Israel."
willing to try new ventures.
Therefore, he noted, one
Both Waxman and Cohen
cannot accept the fact
admitted that this "change"
that what amounts to a
is not yet seen 'in terms of
minority of Jews (the Or-
growing numbers of Ameri-
thodox rabbinate) would
can olim, but they insisted
dictate the character of that the potential exists.
religious life in Israel.
"People think in terms
Waxman added that "we of having two homelands.
have no political align-
You are going to see more
ments, but we are products and more of them," said
of a democratic society. We
Waxman. The American
are a halakhic movement.
Jewish community suf-
But the Orthodox want only fers from complex prob-
their halakhic principles to
lems, he said, such as
be accepted."
growing divorce rate and
Both Waxman and Cohen
intermarriages. On these
agreed that the practical
issues, Israel should de-
conclusion of the recent velop a dialogue with
conventions was that only American Jewry, and not
through hard and mainly issue directives. The
practical work can the situ- failure to compromise
.
with our needs is not only
a moral failure," he
warned, "but also a na-
tional failure."
Waxman ended the inter-
view in a more hopeful tone.
"With all the problems," he
said, "we have never had a
better situation for the
Jewish people. You never
had- the same combination
of a strong Jewish state and
a strong Diaspora." To this
Cohen added: "With all op-
timism, there is tremendous
work to be done."
Protection is not only
dead, but damned.
—Benjamin Disraeli
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