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A
national organization
committed to healing
the wounds created by
interdenominational rival-
ries in Jewish life is develop-
ing local groups of rabbis
from all four rabbinical
denominations who meet
monthly for dialogue on a
range of ideological issues.
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There are now eight such
groups of Orthodox, Conser-
vative, Reform and Recon-
structionist rabbis, including
women rabbis, and more are
being formed, according to
Paul Jeser, executive vice
president of CLAL, the New
York-based National Jewish
Center for Learning and
Leadership.
The co-founder and presi-
dent of CLAL is Rabbi Irving
(Yitz) Greenberg, a New York
Orthodox rabbi who has
warned repeatedly against
the threat to Jewry of
denominational rivalries.
Jeser told the Jewish
Telegraphic Agency that
CLAL is the only national
Jewish organization that has
interdenominational pro-
gramming as a major priori-
ty. He said Am Echad, CLAEs
interdenominational depart-
ment, and Chevra, its in-
terdenominational rabbinic
project, are the American
Jewish community's first ma-
jor organized efforts in this
area.
Rabbi Shael Siegel, recent-
ly named director of the
Chevra program, said Chevra
chapters are open also to
Jewish academicians. Chevra
chapters have been set up in
Boston, New York, Philadel-
phia, Washington, Dallas, Los
Angeles, San Francisco and
Chicago.
Eric Levine, associate direc-
tor of Am Echad, explained
that Jewish academicians are
scholars who have significant
impact on the Jewish corn-
munity through their
writings and teachings on
Jewish issues. He estimated
that from 10 to 25 percent of
the membership of Chevra
chapters are non-rabbinic
Jewish scholars.
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As far back at 1981, Levine
said, CLAL leaders and other
Jews sympathetic to Green-
berg's approach recognized
that there was an urgent
need for a unique forum that
would allow rabbis and
scholars to engage in
dialogue or study on divisive
interdenominational issues,
such as the "Who Is a Jew"
controversy.
A similar goal is sought in
national conferences, conven-
ed annually. Such gatherings
of rabbis and scholars have
taken place in Los Angeles
and New York. The next one
is planned for Stamford,
Conn.
Levine said such forums,
whether in local chapter
meetings or national con-
claves, provide an opprtunity
for participants to meet quiet-
ly to discuss means of solving
disputes, without public
observation of rabbinic
participants.
He said participation in
such activities often presents
difficulties for Orthodox rab-
bis. He said more and more
chapters are "going public"in
He said
participation in
such activities
often presents
difficulties for
Orthodox rabbis.
identifying members, but
some chapters are still careful
about anonymity of members
because of the sensitivity of
Orthodox rabbinical
members.
There is more reluctance
among Orthodox rabbis than
others to joining the sutdy
groups, Levine said, but every
Chevra chapter has Orthodox
rabbinical participation.
Chapters meet monthly for
periods of one to two hours.
Each chapter develops its own
program with the general
goal of creating respect
among representatives of
each denomination for the
outlook of the other
participants.
The view of CLAL program
planners is that it is not
enough to teach participants
about the history or the
philosophies of the respective
groups. It is also necessary to
enhance communication,
understanding and interper-
sonal relationships across
denominational lines.
The chapter participants do
not simply study, Levine said.
"We refer to it as study and
dialogue. The purpose is pro-
blem solving."
One may not see a dramatic
global resolution to major
divisive problems confronting
Jews as a religious entity
emerging from a Chevra
chapter meeting or from a na-
tional conference, Levine
said.
❑