became clear Tuesday that the discussion
on the statement would spill over. At
5:30 p.m., with only a handful of the
proposed amendments discussed, the
rabbis voted — after much squabbling
on details — to adjourn until 8 p.m.
In the interlude char followed, most
seemed to take the delays and quibbling
in stride, seeing them as a sign not of
discord, but of everyone's desire to cre-
ate the strongest document possible.
"The problem is it's like Talmud —
everyone takes every word so serious-
ly," said Rabbi Morris Kipper of Coral
Gables, Fla.
"The process is typical," said Rabbi
Ellen Dreyfus of Homewood, Ill. "We -
like to argue. Two Jews have three opin-
ions, and so much more so for rabbis."
Even the documfnes detractors
praised the lengthy process, with
many noting it had served as a catalyst
for much-needed soul searching
"I'm glad the gravity is being taken
seriously and it's not just being rammed
through," said Rabbi Lance Sussman,
who had sent numerous e-mails on the
CCAR electronic mail site arguing
against the statement of principles.
A professor of Jewish history at the
State University of New York-
Binghamton, Sussman said he
opposed the document because he was
"bothered by the fact that it was
brought here to Pittsburgh in essence
to repudiate what a former generation
did under different circumstances.
"It's like being angry at a deceased
grandparent," said Sussman, who was
one of the last rabbis to stand up on
the floor and urge his colleagues to
vote against the document on
Wednesday morning.
"This is too much too fast for too
many people in the movement," he said.
The vote, which occurred at
Temple Rodeph Shalom, the largest
Reform temple in Pittsburgh, reflected
a consensus view among the rabbis
that some statement was necessary,
even if it wasn't everyone's ideal.
"I supported it in the end with some
reservations, but I feel it is a statement
that reflects at least in part who we are
as Reform Jews," said Rabbi Jerome
Davidson of Great Neck, N.Y., echoing
the views of many here.
"It's a centrist document and it
moves us from where we were a centu-
ry ago," he said. 1_1

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199

Detroit Jewish News 11

