laiN ACADEA4
100,
Looking To
Make Changes
Local Young Israels study
proposed amendments to their
organization's constitution.
She'll Liebman Dorfman
Senior Writer
A
group of Young Israel syna-
gogues attempting to amend
their central body's constitu-
tion has garnered support from the
25 percent of delegates required to
propose the changes.
Thirty-five of the 140 branch
synagogues of the National Council
of Young Israel (NCYI) have joined in
the request for a special meeting of
the organization's Delegate Assembly.
They plan to propose three changes to
the NCYI constitution, which they say
will protect their affiliate synagogues
and ensure that the governing body is
responsive to and appropriately repre-
sents their needs.
Amendments would include a
provision that allows a branch syna-
gogue to resign from membership; the
repeal of a section in the constitution
that states if a branch dissolves or is
expelled, its assets would become the
property of the NCYI; and a provision
that the NCYI may not initiate litiga-
tion against a branch, former branch
or representative without a two-thirds
vote of the members of the Delegates
Assembly.
"We have contacted synagogues in
many states, including Michigan, and
have 35 delegates
signed up, but we
will not disclose the
names because many
shuls were concerned
that they might
face retribution if
they were publicly
supportive of these
Avi Goldberg
amendments',' said
Avi Goldberg, president of Young Israel
of Brookline, Mass., and a member of
the presidium organizing support of
the proposals.
Locally, Young Israel of Oak Park
(YIOP) and Young Israel of Southfield
(YIS) are familiar with the proposals
and are assessing related information.
"We are aware of the issue, which
we perceive to be still developing',' said
Mark B. Berkman, YIOP president. "As
it is being disseminated by the respec-
tive sources, we have been reviewing
the information so that our synagogue
can stay apprised of the subject!'
According to Goldberg, YIS is in the
process of polling board members
regarding the proposed amendments.
Speaking Out
About two years ago, because of con-
cerns among a number of its members
about these and other constitutional
and policy issues, YIS established an
ad hoc committee to examine its rela-
tionship with NCYL
"Look at the extent to which you see
the participating congregations fear-
ful of making public
their participation
in the group of 35:'
said Dr. Iry Goldfein
of Southfield, a
member of the corn-
mittee."Consider
that this first initia-
Dr. Iry
tive is but a very
Goldfein
preliminary first
step in bringing to
the table those issues of concern. The
general perception is that there will
be retribution for engaging in a legal,
constitutionally sanctioned process
of change. Doesn't that suggest that
there has been a very counterproduc-
tive degradation in the relationship
between some member congregations
and the NCYI leadership?
"That it has taken so long for those
concerned members and member-
shuls to speak out has been, in my
view, largely a consequence of the
inability of member congregations
to communicate with one another
directly and efficiently — until now.
Because of a major grassroots effort
that communication has begun to flow
much more freely."
Said Goldberg, "It's not relevant
whether or not any specific shul is
Young Israels on page 48
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August 19 • 2010
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