Organization of the Synagogue Council of America, embracing Reform, Conservative and Orthodox congregational groups of Judaism was announced by Dr. Abram Simon, of Washington, D. C., chairman of the new body. The aim of this organization is to promote fellowship and mutual cooperation in religious endeavors among all Jewish organizations in America.
At a meeting at the Harmonie Club, New York, at which there were present representatives of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, United Synagogue of America, Rabbinical Assembly, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations, and Rabbinical Council of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations, a constitution was adopted to create a permanent organization. The constitution is subject to ratification by the six constituent organizations.
The first conference, out of which the Rabbinical Council of America grew, was called by the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, following a resolution passed at the last biennial convention of the Union.
A declaration of purposes of the new organizations states that it “recognizes the fundamental spiritual unity which binds us as Jews, believes that the synagogue is the basic and essential unit in Jewish life, and believing in the desirability of taking counsel together for the sacred purpose of preserving and fostering Judaism in America, desires to speak and act unitedly in furthering such religious interests as all these constituent national organizations share in common.” The new organization will not attempt to interfere with the religious or administrative autonomy of any of the constituent members, it was stated.
The first united endeavor of the Rabbinical Council will be to arrange for a Jewish religious and educational exhibit at the Sesqui-Centennial exposition at Philadelphia. Rabbi Herbert Goldstein, of New York, Rabbi Solomon Foster, of Newark, and Rabbi Louis Wolsey, of Philadelphia, were appointed as a committee to arrange for this exhibit, and to enlist the cooperation of the American Jewish Historical Society and other organizations in arranging for it. To meet the expenses of the exhibit a fund of $10,000 will be sought. The following were appointed as a Finance Committee to make a joint appeal on behalf of the Synagogue Council: Mr. Ben Altheimer, New York; Mr. Ludwig Vogelstein, Mr. Harry Fischel, Captain N. Taylor Phillips, Mr. William Prager, and Mr. S. Herbert Golden.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
