Plans for New York to take the initiaive in the $500,000 national campaign to strengthen traditional Judaism in this country were formulated yesterday at a luncheon conference called by Dr. Cyrus Adler, president of the Jewish Theological Seminary and Dropsie College.
Thrity-five rabbis representing the leading conservative congregations in New York City attended and pledged their aid in raising the sum of $150,000 for the United Synagogue of America, which is to be New York’s quota.
Organization of campaign machinery is now under way and the campaign will be officially launched at a conference to be held either late in October or early in November.
According to the present plan, the sum of $150,000 is to be raised by committees representing each of the forty conservative synagogues in New York.
Judaism in this country is in a most critical position, declared Dr. Cyrus Adler, due primarily to the fact that the last thirty years has seen the virtual transference of an entire people. Conservative Judaism, such as expounded by the United Synagogue of America, is most calculated to meet the sound needs of American Israel. Neither extremes will serve as well, for the one is too attenuated, and the other is too rigorous.
There is a definite and very dissatisfying relationship, he declared, between the less than 3,000 synagogues in this country and the more than 4,000,000 people who constitute the Jewish population of America.
The United Synagogue is faced with large responsibilities and great possibilities, in meeting this important problem. The deplorable condition which exists in virtually all Jewish communities is due in part to lack of co-ordinated effort, he stated. calling upon those present to work together for the increased activity of the United Synagogue.
Referring to the criticism which has been launched against the mushroom synagogues, Dr. Adler said, If there were no mushroom synagogues in New York, there would be no place for those who want to go to High Holiday services. While I do not like to see men advertised as the greatest Chazanim in the world, such as was done in Philadelphia, and eight, nine and ten dollars charged for admission, the fact remains that the Academy of Music of Philadelphia was filed and these men are doing something we have not been able to do.
The entire country is looking to New York for inspiration. Dr. Adler said. Insofar as Judaism is concerned, as New York goes, goes the entire country. The extent to which other Jewish communities will acquit itself, he pointed out.
As explained by Rabbi Elias Margolis, National Chairman of the United Synagogue Campaign Committee, the sum of $150,000 raised in New York will be used in entirety to strengthen the work of existing conservative congregations in New York.
The work of organizing the entire country is proceeding rapidly and campaign headquarters, in charge of Rabbi Samuel M. Cohen, executive Director of the United Synagogue, have been established at 19 West 44th Street, New York City.
Among those present at the luncheon were: Dr. Elias Margolis, Rabbi Solomon Katz, Rabbi David N. Shohet, Rabbi A. Dubin, Rabbi J. B. Grossman, Rabbi M. M. Goldberg, Rabbi I. Signer, Rabbi Elias Walitzky, Rabbi Arthur H. Neulander, Rabbi Israel Goldfarb, Dr. I. Herbert Levinthal, Rabbi A. M. Heller, Rabbi J. J. Newman, Dr. Harry Halpern, Rabbi M. J. S. Abels, Rabbi Jacob Bosniak, Rabbi B. Reuben Weilerstein, Rabbi Joseph Miller, Rabbi B. Leon Hurwitz, Rabbi Philip Alstet, Dr. Jacob Kohn, Rabbi Lewis Grossman, Rabbi J. Sonderling, Rabbi Louis Shmulewitz, Rabbi Jacob Katz, Rabbi A. Burstein, Rabbi J. L. Hahn, Dr. Elias L. Solomon, Rabbi A. Basel, Dr. Louis Finkelstein, Rabbi Henry A. Schorr, Rabbi Jacob S. Minkin, Rabbi Samuel M. Cohen, Dr. Cyrus Adler, Rabbi Henry Fisher.
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.
