Orthodox Rabbis Condemn Birth Control; Conservative Groups Refer Issue to Committee

The convention heard greetings from Tamarat Emanuel, leader of the Abyssinian Falashas, and Menahem Ribalow, editor of the “Hadoar,” the only Hebrew weekly published in America.

The new members of the executive council of the Rabbinical Assembly of America are Rabbi K. Matt of Philadelphia, Rabbi Mortiz Speier of Long Island, Rabbi Alexander Basel of the Bronx, Rabbi Milton Steinberg of Indianapolis, Rabbi Harry Halpern of Brooklyn and Rabbi Leon J. Liebreich of Trenton, N. J. Rabbi Moses J. Abels of Brooklyn was appointed chairman of the permanent standing committee on social justice, ritual and Jewish education.

JUDAISM SANCTIFIES MARRIAGE

Birth control is contrary to the tenets of the Orthodox Jewish faith, according to a resolution opposing it which was adopted at the concluding session of the convention of the Assembly of Hebrew Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada, or Keneseth Ho’Rabanim. The resolution declares that birth control is against natural as well as Jewish law and states that “Judaism not only sanctions marriage, but also sanctifies it.”

Another resolution adopted by the Keneseth Ho’Rabanim opposes any change in the calendar which would endanger the fixity of the Sabbath. This resolution is to be submitted to the members of the different congregations, and as each congregation adopts it a notice to that effect will be sent to President Hoover and to the Secretary-General of the League of Nations.

The New York state board of regents was asked by the Orthodox rabbis in another resolution not to force students of Jewish extraction to take examinations on any of the Jewish holidays. The convention also discussed a proposal to ask officials of the Yeshiva College to be impartial to all Orthodox rabbinical organizations.

A proposal that a committee of five rabbis each from the Keneseth Ho’Rabanim and the Agudath Ho’Rabanim be appointed to settle disputes between these two rival Orthodox rabbinical organizations was also adopted.

Officers of the Keneseth Ho’Rabanim were elected as follows: Rabbi Wolf Margolies, president; Rabbis Mendelsohn, Hurwitz, Epstein, Mapaz, Posner, Margolin, Sadin and Lipschitz, vicepresidents; Rabbi Joseph Halevy, secretary and Rabbi Manasseh Margolies, treasurer.