Dr. Nahum Goldmann told the closing session of the World Zionist Actions Committee last night that the Jewish religion–which he said reposes on great, ethical human ideals–must become more flexible. He warned that the maintenance of a rigid conservative position by religious leaders carried the danger of a separation split.
He also said that the time had come to start a “dialogue of historical dimensions” between the leaders of Orthodoxy and representatives of other Jewish groups to bring the two parts closer together. Obviously referring to the cable sent recently to Premier Levi Eshkol by seven American non-Orthodox organizations urging him not to give into pressure of extremist Orthodox organizations, Dr. Goldmann said that the interest of Jewish communities outside of Israel in developments in Israel was “fully legitimate” and that no religious leader should complain about “interference” in Israel’s internal affairs.
He hailed the current session of the Actions Committee, declaring it had gone beyond fulfilling routine tasks. He also cautioned against the “erroneous idea” that increased efforts of Jewish communities in countries outside of Israel could be at the expense of weakening endeavors for Israel.
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.
