American Jewish Community Trends Discussed at U. A. H. C. Convention

Problems concerning the internal life of the American Jewish community were discussed today at the 80th anniversary convention of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations which is being attended by 3,000 delegates from all parts of the country. Rabbi Hillel Silver, one of the principal speakers, declared that “the lay leaders of American Jewry have really not settled on the true nature of the American Jewish community, what they believe it to be, what they want it to be,”

The convention adopted a resolution condemning as “un-American and dangerous” certain methods employed in investigations designed to uproot Communism in the United States. Another resolution declared that “the McCarran-Walter Immigration Act should be promptly amended to correct its present discriminatory provisions.”

Dr. Silver, analyzing the nature of the American Jewish community, said that the lay leaders act as if the community were “a secular community whose chief, if not exclusive, concern is philanthropy and defense strategy.” He called for more attention to the religious and spiritual needs of American Jewry. He also expressed confidence that Israel will solve all the “grave problems” which confront the new state, and called upon American Jews to give more aid to Israel.

50% OF ALL JEWISH CHILDREN RECEIVE NO RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Rabbi Barnett R. Brickner reported that approximately fifty percent of the Jewish children in the United States receive no religious education. He urged all Reform Jewish congregations to increase from 10 percent to 25 percent the portion of temple budgets devoted to the religious schooling of Jewish children. He deplored the in-adequacy of religious education among all groups.

A three-point program to strengthen Reform Judaism in the United States was presented to the convention last night by Rabbi Philip S. Bernstein of Rochester. He called upon the assembled representatives of Reform Jewish congregations to adopt a more positive approach to Judaism, with religion rather than philanthropy or self-defense, as the focal point of the American Jewish community.

Rabbi Bernstein asked also for a “closer friendship” between Reform Jews and the State of Israel, contending that “anti-Zionism has ceased to be a force of any consequence among Reform Jews.” His third point called for an intensification of the youth education program maintained by the Union of American Hebrew Congregations – the oldest Jewish religious national association in the United States and parent body of 465 Reform Jewish congregations.