Delegates to the Central Conference of American Rabbis, here for the 84th annual convention, overwhelmingly adopted last night a resolution calling upon Congress to grant unconditional amnesty to those men who refused to serve in the Vietnam war either by accepting prison sentences, deserting or going underground.
The Reform rabbis, who have a long record of opposition to the Vietnam war, called upon the Congress “to grant unconditional amnesty as an act of reconciliation and compassion that can help to speedily reunite the American people for the key tasks of justice and peace which lie ahead.”
Some opposition to the resolution was voiced by a handful of rabbis who wanted conditional amnesty but their position was rejected by the more than 500 rabbis attending the convention in the Sheraton-Biltmore Hotel.
The Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism, a joint commission of the CCAR and the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, drafted the resolution which the rabbis approved.
In anticipation of a similar debate at the 100th annual convention of the UAHC, the lay body of Reform Judaism, to be held in New York in the fall, the Commission distributed a 30-page amnesty study kit covering all the pros and cons of the problem to the 710 Reform congregations belonging to the UAHC.
It is expected that the UAHC debate will be more heated than the one which took place last night at the CCAR convention.
THREAT TO CHURCH-STATE SEPARATION
Rabbi Charles Kroloff of Westfield, N.J., chairman of the CCAR’s Church-State Committee, cautioned the rabbis yesterday that a new generation of politicians and school officials pressing for prayers in the public schools and government funds for sectarian education, poses new threats to the principle of church-state separation.
Rabbi Kroloff cited the new voluntary prayer amendment recently introduced into Congress by Senator Howard Baker (R. Tenn.) and Senator Richard Schweiker (R. Pa.), as a “danger signal.”
The Committee found that there has been an “upswing” in religious practices in the public schools and a continued attempt in Congress and State Legislatures to find legal avenues to provide some form of tax credits or other funds to aid parochial schools.
The survey which had 100 CCAR rabbis responding, was analyzed by Rabbi Herbert Ruttman of Baltimore who concluded that in addition to Christmas observances, the respondents cited prayer, Bible reading, intentional religious indoctrination and Key ’73, as “real threats to religious freedom.”
CALL FOR HELP TO MINORITY GROUPS
Simcha Dinitz, Israeli Ambassador to the United States, told the rabbis yesterday that the only way Israel can prevent a future outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East is to maintain a militarily strong Israel.
Earlier in the day, many of the rabbis attended a brief religious service in the Ebenezer Baptist Church, with the Rev. and Mrs. Martin Luther King Sr., to pay a tribute to the memory of Martin Luther King Jr.
The rabbis called upon Jews to engage in new activist community work in assuring the rights of minority groups particularly as it affects housing, education and employment.
Rabbi Robert I. Kahn of Congregation Emanu El. Houston, Texas, was elected the new CCAR president and will serve a two-year-term. The conference which started Monday, ends today.
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