The Conference of Jewish Social Studies, which seeks to promote a better understanding of the position of the Jews in the modern world, held its annual meeting last night with more than 200 social scientists, educators and communal leaders participating. The central subject discussed at the meeting was a paper on “The Changing Role of the American Rabbi” delivered by rabbi Arthur Hertzberg of Englewood, N.J.
Rabbi Hertzberg urged that a joint commission be established by the various Jewish seminaries, rabbis and synagogues to consider the status and role of the contemporary rabbi, with the hope that out of such a commission would come a definition of the rabbi’s function. “The laity is making the ultimate decisions on the policy and spiritual life of the community, and the secular Jewish organizations and the lay boards of the synagogues are today the ultimate judges of major matters,” he said. “The rabbi is more and more the functionary, carrying out these decisions and running the routine of the community. The rabbinate is thus overburdened and spiritually and emotionally frustrated, thus rapidly becoming a career that produces neurosis, and if this continues, it will become attractive only to the spiritually insensitive.”
Dr. Israel S. Wechsler, internationally known neurologist and Jewish communal leader, was re-elected president of the Conference for the next year. David Rosenstein was re-elected chairman of the board.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
