Controversies Mark Opening of Jerusalem Parley of Ashkenazi, Sephardi Congregations

The first world conference of Ashkenazi and Sephardic congregations, which has been the target of disputes among Orthodox Jews from its inception in the United States, opened here last night in an atmosphere of continued differences among Orthodox Jews. The opening session, held in the convention auditorium, was attended by President Zalman Shazar, several Cabinet members, delegates and guests who filled the 3,000-seat hall to capacity.

The Orthodox rabbis from many overseas countries who attended were put under a religious ban by the Agudat Israel, an ultra-Orthodox political party in Israel. Leaflets and posters throughout Jerusalem denounced the convention. Several rabbinical organizations in the United States, Britain and Italy boycotted the meeting. Leaders of the Mapai Party said their religious members would not attend asserting that the conference was sponsored by the Mizrachi Party.

Rabbi Joseph Karasick, president of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, was barred from sending to the press a statement urging the Israel Government to bar immigrants from the Conservative and Reform movements. However, in his address to the convention last night, Rabbi Karasick charged that the “grafting of divisive ideologies of Judaism on Israel would sever the religious ties between the State and the Diaspora.”

Moscow’s Chief Rabbi, Yehuda Leb Levin, sent a cable of congratulations to the conference in which he expressed “astonishment” over the action of Israeli Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Nissim having proclaimed a day of fasting on behalf of Soviet Jewry in December. In his message, which was read to the assemblage, Rabbi Levin declared that many rabbis had visited the Soviet Union and seen for themselves “what great honor Jewish there enjoyed.”

Patrons of the conference are Israeli Chief Rabbis Nissim and Issar Yehuda Unterman, and Dr. Zerah Warhaftig, Minister of Religious Affairs. Chief Rabbi Emeritus Israel Brodie of Britain, chairman of the conference, became ill suddenly and was unable to deliver his prepared keynote speech. The conference was chaired by Britain’s Spanish and Portuguese rabbinical leader, Dr. S. Gaon. Some 600 delegates from some 20 overseas countries, including Chief Rabbi Moshe Rosen of Rumania, are attending the conclave.

A conciliatory note was struck by Dr. Gaon, who told the conference that it was the duty of the synagogue to spiritually prepare the younger generation for migration to Israel. Dr. Rosen, bringing greetings for Rumanian Jewry, said that Rumanian Jews were an integral part of the Jewish nation and that no power in the world had succeeded or would succeed in uprooting them from their foundations.