Council for Judaism Replies to Charges Voiced by Reform Rabbis

The American Council for Judaism issued a statement today replying to charges contained in a resolution adopted by the convention of the Central Conference of American Rabbis last week in Atlantic City.

“The American Council for Judaism is neither pro-Israel nor pro-Arab,” the statement said. “It is pro-American: particularly in the sense that its principles call for a separation of problems of foreign policy related to the Middle East from any automatic identification with the religious faith of American Jews.

“The Council has never claimed to represent all Reform Jews or any other kind. However, the acceptance of Council principles by new religious schools and new congregations demonstrates, at least that the CCAR does not represent all Reform Jews either, There are obviously increasing numbers of Reform Jews who see the Council as carrying on the traditions of the founders of Reform Judaism in the United States. These people are turning to the Council for leadership.”

The statement claimed that the charge that the Council has impugned the patriotism of American Jews “is an old canard which has never been substantiated” by anything ever said by a responsible Council spokesman. “We do not impugn the loyalty of American Jews,” the statement declared. “But if their status as individual American citizens is to remain unambiguous it is essential for them to repudiate the Zionist claim that “Jewish” nationalism speaks in the name of all Jews, and the Zionist claim that American Jews must assist needy fellow Jews overseas only within the framework of Zionism’s instrumentalities.”