That there are men who pose as Jewish Rabbis, but who have no claim to that title, was brought to the attention of both the New York Board of Jewish Ministers and the Brooklyn Jewish Ministers’ Association at recent meetings of these respective organizations. A joint committee was appointed by both of these organizations. After a thorough investigation by the committee both bodies adopted the following resolution.
“Be it resolved that the Jewish public be earnestly requested to withhold invitations to officiate at religious functions without first ascertaining that the officiants are bona fide Jewish Ministers; that the general public be requested, on all occasions, to inquire of the New York Board of Jewish Ministers or the Brooklyn Jewish Ministers’ Association as to the status of men purporting to be Rabbis, and that all Rabbis make earnest effort to avoid participating in any public program which contains the name of any man falsely posing as a member of their profession.”
The president of the New York Board of Jewish Ministers is Rev. Dr. Elias Solomon, Rabbi of Temple Shaare Zedek, Manhattan; and the president of the Brooklyn Jewish Ministers’ Association is Rabbi Israel Herbert Levinthal of the Brooklyn Jewish Center. The committee which investigated the fake rabbis consisted of Rabbi Moses J. S. Abels of Temple Emanuel in Boro Park, chairman; Rabbi Samuel J. Levinson of Temple Beth Emeth in Flatbush; Rabbi A. Burstein of the Bay Ridge Community Center; Alexander Lyons, Simon Cohen, Barnet Elzas and Clifton H. Levy, the last three being ex-presidents of the New York Board of Jewish Ministers.
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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.
