Jewish Education Only Antidote to Christian Missionaries

Jews have nothing to fear from Christian conversion movements such as Key 73 and Jews for Jesus groups if the Jewish community “makes Jewish knowledge a basic rather than a peripheral interest of the Jewish community,” according to Rabbi Irwin Groner, of Congregation Shaarey Zedek, Detroit, Mich. Speaking tonight at the banquet at which one of his congregants, I. Murray Jacobs, was installed as the new president of the National Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs, Rabbi Groner condemned Jews who allow their children to terminate their religious training at the age of 13 following Bar or Bat Mitzvah.

Many Jewish youngsters, including those converted to Christianity annually, “hunger for a spiritual experience but have seldom encountered authentic Judaism,” Rabbi Groner told the 1000 delegates attending the 44th annual convention. “With their religion terminated at the age of thirteen, they are without guidance and counsel in their quest for a personal meaning to life.”

Speaking at the same session, Jacobs pledged that a “travelling leadership academy.” will visit Jewish communities across the country. He said he felt that “lack of real leadership, knowledge and techniques is one of the greatest handicaps the leaderships of local Jewish community groups have.” The 60-year-old president said the leadership academy would serve to provide the expertise and know-how now missing on local levels. “Leadership training should not be limited only to young people. Our adults need it also, perhaps more so,” he observed.

A convention highlight was the presentation of the 1973 citation and award for distinguished service to American Jewry to Elie Wiesel. Morton Tabas of Philadelphia, chairman of the awards committee who presented Wiesel with the citation, referred to the author as “one of the living legends of our time.”