Jewish community leaders from outside Israel made a determined stand to maintain their spiritual independence and some measures to restrain aliya of rabbis were discussed during the four days of the second World Conference of Synagogues and Community Organizations which ended here tonight. Of the 1,500 delegates -1,000 from Israel -about 20 Chief Rabbis and heads of large organizations, as well as community presidents, participated.
Rabbi Joseph Karasick, president of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, who headed the largest delegation to the conference, said that while “proudly identifying themselves with Israel, the communities outside it nevertheless insist that they must extend a major effort to safeguard their spiritual viability and independence and must expand their educational efforts to secure the perpetuity of Jewish learning and Jewish traditions. They cannot see their role expatiated as Jews merely as supporters and dependents of Israel.”
Some delegates had advocated stringent measures to avoid spiritual drain resulting from aliya: a rabbi, shochet or mohel should not be allowed to leave for Israel unless he had found a replacement. Dr. Maurice Jaffe, president of Israel’s Union of Synagogues, proposed that an exchange service be established for sending out rabbis and other religious functionaries from the larger communities abroad for fixed periods of time such as three years. The technicalities of this idea and of other ideas involving exchanges will be worked out between the organizations that participated.
One resolution adopted by the conference called upon every Jew to become a member of an Israeli synagogue and thus establish a personal link with the Holy Land. Another resolution called on the government of Israel to adhere to halacha in all matters pertaining to personal status including conversion (the law gives some latitude of interpretation in the latter by not mentioning that conversion must be performed in accordance with halacha).
The spiritual needs of new immigrants–a clear reference to the controversy surrounding Georgian Jews–should be taken into greater account, a resolution stated. Among the other resolutions was one deploring and totally opposing all moves or proposals to change the present status of Jerusalem as the heart and capital of Israel. A message of congratulations was sent to Kurt Waldheim on his election as UN Secretary General.
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