The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations today issued a statement strongly criticizing the seven national Jewish organizations which sent a cable last week to Israel Premier Levi Eshkol urging him to resist pressure by “extremist religious groups” in Israel and in the United States requesting legislation that would abridge religious freedom in Israel.
The UOJC statement termed the action of the seven organizations as “communal irresponsibility.” It emphasized that the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations was not at any time consulted about this cable “contrary to the usual courtesies in such cases.” The seven organizations which signed the cable to Mr. Eshkol were: The American Jewish Congress, the American Jewish Committee, B’nai B’rith, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the Rabbinical Assembly of America, the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, and the United Synagogue of America.
“The commitment of Orthodox Jewry, both here and in Israel, to religious freedom is no less genuine than the signatories to the letter,” the UOJC declared in its statement. “Surely, religious freedom requires that observance of the Jewish religion be respected and facilitated in Israel, and not denigrated, impeded, or sabotaged. The Government of Israel must be considered duty-bound to adhere to policies conformable with respect for Jewish religious law and traditional heritage in the public life of the Jewish State.
“To say that we advocate measures that run contrary to the UN Subcommission Draft Declarations, is an obvious canard. We have no desire at all to abridge the freedom of any people to practice their religion, no matter what religion, in Israel or elsewhere. We seek only the protection of orphaned and impoverished children from proselytizing bribery by unscrupulous missionaries–no matter what faiths the children are being lured to and from.
“When missionaries choose such children as the targets of their proselytizing efforts, we believe it to be a reprehensible exploitation of human misery. Frankly, we are amazed that two of the organizations which have signed the letter, and which claim to be committed to Jewish law and tradition, have seen fit to characterize our concerns in such a hostile and untrue manner. This is the only inter-religious problems that has been raised. We do not know of any group–except for anti-religious elements in Israel–who seek to prevent others from the full and free exercise of their faith.”
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