Funeral services were held yesterday at Temple Rodeph Sholem for Rabbi Max Schenk who died here Friday at the age of 69 after suffering a heart attack. A long-time leader in Reform Judaism, he was president of the American Jewish League for Israel, an officer of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, chairman of the Interreligious Committee of the American Zionist Federation and a former president of the New York Board of Rabbis.
Born in Bern, Switzerland, Rabbi Schenk came to the United States at the age of three. He was graduated from City College and was ordained by the Hebrew Union, College-Jewish Institute of Religion. He was religious and educational director of the YM-YWHA in Washington Heights. In 1939 he went to Australia where he was founder of Temple Emanuel in Sydney and served for 10 years as president of the Zionist Federation of Australia and New Zealand.
Rabbi Schenk was also director in Australia of the National Jewish Welfare Board for the American Jewish armed servicemen in the southwest Pacific area. His wife, Faye Schenk, is presently chairman of the Hadassah Medical Organization, chairman of the AZF Executive and a past president of Hadassah.
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