The Rabbinical Assembly of America, the organization of Conservative rabbis, closed its 55th annual convention here today with a resolution lauding President Eisenhower for the “restraining influence he has exercised upon those who would solve the present international impasse by a resort to arms.” At the same time, the convention expressed “deep concern” over the United States policy toward Israel.
“We deplore the virtual political and economic isolation into which the only democracy in the Middle East has been thrust,” the resolution said. “The continuing boycott by the Arab nations and their repeated threats of renewed war against Israel are clear indications that Israel stands in imminent danger of being dragged into an unwanted war.” The rabbis called upon the U.S. Government to review its Middle East policy and urged President Eisenhower and Secretary of State John Foster Dulles to use their good offices in bringing about a just and equitable peace in the Middle East.
The 300 rabbis from all sections of the United States and Canada called upon the United States Congress to enact legislation to furnish Federal grants to states for building public schools. They stipulated, however, that such Federal funds “shall not be made available to states which practice segregation.” In other resolutions adopted today, the spiritual leaders warmly commended the efforts of men and women who are working to implement the Supreme Court decision ending segregation in the nation’s schools, and called for support of the work of the United Nations.”
Reporting on the work of the Rabbinical Assembly’s placement commission, Rabbi David A. Goldstein declared that because of the continuing shortage of spiritual leaders, nearly 100 requests for rabbis received during the past year from synagogues throughout this country and Canada could not be serviced. Rabbi Harry Halpern of the East Mid-wood Jewish Center, Brooklyn, was re-elected president of the Rabbinical Assembly.
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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.
