Rabbinical Assembly Ousts 3 Rabbis

Three rabbis were expelled yesterday from the Rabbinical Assembly, the association of Conservative rabbis, at the RA’s 74th annual convention here, Rabbi Judah Nadich of New York, RA president, said today. The expulsions had been recommended earlier by the RA executive council and were approved by the overwhelming majority of the more than 1000 rabbinical delegates at the convention.

The three rabbis are Gershon Winer, a New York rabbi now settled in Israel; J. Benjamin Friedberg of Ottawa; and Rabbi George Gershon Rosenstock of Chicago. Rabbis Winer and Fried- berg were expelled for rabbinical service to Beth Tzedec Congregation of Toronto, Canada’s largest synagogue, which has been without a senior rabbi since the congregation’s board of governors dismissed Rabbi Stuart Rosenberg in Jan. 1973. Rabbi Nadich told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that the two rabbis had violated the RA’s code of ethics.

He also said Rabbi Rosenstock was expelled for officiating at a mixed marriage in Iowa, and was the first member in the history of the RA to be expelled for such officiating.

The Rabbinical Assembly had ruled, after Rabbi Rosenberg’s dismissal, that he remain spiritual leader of the congregation and the pulpit continue to be “not vacant.” Under the ruling, no RA member could carry out any rabbinical function without the express invitation of Rabbi Rosenberg or the express approval of the Joint Placement Commission of the RA, the United Synagogue of America, and the Jewish Theological Seminary which have been seeking for more than a year to resolve the dispute.

Rabbi Nadich told the JTA that the Placement Commission had not taken any position on the merits of the Beth Tzedec dispute but said both parties had to agree to binding arbitration without conditions. Rabbi Rosenberg responded to his dismissal by filing lawsuits for damages against the congregational board and individual members totalling $2.5 million. Rabbi Nadich said that Rabbi Rosenberg agreed to arbitration without conditions but that the board of governors did not.

Rabbi Winer led the High Holy Days services in 1973 at Beth Tzedec during one of his regular visits to North America. Rabbi Friedberg, one of several rabbis who led services at Beth Tzedec in recent weeks, was named senior rabbi by the board of governors on May 2.

Rabbi Nadich said that Rabbi Winer had defended his action at a hearing of the RA committee on ethical practices but was found guilty. The RA executive council recommended his expulsion. Rabbi Nadich said Rabbi Friedberg refused to appear before that committee. The executive council held him guilty of so refusing and recommended his expulsion. Rabbi Rosenstock also refused to appear before the committee on the mixed marriage officiating charge, Rabbi Nadich said. He noted that there was no appeal from the rulings of the RA convention, the highest body in the Conservative rabbinate.