A call for a national conference “of all Orthodox rabbinic leaders and organizations” to overcome the effects “of overlapping, duplication and waste in the ranks of Orthodox Jewry,” was issued here today by Rabbi Abraham N. AvRutick, president of the Rabbinical Council of America, addressing the opening session of the annual mid-winter conference of the organization.
Reporting that Orthodox Judaism had undertaken to build “huge institutions of study, learning and culture,” Rabbi AvRutick added that “these accomplishments are minimized and weakened because of an excess of duplication, rivalry and wasteful fragmentation in the body of Orthodox programing and activities.” He said this creation existed “in some of the most vital and strategic areas of Jewish life,” including synagogue organizations, educational bodies, rabbinic organizations, Israeli activities and social institutions.”
The rabbinical leader also denounced the recent series of events in the Soviet Union whereby Jews were sentenced to death for alleged “economic crimes.” He said that Soviet officials also have shut the doors of synagogues in areas of heavy Jewish concentration” in a “reign of terror” completely “at variance with all concepts of humanity, liberty and international order.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
