Rabbinical Convention Discusses Shortage of Teachers in Jewish Schools

The critical shortage of teachers in Jewish education and new developments in adult Jewish education came up for review today before the delegates at the 56th annual convention of the Rabbinical Assembly of America which is being held at the Grossinger Hotel here. The rabbis heard Dr. William W. Brickman, of New York University’s School of Education, assert that “We cannot depend on the Jewish school alone to furnish a complete Jewish education, “in view of the teacher shortage. Jewish parents, he said, must take over some of the burden in order to “help reduce the pressure on the school and permit the fullest and most efficient use of available teachers.”

Divergent views on the question of religion in the public schools were expressed yesterday at the convention of the Rabbinical Assembly of American. More than 500 Conservative rabbis are attending the convention.

Rabbi Morris Adler of Detroit, speaking for the majority and traditional viewpoint of Conservative rabbis, strongly opposed involvement of religion with public education. He insisted that organized religion must do its own work “within its own domain.”

Rabbi Bernard Mandelbaum, dean of students of the Rabbinical School at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, declared that schoolchildren should be informed about “the realities of America’s diverse religious groups” in a positive and non-sectarian fashion.

The convention renewed for another three years an arrangement whereby the Rabbinical Assembly and the faculty of The Jewish Theological Seminary of America will continue the national Beth Din–Jewish Court of Domestic Relations. Delegates from various parts of the country reported that the new Conservative Ketubah (marriage contract) has been utilized in thousands of marriages. Under terms of the new Ketubah, both husband and wife agree to present any domestic difficulties to the national Beth Din before resorting to divorce action.