Rabbis Convention Considers Measures to Strengthen Congregational Unity

The adoption of measures to bring about greater unity in the ranks of the Orthodox congregations, particularly in relations between the congregations and the rabbis, as well as between the rabbis themselves concerning the supervision of the sale of kosher meat occupied the attention of the twenty-fourth annual convention of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis in session in Far Rockaway.

The question came up when the communication of a number of Rabbis in Boston asked the convention to intervene in a dispute among the local rabbis in the state of Massachusetts.

Rabbi Eliezer Silver, member of the Executive Committee of the Union, sharply criticized a number of Orthodox rabbis who, because of their unwillingness to cooperate with the other rabbis, bring about disharmony and lower the rabbis in the esteem of the public.

This sentiment was the dominant feature in the long discussion in which Rabbi Joseph Kanevitz, Rabbi Boruchow and Rabbi Zevi Cohen of Montreal, Rabbi Rubinstein of Providence, Rabbi Buenien of Trenton, Rabbi Marcus of Baltimore, Rabbi Berger and Rabbi Guzik participated. The proposal was made that those rabbis who work against peace in the communities should be excluded from the Union. A special committee to inquire into the situation and propose further remedial measures was appointed, consisting of Rabbi Gordon of Norfolk, Va., Rabbi Schwartz of Baltimore, Rabbi Ossinsky of Pittsburgh, Rabbi Rubinstein of Providence and Rabbi Popkin of New Bedford.

The convention also considered the relation between the congregational rabbis and the local schochtim, ritual butchers, concerning which the resolution was adopted by which all schochtim who do not accept supervision of rabbis will be declared unfit for their profession after a thirty days’ warning.

A resolution was adopted to establish a communal board in communities where there is more than one rabbi.

Rabbi Meyer Berlin received an ovation, addressing the convention before leaving to settle in Palestine. Rabbi Berlin spoke hopefully of the religious and educational progress made in Palestine, especially the growth of the Jewish spirit and religious traditional consciousness. Rabbi Berlin praised the Mizrachi efforts as being responsible for the change. He noted great changes on his last visit to Palestine and hopes to see more in the same direction. He appealed for strengthening the Palestine rabbinate.. Rabbi Kanovitz replied and the entire delegation rose.

The evening session was presided over by Rabbi Silver. A gold watch was presented to Rabbi Meyer Berlin by the convention.

A reception was tendered Rabbi M. M. Epstein, Dean of the Hebron Yeshivah and Rabbi Lipshitz of Kalish. Rabbi Lipshitz spoke of the thousands of war agunoth and relief was urged by him. He asked the rabbis to make an appeal for the revival of landsmanschaften, after the fifteen million dollar United Jewish Campaign drive. Rabbi Finkel of the Mir Yeshivah described study under war and post-war conditions. The convention adopted a resolution for the landsmanschaften revival by acclamation. The Ezra’s Torah fund to aid impoverished rabbis, was discussed by Rabbis Rosenberg, Chechnowitz, Rubinstein, Redelhein, Burack, Tcitelbaum, Rosen and others. Rabbi Rosenberg pointed to the falling receipts of the fund from eighty thousand to seventeen thousand annually. A resolution to tax each congregation $25 annually and donations at Bar Mitzvahs was adopted.