Two rabbinical conferences held similtaneously in New York and Chicago–each lasting two days–last night decided to establish an organization to be known as the Rabbinical Fellowship for the purpose of helping to unify Jewish community life in religious matters.
The rabbis who attended the two parleys were members of the Conservative and Reform movements. The meetings were arranged by the Jewish Reconstructionist Foundation with a view to strengthening and widening the support of the Reconstructionist movement in Judaism, of which Dr. Mordecai Kaplan is the founder.
The New York session, attended by about 40 rabbis, also decided to establish a committee on Jewish worship. The committee will study the role of prayer and synagogue worship in Jewish life and will investigate the problems of synagogue attendance. The Chicago session analyzed the status of the Sabbath. The purpose of exploring these areas in Jewish life is to try to arrvive at a program of action which can involve as many Reconstructionist rabbis and laymen as possible.
The Reconstructionist Foundation was founded by Dr. Mordecai M. Kaplan, who is Professor of Philosophy of Religion at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and is an outgrowth of his philosophy which views Judaism as the evolving religious civilization of the Jews. The Foundation engages in experimental studies in Jewish religion and education and is very active in promoting cooperation among often competing Jewish institutions.
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