Satisfied with Careers Study Shows Reform Rabbis Concerned over Congregants’ Drift from Religious Li

Reform rabbis in the United States and Canada constitute a generally satisfied professional group but it is a satisfaction diminished by concern over what they see as a need to restore Jewish religious life, according to a report to be released here tomorrow at the 83rd annual convention of the Central Conference of American Rabbis.

The report was based on a study, the first on the Reform rabbi conducted by the CCAR, conducted over a two-year period by Dr. Theodore I. Lenn and Associates of West Hartford, Conn., which was supervised by a special committee headed by Rabbi David Polish, CCAR president.

The Study summarized findings from questionnaires returned by 620 rabbis, 506 of them in pulpits, and from 984 responses from lay leaders in 11 Reform synagogues of various sizes throughout the country. Dr. Lenn and his staff also conducted in-depth interviews with rabbis, laymen, seminarians, young people and delegates at various national and regional congregational meetings.

Dr. Lenn wrote that “80 percent of the CCAR members are reasonably pleased with the way things have worked out for them, suggesting that the American Reform rabbinate is not a disgruntled group.”

Sources of career satisfaction, regardless of age or length of service, were listed as ability to help people, 85 percent; opportunity to exercise creative abilities, 61 percent; time for study and reflection, 43 percent; leadership in the Jewish community. 39 percent; prestige, 37 percent; involvement in social action, 33 percent; ritual and worship services, 31 percent; and satisfaction with income 27 percent.

LACK OF CONCERN FOR JUDAISM FELT

One of the major concerns the rabbis cited was the “Jewish distance” between themselves and their congregants. Half of the respondents said they felt their congregants had a definite lack of concern for Judaism, calling this problem “the single most frustrating obstacle” they were experiencing as rabbis. A typical comment, according to Dr. Lenn, was that congregants “care for Judaism, believe in it vaguely but do not act.” Dr. Lenn said such data Indicated the possibility of “serious” alienation, frustration and disillusionment “on the part of the rabbi.”

Almost 89 percent of the congregants questioned on their Jewish views stressed the importance of ethical behavior, 62 percent cited Jewish identity and 63 percent a belief in God. However, Dr. Lenn reported, “only one in five think of Jewish study or synagogue worship as being very important.” The report indicated that enrolling children for a religious education still constituted the main reason for Joining a Reform congregation. The study found that 95 percent of eligible Jewish children of Reform families are enrolled in religious schools, two-thirds become confirmed and one-third become Bar or Bas Mitzvah.

However, despite the majority enrollment in Reform religious schools, 60 percent of the congregational respondents expressed “dissatisfaction” with the religious education the children received. However, Dr. Lenn reported, many congregants added “it is still not a complete waste of time and our kids have to know they are Jewish.” The Reform rabbis. one of whose prime functions is to teach, have been particularly concerned about the quality of Jewish education the Reform synagogue, Dr. Lenn said his findings reflected that concern.

MAJORITY FAVORS MERGER

In Citing dissatisfactions, the Reform rabbis mention, In addition to religious school problems, the “religious indifference” of their congregations, the “insensitivity ” of their boards of trustees to both their needs and those of the synagogues; and professional problems in Job opportunity and pensions. They were found to believe, in particular, that they had Insufficient time for study and self-enlightenment, particularly in terms of getting sabbatical leaves for those purposes.

The study found that a majority favored a merger of the Reform and Conservative rabbinate. The Reform rabbis were asked about a merger of all three branches of Judaism, a proposal rejected by 75 percent. But 43 percent “definitely” and 82 percent “probably” approved a Conservative-Reform rabbinate merger.