A rabbis and presidents dinner conference inaugurating a membership campaign for the United Synagogue of America took place last night at Mecca Temple. Five hundred persons, including rabbis and presidents of 75 synagogues in New York and vicinity attended the conference. The campaign will seek to enroll 10,000 new members.
Dr. Herman Abramowitz of Montreal, president of the United Synagogue, was the principal speaker.
Sol Mutterperl, president of the New York branch, stated: “Physically, morally and constructively the United Synagogue is very sound. Financially, however, it is practically bankrupt and for no other reason does it find itself in this embarassing position but because of our complacency in neglecting our responsibilities towards it by taking for granted that it has reached a stage where it can live on without being nourished and sustained.
“It is proper that the United Synagogue of America should take this step for we occupy the middle position in the life of Judaism. This is true from many points of view,” Charles W. Endel stated. “There is one particular aspect, however, which ought to be of interest to all of us today. The United Synagogue occupies the middle ground between those who are utter pessimists with regard to the future of Judaism and those who are over-confident. Both attitudes lead to inaction. Both types of congregations are self-satisfied, content, and have little interest in what is occurring beyond the circle of their membership or in what the future may have in store for them. The United Synagogue Congregation is one which believes there is a future for Judaism. It is confident that our children and our children’s children can be brought up to live a Jewish life here in America. It accordingly conceives its function to be creative, educational. The United Synagogue Congregation realizes, however, that over-confidence is equally dangerous. Efforts must be made, steps must be taken, to insure adequate methods, textbooks, curricula, for our religious schools. We must develop experts for dealing with the problem of the adolescent. Our young people, our college students, the Jewish life in the far flung small communities, must engage our attention. We must strengthen Judaism extensively and intensively throughout the country,” he said.
Leo J. Goldberger, Rabbi Jacob Kohn, Rabbi Elias Margolis and Mrs. Charles I Hoffman addressed the gathering.
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