Uojca Suspends Participation in Synagogue Council of America

Harold M. Jacobs, president of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, announced today that the UOJCA board of directors adopted a resolution Thursday night suspending the Union’s participation in the Synagogue Council of America. The resolution stated:

“Whereas the Reform and Conservative movements have launched a campaign against amending the Law of Return in Israel to require ‘Giyur K’Halacha” (halachic conversion) based on their false claim to religious legitimacy through equal membership with Orthodox groups in such agencies as the Synagogue Council of America, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America therefore resolves to suspend its participation in the Synagogue Council of America forthwith; in order to underscore the fact that the Torah community has never granted religious legitimacy to deviationist movements. The issue of membership in that Council shall be reviewed at the forth coming UOJCA national biennial convention in November, 1974.”

At the request of the board Jacobs further announced that he was appointing a committee to review the Union’s membership status in the Synagogue Council of America and to report to the plenary session of the UOJCA’s national convention in November.

This action stems from the Union’s position which denies religious legitimacy and authority to the Reform and Conservative movements here and in Israel. It comes in response to the recent attacks by the Reform and Conservative movements upon the National Religious Party in Israel which supports the halachic position on the Law of Return and conversions, namely that the Law of Return must be amended to read “according to halacha” so as to insure that all conversions should be made according to Jewish Law, Jacobs said.