The Chief Rabbinate of Israel issued a formal prohibition today against the establishment of the Reform movement in Israel.
This is the latest development in a campaign by Dr. Nelson Glueck, leader of the American Reform movement, to have a Reform synagogue set up in the library of a projected American School for Archaeology. The school would be part of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.
“The Chief Rabbinate is aware of the nature of the Reform movement,” says the Chief Rabbinate’s statement. The Rabbinate is also aware of the destruction it has caused by tearing away large sectors of the nation from its sacred religion and who are finally drawn towards total assimilation. This movement rejects faith in the Divine Torah and invalidates mitzvohs, and it is forbidden to enable it to get established in our country.”
The statement denies that the Chief Rabbis negotiated with Dr. Glueck for a compromise, insisting that the rabbinate never entertained such a possibility and only wanted to hear his views. “Our stand is clear now as never before that Reform must not be given an opportunity to strike roots in our land and establish in our sacred city a cross in the Temple of God.” the statement concluded.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
