United Synagogue Decides to Hold Its Next Convention in Jerusalem

The United Synagogue of America, central body of Conservative Jewry in this country, today concluded its five-day convention here with a decision to hold its next biennial convention, in 1961, in Jerusalem. The decision was made as a mark of solidarity with the State of Israel.

In the closing hours, Congregation Ohavi Tzedek of Burlington, Vermont, touched by the plight of Jewish communities throughout the world which are without rabbis and Jewish teachers, announced the establishment of a $25,000 scholarship fund to train leaders from abroad.

The decision to set up the fund was made during sessions of the constitutional convention of the World Council of Synagogues, held concurrently with the United Synagogue convention. The Burlington delegation had listened to reports from delegates of 16 countries represented at the Council founding convention, and to a report given by Baruch Benjamin, of New Delhi, India.

Mr. Benjamin is the leader of the Bene Israel community which, according to tradition, stems from refugees of the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem more than 2,000 years ago. He had told of the spiritual and financial difficulties facing this community and expressed the hope that one of his three sons might come to the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York to become a rabbi, but could not see how this would be possible financially.

A special Solomon Schechter Award was given to the Canadian Jewish Congress in honor of Canadian Jewry’s 200th anniversary. The award was addressed to Samuel Bronfman, president of the Canadian Jewish Congress. Lavy Becker, vice-president of the CJC, accepted for Mr. Bronfman. The Solomon Schechter awards were established in memory of the founder of the United Synagogue of America.