U.S. Rabbis Announce Plan for Formation of World Orthodox Organization

Rabbi Israel Miller, president of the Rabbinical Council of America, representing 900 Orthodox rabbis, announced last night the participation of the Rabbinical Council of America in the formation of an international Orthodox agency to deal with the problems of Jewish religious and social life in all parts of the world.” Rabbi Miller delivered the opening address at a three-day conference which the Rabbinical Council is holding at the Berkeley Carteret.

“The Rabbinical Council has been cooperating with the conference of European rabbis in formulating plans for the establishment of this worldwide Orthodox organization. This body will be representative of all Orthodox elements in every part of the world,” Rabbi Miller reported. He told the conference that “the Rabbinical Council has been conducting negotiations and meetings with Chief Rabbi Israel Brodie of England who is the head of the Conference of European Rabbis. These discussions have also included the chief rabbis of France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland and other countries.”

An organizing charter conference to formalize and finalize the organizational structure of this international body will be held in London in March. A large delegation of leaders of the Rabbinical Council in the United States and Canada will participate in these London deliberations, Rabbi Miller said.

SEPHARDIC RABBI APPEALS TO SPAIN FOR RELIGIOUS RIGHTS

Rabbi Solomon Gaon, Chief Rabbi of the Sephardic community of Great Britain, addressing the conference today, appealed to the government of Spain “to grant legal status to the Jewish religion as a full fledged and recognized body in all phases of public functioning and open worship.” He pointed out that a growing number of Moroccan Jews have been emigrating to Spain in recent years “Due to the changing complexion of this community resulting from the Moroccan Jewish immigration, he said, “it will be essential for these Spanish Jews to be given legal and social recognition in all aspects of religious communal living to enable them to expand as a modern, visable spiritual entity.

“Without governmental approval and recognition, the Jewish community of Spain would be hampered in providing and establishing such basic institutions as synagogues, religious schools, youth centers, social welfare agencies, and a host of other bodies which are absolutely indispensable for maintaining a virile Jewish communal scheme of activities,” the Sephardic rabbi stressed.