The condition of Rabbi Morris Adler, spiritual leader of Shaarey Zedek Temple, who was shot by a demented, young parishioner in front of a packed synagogue on February 12, took “a turn for the worse, ” a medical bulletin issued at Sinai Hospital reported here today.
The medical bulletin stated: “Rabbi Adler’s condition is more grave today than at any time since he lapsed into a coma three and-a-half weeks ago. Vigorous medical attention continues. ” The coma came almost immediately after the shooting; Richard Wishnetsky, who shot himself after firing four bullets at the rabbi, died within a few days after the tragic occurrence.
As a result of the attack on Rabbi Adler by the youth, who had been in two mental institutions prior to the occurrence, the State Bar of Michigan announced today the appointment of a special, 22-member committee to review the subject of commitment to and release from mental institutions. The committee is also to review the state’s system of mental institutions, and the preservation of the rights of mental patients.
John S. Clark, president of the State Bar of Michigan, announced the establishment of the committee, and named Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Victor J. Baum as chairman. Among the other members of the committee are Judges Ira G. Kaufman and Joseph J. Pernick, and Leon S. Cohan, Deputy Attorney General of Michigan. In announcing the formation of the committee, Mr. Clark paid high tribute to Rabbi Adler as a “truly great man who has compiled an outstanding record in his community and whose influence has been significant throughout the country.”
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.
