Convention of Conservative Rabbis Discusses Leadership Problem

Conservative Judaism is experiencing great difficulty in recruiting leadership and in training the scholars necessary to maintain its position in the religious life of American Jewry, it was emphasized here tonight at the opening session of the five-day 60th anniversary convention of the Rabbinical Assembly of America, central organization of Conservative rabbis in this country.

Reporting to about 500 rabbis who are attending the convention on a survey he has recently completed on the manpower situation in Conservative Judaism. Dr, Eli Ginzberg. Professor of Economics at Columbia University, emphasized that the same situation exists in all major religious groups today.

“The situation,” he said, “is exacerbated by our failure to use properly the leadership that we have. A career which demands the wide variety of skills which the average congregation demands of its rabbi is not likely to attract the most able of our young men, who correctly foresee little chance for personal growth, for spiritual development, or even for true service, in a life which is a frenetic round of weddings and funerals, sermons and sisterhood meetings, luncheon speeches and book reviews.”

The rabbi who permits himself to become entangled in such a schedule does a disservice to his congregation, according to Dr. Ginzberg, since he has no time for the quiet contemplation which alone can produce the insights and understanding necessary for spiritual leadership. On the other hand, the speaker admitted that the pressures put upon the rabbi to serve in all these capacities were almost intolerable.