Dr. Izler Solomon, the noted conductor, expressed regrets to a delegation representing the Indianapolis Jewish community that it had not been possible for him to avoid conducting the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in a concert on the eve of Yom Kippur. He said that he realized that there would be a reaction in the community but that the exigencies of scheduling concerts far in advance, the economic aspects and the need to fill booked engagements had made it impossible to change the date.
The request to cancel the performance was made to the conductor, one of three in this country publicly identified as Jewish, by a delegation composed of Rabbis Sidney Steiman of Temple Beth-El Zedeck and Murray Saltzman of Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation; Philip Pecar, president of the Jewish Community Relations Council, and Frank Newman, director of the Jewish Welfare Federation. According to Mr. Pecar, Dr. Solomon stressed his identification with the Jewish community and noted that he had been in Israel during the War of Independence.
Dr. Solomon readily agreed, Mr. Pecar said, that Jewish members of the orchestra would be excused from appearing that evening if they requested it.
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.
