Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

THE THREAT FROM IRAN

Adopted by the 117th Annual Convention

of the Central Conference of American Rabbis

San Diego, CA

June, 2006

Background

The Central Conference of American Rabbis first voiced concern over the political situation in Iran in 1979, specifically with regard to Iranian-Israeli relations and the state of human rights in Iran including the rights of Iranian Jewry. Today, the multiple threats posed by that nation’s regime are dramatized by the convergence of increasing prospects for nuclear weapons development with President Ahmadinejad’s anti-Semitic and anti-Israel rhetoric.

Sponsorship of Terror

For decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been a threat to the stability of the Middle East and the safety of its citizens, as well as Americans, Israelis, and others worldwide. Year after year, the U.S. State Department’s annual report on international terrorism names the Islamic Republic of Iran the world’s leading state sponsor of terror. The Iranian regime’s support for Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups poses an immediate and deadly threat to Israel and to Israelis. Iranian support for the 1983 suicide operations in Beirut, Lebanon killed 241 Americans. Iran’s involvement in the bombing of the AMIA Jewish Center in Buenos Aires in 1994 cost 87 people their lives, and Iranian support for the 1996 Khobar Towers attack in Saudi Arabia led to the death of 19 American military personnel. The regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has trained and supplied insurgents in Iraq and is responsible for hundreds of American and Allied deaths and thousands of casualties.

Nuclear Capabilities

Despite the Islamic Republic of Iran.s status as a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and its agreement to foreswear obtaining nuclear weapons, weapons inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have repeatedly found evidence that the Iranian regime is seeking the capacity to enrich uranium, separate plutonium, and develop fissile materials that can be used as the core of an atomic bomb. [1] Currently, Iran can enrich uranium at levels that fuel nuclear reactors. Iran claims it is trying to establish a complete nuclear fuel cycle to support a civilian energy program, but this same fuel cycle would be applicable to a nuclear weapons development program. IAEA inspectors recently found trace amounts of highly enriched uranium in Iran, but had not yet identified where the enrichment occurred.

Iran has rebuffed, repeatedly, the proposals and the warnings of the international community. It misled our European Union allies through two years of protracted negotiations and recently refused an exceedingly generous Russian proposal regarding uranium enrichment. A further proposal by the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany was recently introduced with a June 29, 2006 deadline and awaits Iran’s response.

The United States and Canada cannot allow the Islamic Republic of Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terror, led by a president who has stated that “Israel must be wiped off the map,” to proceed with a nuclear weapons program.

In the face of such concerns, the CCAR resolves to:

1. Urge the U.S. and Canadian governments to:

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

THE UNFINISHED OUTREACH VISION*

Adopted by the 117th Annual Convention

of the Central Conference of American Rabbis

San Diego, CA

June, 2006

Background

Rabbi Alexander Schindler’s greatest legacy to the Reform Movement and to the Jewish world was the vision of Outreach, which he articulated first to the UAHC Board of Trustees in Houston, in 1978. Almost three decades later, we have seen great progress, yet parts of Rabbi Schindler’s vision, now shared by generations of CCAR members, remains unfinished.

Today, many non-Jewish spouses become involved in the activities of the synagogue, offer support to their husbands’ or wives’ Jewish involvement, attend Jewish worship and, most importantly, commit to raising Jewish children. They take on responsibilities that by any reasonable calculation belong to the Jewish spouse. And very often they do all of this without recognition from either their Jewish family, their Rabbi or their synagogue. For all of these reasons, non-Jewish partners deserve a warm welcome and our profound thanks. A significant number of Reform congregations, and many more CCAR members, have extended their embrace and appreciation to these spouses and parents and have found how powerful it can be.

Even as we thank and applaud these heroes of Jewish life, we must not forget that it is an important mitzvah to assist a potential Jew become a Jew-by-choice. An intermarried family’s becoming a fully Jewish family, with two adult Jewish partners, does not denigrate those who find religious truth and practices elsewhere. Yet there is much anecdotal evidence to suggest that interest in conversion has waned in some places.

As we must continue making non-Jews feel comfortable and accepted in our congregations, we do not wish to send the message that we do not care if they convert. We must become more proactive in inviting individuals already engaged in synagogue life, who are not practicing another faith, to become part of our covenantal community through formal conversion.

We recognize the need to show support and respect for those who practice another faith tradition but have involved themselves in temple life. However, Rabbis in particular must become more proactive in inviting individuals already engaged in synagogue life, who are not practicing another faith, to become part of our covenantal community through formal conversion.

THEREFORE, THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF AMERICAN RABBIS RESOLVES TO:

1. Encourage its members and the communities they serve to express appreciation to non-Jewish spouses who support the Jewish involvement of their family members through formal ceremonies or events of appreciation and/or recognition; and

2. Urge members to perform the mitzvah of keruv by:

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE KATRINA

Adopted by the 117th Annual Convention

of the Central Conference of American Rabbis

San Diego, CA

June, 2006

Background

Hurricane Katrina was the worst natural disaster to strike the United States in this nation’s history. Millions of people, many of them among the poorest and most vulnerable of our fellow citizens, were deeply affected by the storm and the ensuing flood. Lives were lost, and others were devastated. Among those whose lives were indelibly altered are CCAR members serving the New Orleans Jewish community, their families, their friends and neighbors, and the institutions they serve.

Almost ten months have gone by since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. Another hurricane season has begun. Hundreds of thousands of Americans are still feeling its effects. The city of New Orleans — a historic city, a cultural gem, and one of America’s most important ports — still faces an uncertain future. Our Union for Reform Judaism — led by CCAR member, Rabbi Eric Yoffie — has done magnificent work in the aftermath of Katrina, with significant support from countless CCAR members and the communities our members serve, together with countless other individuals and worthy organizations. URJ relief efforts raised $3.4 million and brought 3,000,000 pounds of supplies to communities in need during the fall of 2005. A substantial portion of our Movement’s good work was done, both in providing shelter and in the “Jacob’s Ladder” initiative, at URJ’s Henry S. Jacobs Camp. Not coincidentally, URJ Greene Family Camp provided shelter to scores of refugees as Hurricane Rita struck, only weeks later.

Rabbis, congregations, and individuals in Houston, Jackson and Baton Rouge, throughout the southeast, in Texas and across the country performed countless acts of hesed, expended tremendous financial resources, energy, and volunteer effort to provide succor to Katrina victims, Jewish and non-Jewish alike.

Despite all this good work, the challenge posed by Katrina has not ended, and neither has our work.

In keeping with the principle, kol Yisrael areivim ze bazeh, URJ efforts have extended to the current S.O.S. (Save our Synagogues) Campaign. URJ commitments are currently joining other donors in sustaining the four New Orleans-area Reform congregations. Each has suddenly lost a significant number of members and many of those who remain are now financially compromised. Without this assistance, these historic congregations would not be able to pay their bills; and CCAR members and other synagogue professionals would have reason for great concern about their families’ livelihoods.

CCAR colleagues in the New Orleans area have expressed their deepest gratitude for the support they have received from colleagues and from our Movement. At the same time, they have asked their colleagues in SWARR and throughout CCAR to visit New Orleans, to continue to support URJ and other relief efforts, and to push for increased federal funding to rebuild and protect New Orleans for all its citizens.

Financial relief and direct action have been at the heart of our Movement’s work thus far. While these efforts are indispensable, they do not, by definition, serve to address the long-term challenges faced by Gulf Coast residents. CCAR precedent and the prophetic imperative would have us look also to an advocacy-based approach to serving the needs of Gulf Coast residents and providing for a strong, fair and sustainable future for New Orleans and other communities in the region.

The governmental response to Hurricane Katrina, at every level, has been woefully inadequate. At the federal level, sorely insufficient funding has been made available to address the acute housing, health care, education, employment, poverty, environmental, infrastructure and voting rights issues facing New Orleans and the surrounding areas.

A few examples of the most striking problems include:

1. Hundreds of thousands of Gulf Coast residents lack homes to which they may return. Having a home is a basic human right, and is a Jewish value, expressed in J. Moed Katan 2.4, inter alia.

2. While Medicaid assistance has been extended for those living in states directly affected by Hurricane Katrina, other states hosting Katrina victims have received no additional Medicaid allocation, while they face deep cuts in Medicaid and Medicare generally. Basic health care is a human right, affirmed in our Jewish tradition by Maimonides and many others.

3. Only 15% of New Orleans’ public schools have reopened to date. Education is critical to the American promise of equal opportunity, and is affirmed in countless Jewish texts, including the Torah (e.g. Deut. 6:7) and Medieval Commentators (e.g. Rashi to Ex. 13:14).

4. With the beginning of a new hurricane season, extreme doubts continue as to the readiness of new levees to protect the city from another devastating storm. Indeed, the Army Corps of Engineers itself only predicts that, by summer’s end, levees will be able to withstand a Category 3 hurricane. Protection against disaster is one of society’s most basic duties, just as our Torah teaches that we must reduce risks to bodily harm. (See Deut. 22:8, for example.)

5. The destruction of Louisiana wetlands, the first line of defense against hurricanes, exacerbated the impact of Katrina, and their continued devastation would worsen the impact of future storms. As our Torah teaches in Bereishit, humanity must be good stewards of the Earth God gave us.

Therefore, Be It Resolved that the Central Conference of American Rabbis:

1. Mourns the tragic loss of life, the displacement of persons, the destruction of family and community ties suffered by the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.

2. Pledges continued solidarity with colleagues serving the New Orleans area, commending them on the Herculean efforts to serve their scattered congregations, while simultaneously facing enormous personal dislocations.

3. Acknowledges with gratitude the generous and welcoming role played by colleagues and congregations . especially in Baton Rouge, Houston, and Jackson, but also throughout the southeast, in Texas, and around the country — to reach out to evacuees, by opening their homes and facilities, and meeting the overwhelming economic, spiritual and emotional needs of displaced Gulf Coast residents.

4. Praises the Union for Reform Judaism, its President, Rabbi Eric Yoffie, and all Rabbis and lay people in our Reform Movement who moved quickly and consistently to respond to Hurricane Katrina, and who have not permitted the needs of Katrina’s victims, and especially of New Orleans’ Reform Jewish community, to fade from concern, as months have passed since the storm.

5. Calls upon its members to visit New Orleans, and to establish, maintain, renew and strengthen relationships with colleagues serving the New Orleans area, so that these Rabbis, who will continue to serve in crisis conditions for some time, may never feel alone.

6. Asks its members to continue to donate and encourage others to contribute to URJ’s SOS fund.

7. Urges its members to advocate for maximum federal assistance to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast for all their citizens, keeping the issue at the forefront of issues addressed by the communities we serve and by the public officials with whom we have contact.

8. Calls upon the federal government to:

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

SUPPORT FOR JEWISH MILITARY CHAPLAINS AND JEWISH MILITARY PERSONNEL AND THEIR FAMILIES*

Adopted by the 117th Annual Convention

of the Central Conference of American Rabbis

San Diego, CA

June, 2006

Background

Approximately 1,500,000 men and women are serving in the United States military today. Military chaplains provide much-needed pastoral care to these service members, particularly to those who have experienced or face the traumas of combat. Unfortunately, Jewish military personnel do not always have ready access to Jewish pastoral services; there are currently only 29 active-duty Jewish chaplains in the armed services, most of them Orthodox. Shabbat and holiday observances on military bases are often conducted by lay leaders rather than by trained chaplains.

This chaplain shortage affects many aspects of life for Jewish military personnel and their families. Jewish servicemen and women, who make up only a small percentage of the American military force, can be acutely aware of their minority status. As a rabbi and active duty chaplain stationed at the National Naval Medical Center near Washington, DC, explained, “Military, unlike civilian society, is a pretty religious place. Most of my chaplain colleagues are quite respectful–and try to pray in a pluralistic way, but the language of the ship is in a Christian tone, and so the Jews can feel a little isolated in trying to maintain a faith that is a minority faith.” [1]

In 1950 the Union for Reform Judaism adopted a resolution at its 41^st General Assembly noting that the Reform Movement was to provide one-third of the military chaplaincy corps and outlining a process to allow the necessary leaves of absence and provide these chaplains with job security upon their return from duty. Since that time, the shortage of trained Jewish military chaplains has become increasingly more acute, with the elimination of the draft and as current chaplains age and fewer rabbis choose to join the military after ordination. The decline in numbers of Jewish chaplains is particularly acute among non-Orthodox Jewish clergy. These declines pose a significant challenge for Jewish military personnel, particularly those stationed overseas. Wherever they serve, Jewish military personnel, and particularly those who adhere to liberal Judaism, often find their spiritual needs unmet.

Military regulations allow exceptions for volunteers, rather than chaplains, to offer pastoral services when necessary. Clergy who want to serve military personnel but who are ineligible for military service can apply for waivers in order to provide pastoral care. This makes it possible for both civilian clergy and lay leaders to provide necessary support to Jewish military personnel where trained Jewish military chaplains are unavailable. [2]

Some Rabbis and the communities they serve have done a remarkable job of trying to fill this void by providing support to Jewish military personnel and their families. Non-military Rabbis are supplying clergy for pastoral care and religious services on military bases in their region, and they are extending invitations to military personnel and their families to become part of congregational life. Our members support parents whose children are in the military and for patients in military hospitals. Others are offering support to those serving overseas through care packages and correspondence.

Yet more can be done to serve this vulnerable and often isolated Jewish population. Too often Jewish military personnel and their families are invisible to our congregations and to their colleagues. Since the Vietnam era, in a time when military service was understandably, if not always justifiably, vilified, military chaplaincy has not been widely viewed as a meaningful rabbinate. CCAR representatives to the national coordinating body of Jewish military chaplains, through the JWB of JCCA, have not been part of the CCAR leadership.

Our concern for the religious needs of Jewish members of the U.S. Armed Forces extends to those who are gay or lesbian. Our Reform Movement has staunchly opposed discrimination against gays and lesbians, and we have never supported the U.S. Military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Indeed, excluding chaplains who may be gay or lesbian may violate the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, as it restricts faith groups such as ours, which openly ordain gay and lesbian clergy, from commissioning chaplains from among the full ranks of their clergy.

Hillel said, “Do not separate yourself from the community” (Pirkei Avot 2:4). As Reform Jews we must connect with the Jewish servicemen and women and their families for we are their community, just as they are ours. “All Jews are responsible for one another” (Babylonian Talmud, Sh’vuot 39a).

THEREFORE, the Central Conference of American Rabbis resolves to:

1. Seek to establish a Joint Commission, together with HUC-JIR, ACC and URJ, to:

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

NON-ORTHODOX MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE IN ISRAEL

Adopted by the 117th Annual Convention

of the Central Conference of American Rabbis

San Diego, CA

June, 2006

Background

In August 1953, the Knesset passed legislation granting the Orthodox establishment rabbinate monopolistic jurisdiction and control over matters related to the marriage and divorce of Jews in Israel. Current law, which excludes the option of civil marriage, results in many thousands of Israeli citizens being forced to marry abroad each year, either as a matter of conscience, or because Israel does not offer them any framework to marry within their own country. Not only does the present situation deny a basic human right but it also discriminates against Reform, Conservative, and Reconstructionist Jews and their religious leaders.

Given the large number of immigrants from the former USSR, who cannot prove their Jewish status to the satisfaction of the Orthodox religious authorities, over 300,000 citizens of the State of Israel are now denied the basic, democratic human right to marry in their own country.

Repeated surveys show that the majority of Israelis favor breaking the Orthodox stranglehold over marriage and divorce. Nevertheless, attempts to date to introduce legislation to change the status quo have failed, primarily as a result of opposition from the Orthodox religious establishment and its political representatives.

Therefore, be it resolved that the CCAR calls upon the Knesset of the State of Israel to pass legislation granting full and equal rights to all of Israel’s citizens in matters of marriage and divorce, thereby ensuring that all be freely able to marry in their own country, and in accord with their conscience and religious sensibilities , irrespective of their religious beliefs and identity or lack of them.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

IMMIGRATION REFORM

Adopted by the 117th Annual Convention

of the Central Conference of American Rabbis

San Diego, CA

June, 2006

Background

In 1995, the Union for Reform Judaism (then UAHC) adopted a Resolution on Immigration, which read, in part:

The Union of American Hebrew Congregations has long supported a fair and generous immigration policy. Our people were and continue to be immigrants to this nation. We have benefited from its open doors, and suffered when they were closed. We struggled to adjust to a society that did not always welcome our arrival. We understand the problems faced by today’s immigrants, as well as the difficulties attributable to the problem of illegal immigration.

Our tradition demands of us concern for the stranger in our midst. We know that the alien and the foreigner should be treated with respect and welcomed, for we were strangers in the land of Egypt. Yet we also must support the territorial integrity of the United States and the governance of its laws. As new legislation is proposed to confront issues raised by legal and illegal immigration, we support those efforts that compassionately seek to regulate and to aid newcomers to this land but we oppose those that will unduly restrict immigration or burden the lives of legal immigrants.

Today, as eight to twelve million non-citizens are estimated to be living in the United States without legal status, immigration reform is again at the forefront of American political discourse, we continue to embrace the values expressed by our congregational Union in 1995.

At present, the American people and their representatives in Washington are debating issues of border security and the appropriate treatment of non-citizens living in the United States without legal documentation.

Some have called for draconian enforcement measures and the deportation of all non-citizens currently living in the United States without legal status. We have even heard calls to change the laws that grant citizenship rights to every child born within these borders. Other problematic proposals would categorize minor immigration infractions as aggravated felonies, a legal category which has specific ramifications for non-citizens; for instance, an undocumented immigrant who had included false information on a legal document would be deported without recourse, regardless of factors such as how long they have lived in the U.S. and their family circumstances. Also, the proposed use of local law enforcement to perform functions currently the responsibility of INS officials would undermine the ability of local police to provide neighborhood crime prevention, which requires access and trust from the local community.

President Bush and a bi-partisan group of legislators, on the other hand, have called for comprehensive reform, including stronger enforcement of immigration laws and beefed-up border security, together with a guest worker program and a process of earned legalization for those immigrants already living and working without the benefit of legal sanction. Unfortunately, the earned legalization proposal that passed the Senate this year is unnecessarily complex, onerous and restrictive, undermining its goal of bringing productive and valued residents out of the shadows.

Other issues have also been raised in the course of this debate, both encouraging and discouraging. In the 1995 Resolution on Immigration, the Union for Reform Judaism (then UAHC) made clear its support for maintaining legal immigration at least at its current level, particularly with respect to family reunification. Today, immediate family members of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents continue to wait years or even decades for family-based visas, and we have been encouraged by proposals to include measures that would reduce these backlogs as part of comprehensive immigration reform.

On the other hand, the issue of English language usage in the United States, particularly as opposed to the use of Spanish, has been raised. In 1997, both the CCAR and the URJ (then URJ) adopted resolutions opposing English-only legislation. Those resolutions spoke of the importance of English acquisition by all immigrants, while decrying the efforts of those who would stir up anti-immigrant hatred by demonizing the use of Spanish. In particular, the 1997 resolutions spoke to the importance of allowing the use of Spanish (and other languages) in governmental materials, as needed to protect individuals. civil liberties and equal rights under the law.

Lastly, even under some of the best immigration reform compromises we have seen gain traction in Congress this year, there has been a disconcerting lack of attention paid to potential effects on asylum seekers and refugees, some of whom have been victims of religious or political persecution in their home countries. Of particular concern have been deportation and detention policies, as well as adequate access to judicial review of asylum seekers’ cases. The URJ’s 2003 Resolution on Civil Liberties and National Security, as well as our historic commitment to human rights and international religious freedom, informs our interest in these issues.

While no one disputes the need for border controls and security, there is currently a debate taking place in the public arena between a harsh and punitive approach to illegal residents and one that would ‘welcome the stranger in our midst.’ This tension is currently evident in the stark differences between the enforcement-only immigration bill that has emerged from the U.S. House of Representatives, and that which has come from the U.S. Senate, which provides for a program of earned legalization.

Religious groups have been at the forefront of those taking strong positions in the current debate. Some have proposed actions similar to those addressed by a URJ (then UAHC) Resolution on Refugees and Sanctuary in 1985. We note, with particular admiration, the forthright position of the Roman Catholic Church in America, and specifically of Cardinal Thomas Mahoney of Los Angeles, who has raised the possibility of civil disobedience, should he be forced to choose between breaking the law and abiding immigration laws that violate his faith.

Therefore, Be It Resolved that the CCAR:

1. Affirms that the United States is a nation of laws, which must be enforced and respected in order to maintain a civil society. At the same time, we expect that — especially in a Constitutional republic founded on principles of human dignity — the laws in question must be both just and equitable.

2. Applauds and supports our nation’s leaders who have called for comprehensive immigration reform, which would include not only better enforcement of our nation’s laws, but also a guest worker program and a path to earned legalization.

3. Condemns the punitive enforcement-only approach to illegal residents that would result in deportations without access to a fair process that considers the circumstances of the individual or that co-opts the use of local law enforcement to meet federal INS obligations.

4. Commits itself to advocacy for an immigration law that will not only improve border security and immigration law enforcement, but will also provide for guest workers and for a just and fair path to citizenship for those now in the country without legal documentation.

5. Invites URJ and other arms of the Reform Movement — as well as individual CCAR members, the communities they serve, the larger Jewish world and our partners in interfaith action — to join us in this advocacy.

6. Opposes, in the strongest terms, any effort to restrict the citizenship rights of those born in this country.

7. Recommits itself to the principles expressed in the Union’s Immigration Resolution of 1995, to the positions taken in the CCAR Resolution on English-only legislation in 1997; and to principles found in the Union’s 1985 Resolution on Refugees and Sanctuary.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

HAMAS AND THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY

Adopted by the 117th Annual Convention

of the Central Conference of American Rabbis
San Diego, CA
June, 2006

“Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it… The Islamic Resistance Movement believes that the landof Palestineis an Islamic Waqf consecrated for future Moslem generations until Judgment Day. It, or any part of it, should not be squandered: it, or any part of it, should not be given up. ”
— from the Charter of the Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya — Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).
Background
Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya — Islamic Resistance Movement, known by its acronym Hamas, was founded in1987 as the Gazabranch of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood movement. Hamas has a social service arm which funds schools, clinics, and hospitals in the West Bank and Gaza. Better known, however, is its military arm. The latter, known as the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, carries on the “armed struggle” against Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and, until the recent disengagement, Gaza. However, its explicitly stated aim is the destruction of the Jewish State and the establishment of an Islamic State in all of historic Palestine. As opposed to the largely secular Fatah Movement, Hamas is motivated by a religious world view that brooks little or no compromise.
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, as of March, 2006, “Hamas is believed to have killed more than 500 people in more than 350 separate terrorist attacks since 1993i. Not all Hamas’ attacks have been carried out by suicide bombers. The group has also accepted responsibility for assaults using mortars, short-range rockets, and small arms fire.” The group is listed as a terrorist organization by Australia, Canada, the European Union, Israel, and the United States.
On January 28, 2006, Palestinians from the Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem voted for the first time to elect members to the Palestinian Legislative Council of the Palestinian Authority. While the elections were both peaceful and representative, the outcome was disturbing for those committed to the peace process. Out of 132 seats, Hamas and candidates aligned with Hamas won seventy four-seats, making Hamas the most powerful party within the Council, able to form a government of the Palestinian Authority. Given the surveys that indicate that a majority of Palestinians support the peace process, the reason for the success of Hamas, a party which rejects the peace process, is at this time unclear. Having called itself the “Reform and Change Party,” there is a strong indication that many Palestinians voted for Hamas as a protest against the corruption and cronyism rampant within the Fatah run Palestinian Authority.
Prior to these elections, Israel, the United States, Egypt, and the European Union called upon the Palestinian Authority to make participation in the Palestinian elections conditional on the acceptance of these three principles:

1. Recognition of the State of Israel.

2. An affirmation of the Peace process, including acceptance of treaties entered into by the Palestinian Authority.

3. Abandonment of the armed struggle against Israel.

The Palestinian Authority imposed no such conditions. Prior to the election, Mahmoud al-Zahar, co-founder of Hamas, declared that it was the intent of Hamas to enter the Palestinian government “with our weapons in hand,” denying Israel’s right to “any inch” of its territory. After becoming Palestinian Foreign Minister, al-Zahar has repeatedly declared his intention to establish the Palestinian state “from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean.” Through its propaganda to the public and through its educational activities, Hamas teaches hatred of Israel, Zionism, Jews and the West. It condones, encourages, and organizes terrorist acts, and promotes martyrdom in the name of Islam as one of the highest measures of devotion.
As an outgrowth of agreements previously entered into between Israeland the previous Palestinian leadership, Israel, the United States, and many other nations agreed to provide economic assistance to the Palestinian Authority. At that time, the Authority was dedicated, at least in its public face, to peaceful coexistence between the state of Israeland the Palestinian people, with the ultimate stated aim being the creation of a Palestinian State next to the State of Israel. Since the election of January 2006, Israel, the United Statesand other involved nations have announced that they will not provide direct funds to support a Hamas-led Palestinian government, which refuses to recognize the State of Israel, rejects commitments assumed by the previous Palestinian leadership, and continues to espouse terrorism as a justified mode of political resistance. In some cases, representatives of Israelhave indicated that Israel.s best interest might be served by allowing Israelto set the pace and parameters of how to proceed. Some of these funds at issue are Palestinian taxes collected and held by Israel. Presently, means are being explored and utilized to distribute these funds in a way which deals with the very real humanitarian needs of countless Palestinians; but does not provide support to a Palestinian government which continues to call for the destruction of Israel.
On April 17, 2006, a homicide bomber from Islamic Jihad killed ten persons, Philip Balhasan, Rozalia Beseneyi, Pirosca Boda, Marcel Cohen, Ariel Darhi, Victor Erez, Binyamin Haputa, David Shaulov, Daniel Wultz and Lily Yunes, and injured over sixty at the Rosh Ha’ir shawarma stand, near the old central bus station in Tel Aviv. This terrorist act was immediately condemned by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. However, while two terrorist groups, Islamic Jihad and Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (associated with the Fatah Party), took responsibility, several terrorist organizations in the Palestinian community, rationalized and justified the murderous attack. Notable among those which put the blame for the attack on Israelwas Hamas, which had assumed power only two weeks prior. Hamas has refused to renounce terrorism; and since taking office, Hamas leaders have said they would not arrest Palestinians engaged in attacks against Israel.
Throughout, to his credit, Palestinian President Abbas has urged Hamas leadership to recognize Israeland accept the “Road Map” as a means by which to resolve the conflict through negotiation, but has been continually rebuffed. In the absence of Hamas’ recognition of Israel, President Abbas has called for a non-binding Palestinian referendum which, if passed, implicitly recognizes Israel and calls for the creation of a Palestinian state along side the State of Israel. Hamas rejects this referendum.
On June 9^th, 2006, a tragic blast on the Gazabeach between and Sudaniya and Beit Lahiya killed seven Palestinian civilians and wounded more than thirty. Initial reports indicated that the explosion was part of an Israeli attack and so it was presented to the world press. Israelhas expressed regrets but has not accepted responsibility. The IDF immediately suspended artillery fire in the area; and has initiated a full investigation to determine the cause of the explosion, which may or may not have been of Israeli origin. Most recently, Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz announced that Israelis not responsible. Meanwhile, Hamas has resumed rocket attacks on towns near the Israeli border. As of June 11, more than 50 Quassam rockets were fired at the town of S’derot alone with severe injuries. All in all, since the withdrawal from Gazain August of 2001 to June 11, at least 500 rockets have been launched from Gazainto neighboring Israeli towns.
Therefore, we, the members of the Central Conference of American Rabbis resolve the following:
While welcoming the democratic parliamentary elections held by the Palestinian Authority in January, 2006, we are profoundly disturbed, given the content of its charter, that the Hamas Islamic Resistance Movement has gained control over the Authority.
We support the Government of Israel’s stance that it will not deal with a Hamas-led Palestinian Authority, unless and until that government renounces the use of violence, recognize Israel’s right to exists, and agrees to abide by any and all agreements previously entered into.
We support those in the Administration and Congress of the United Stateswho oppose granting aid to a Palestinian Authority whose goal it is to destroy Israel. We support humanitarian assistance through appropriate and accountable NGO’s and third parties.
We call upon Israel to continue to honor its obligation to transmit taxes collected for the Palestinian Authority through appropriate internationally-supervised humanitarian organizations and institutions.
We condemn the terrorist attack of April 17 in no uncertain terms and all such acts since, including the incessant Qassam rocket attacks on Israeli towns.
We mourn the loss of innocent Palestinian lives as well. We applaud Israel for its statement of regret following the explosion in Gaza on June 9 and for immediately beginning a full investigation. Should the evidence that Israel was not responsible for the Gaza explosion be definitive, we demand that the world media disseminate news of Israel’s innocence in no less a way than that with which it reported Israel’s assumed guilt. However, were Israel to be found responsible, we would call upon Israel to do all that it can to prevent such tragedies in the future, and to compensate victims as best as it can, as Israel has done in the past under other tragic circumstances.
We recognize in the Hamas justification of terrorist acts targeting innocent civilians an intractable commitment to the use of violence and terror. Still, we call upon Hamas to renounce the use of violence, root out the infrastructure of terrorism, recognize Israel’s right to exist as a sovereign, democratic, Jewish state and abide by all agreements previously entered into by the Palestinian Authority.
We call on the Palestinian Authority to root out from its midst the corruption, the misuse of funds and the abuse of power which apparently prompted many Palestinians to vote for Hamas.
We look forward to — and will continue to work towards — that time when peace, security, justice and well being will come to both Palestinians and Israelis, when all can sit under vine and fig, with no one to make them afraid.
 

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

JEWISH GENETIC DISEASES

Adopted by the 117th Annual Convention of the Central Conference of American Rabbis

San Diego, CA

June, 2006

Background:

In 1975, at its 86^th Annual Convention, the CCAR adopted a Resolution on Jewish Genetic Diseases, namely Tay-Sachs. In 1997, at its 108^th Annual Convention, the CCAR adopted a Resolution on Breast Cancer, Genetic Testing, and Health Insurance Discrimination. Concurrently, at the 1997 UAHC Biennial in Dallas, the Union adopted a nearly identical position supporting continued research for prevention, early detection, and treatment of genetic disorders, promoting education about genetic testing, and supporting legislation that outlaws genetic discrimination by insurance carriers and mandates privacy of personal genetic information. Additionally, the URJ Department of Family Concerns published a Bioethics study guide #12 in 2001 that focuses on genetic testing. We urge our members to review this guide for a detailed understanding of issues raised in this resolution.

Over the past three decades, significant advances in our understanding of genetic conditions have enabled us to screen and test for a variety of serious genetic disorders. Whereas prenatal and preconception screening for Tay-Sachs has been available to individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish descent for several decades, even in the decade since our last resolution carrier testing for a host of other autosomal recessive genetic disorders havs become available to members of the Jewish community. A couple or pregnancy is not “at-risk” for an affected child unless both members of a couple carry a copy of an alteration in the same gene. About 1 in 4 Ashkenazi Jews are carriers of one of a number of genetic conditions, yet testing for most couples is most often done in the context of an ongoing pregnancy. This means that a pregnant woman may not learn of her carrier status until well into a pregnancy, leading to high levels of anxiety while waiting for her partner.s results. Even more disconcerting is learning during an ongoing pregnancy, that both members of the couple are, in fact, carriers of the same genetic condition. This leads to very difficult discussions and emotional decisions about prenatal diagnosis for the fetus and what to do if the fetus is found to be affected. Preconception screening could avert these hurried decisions for an at-risk couple. Furthermore, with advances in assisted reproductive technologies, some couples may be able to avert prenatal diagnosis altogether by taking advantage of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, but only if they are both known, in advance, to be carriers of the same genetic condition.

While the list of conditions for which carrier testing is now available is growing steadily, there are 11 that represent the current panel of conditions that may be offered to individuals of Ashkenazi descent. These include: Tay-Sachs Disease, Canavan Disease, Gaucher Disease, Familial Dysautonomia, Cystic Fibrosis, Bloom Syndrome, Fanconi Anemia type C, Niemann-Pick type A, Mucolipidosis type IV, Glycogen Storage Disease type 1a and Maple Syrup Urine Disease. Although most of these conditions also occur in the non-Jewish population (but at a lower frequency), carrier screening for mutations in individuals of Ashkenazi ancestry is far easier because of common lineage and a limited number of gene changes in this population. There are more disorders being added to the testing panel as our knowledge expands in this field. However, the underlying principles are essentially unchanged: Carrier screening can lead to prevention of disease in future offspring.

Knowing more about these serious genetic conditions, as well as the availability of screening for these disorders, would empower young adults in the Jewish community to become proactive in their family planning and may avert the anxiety surrounding prenatal carrier screening or the need to make a potentially heart-wrenching decision during pregnancy.

Therefore, the CCAR Resolves:

• To urge its members to include in pre-marital counseling for all marriages at which we are asked to officiate for couples of child-bearing age:
• Discussion of the possibility that the couple may be carriers of one or more Jewish Genetic Diseases.
• Detailed information on the specific Jewish Genetic Diseases for which there is testing.
• Encouragement to seek genetic counseling to learn of the implications and options available to them to have healthy children.
• Information regarding local genetic counseling centers.
• To support legislation banning potential discrimination by health insurance carriers arising from genetic information and inherited characteristics, including the use of such information in determining denial, limits, or increased premiums on coverage.
• To ask the Union for Reform Judaism.s Department of Family Concerns to join the CCAR, ACC, and HUC-JIR, to work in concert with the Jewish Genetic Disease Consortium (www.jewishgeneticdiseases.org) to build on the 2001 JFC manual in creating educational resources for Rabbis, Cantors, future Rabbis and Cantors, and the communities we serve, and particularly to engage colleagues who work with college students and young couples approaching marriage.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

GAZA AND THE WEST BANK

Adopted by the 117th Annual Convention

of the Central Conference of American Rabbis

San Diego, CA

June, 2006

Background

In August of 2005, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and the Government of Israel undertook and executed an unprecedented policy: the unilateral withdrawal from and evacuation of all Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip along with a small number in the West Bank.

In light of this historic initiative, the Central Conference of American Rabbis resolves:

Consistent with the CCAR Board’s “Where We Stand on Israel” (2003), we commend the government of Israel for this most difficult and most necessary step, meant to better secure both the lives of Israeli citizens as well as the future of Israel as a Jewish democratic state.

We commend Prime Minister Sharon for his vision and resolve, and we pray for his refuah shelaymah.

We commend the Israeli Defense Forces for carrying out the most difficult task of taking Jewish families away from their homes, not only with resolve but with patience, restraint, and compassion. Therefore, we call upon the Israeli government to fulfill all its promises to former Gaza settlers, providing new and adequate housing.

We commend those settlers who left their homes in Gaza and the West Bank without resistance, knowing that ahead of them lay the difficult task of creating new lives somewhere else within the State of Israel.

The further dismantlement of selected settlements in the West Bank is the only way to assure Israel’s survival as a Jewish democratic state. In this regard, we call upon the government of Israel to evacuate with all due dispatch those settlements established in violation of Israeli law.

Ideally, these pullouts, along with the resolution of other issues, are best accomplished through direct negotiations with a Palestinian Authority which rejects the use of terrorism, recognizes the State of Israel, and accepts previously established agreements. In the absence of such a negotiating partner, the CCAR supports Prime Minister Olmert’s resolve to continue a unilateral pullout from the West Bank.

Consistent with past resolutions, we call upon the government of Israel to adopt and enforce a policy of neither building nor expanding settlements in the West Bank. We support the existence of a security barrier as a temporary measure to safeguard lives within the State of Israel, provided that the existence of the barrier does not impede the eventual establishment of a territorially contiguous Palestinian sovereignty in the West Bank. We call upon the State of Israel, the Israel Defense Forces, and the Israeli Supreme court to fairly and justly balance the needs of Palestinian populations whose lives are disrupted by the existence of the security barrier, with the overall goal of preventing terrorist acts within the Jewish State.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

ARZA AND THE WORLD ZIONIST CONGRESS

Adopted by the 117th Annual Convention

of the Central Conference of American Rabbis

San Diego, CA

June, 2006

Background

The 35^th World Zionist Congress currently convened in Jerusalem (June 19-22, 2006), is the only worldwide Jewish legislative body which is democratically elected. The delegates to this Congress determine policies and programs for the World Zionist Organization as well as the Jewish Agency for Israel.

Once again, the ARZA slate received a plurality in the voting, resulting in 55 of the 145 delegates to the Congress. While this is a smaller number than in recent past elections, still ARZA came out as the strongest constituency within American Zionism. We note with concern that the number of votes cast in the WZO elections has been steadily decreasing, perhaps representing a disconnect between Israel and the American Jewish Community.

Therefore, be it resolved

1. That the Central Conference of American Rabbis applaud the work of ARZA for its great success in the recent elections for the World Zionist Congress. We especially commend our colleagues Rabbi Stanley Davids, Rabbi Andrew Davids, Rabbi Robert Orkand, Rabbi Donald Rossoff, and Rabbi David Nelson, along with Mr. Jim Friedman, Mr. Steven Dubin and the staff of ARZA, for the outstanding work they did once again to secure a plurality for ARZA within the American delegation to the Congress.

2. That the CCAR and CCAR members increase their efforts to educate their respective communities about the importance of Israel, the vital nature of Progressive Judaism in Israel and throughout the world, the place and influence of ARZA, ARZENU, and WUPJ, as well as the World Zionist Organization and Congress in the ongoing struggle for true pluralism in Jewish life everywhere.