Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

On Economic Justice for Women

Adopted by the CCAR at the 95th Annual Convention of

the Central Conference of American Rabbis

Grossingers, New York, June 18-21, 1984

Whereas

built-in inequities in the present economic system discriminate against women and

their dependents at every level of income; and

Whereas

poverty in North America falls disproportionately upon women, who comprise 43% of

the labor force, yet are the sole supporters of more than nine million families,

and that they have suffered discrimination and economic disadvantage; and

Whereas

present proposed legislation addresses such areas as insurance, pension reform, social

security (including earning sharing), tax issues, lifeline service, child care, day

care, and family assistance, regulatory reform, and enforcement of child support

requirements; and

Whereas

, further, specific reforms will be proposed to redress existing inequities; and

Whereas

in considering the endorsement of such legislation, the principle of supporting anti-discrimination

legislation for economic equity for women should be maintained,

Therefore be it resolved that the Central Conference of American Rabbis:

Support an Equal Rights Amendment and legislation incorporating principles of economic

equity for women;

Endorse efforts to correct current discriminatory practices in private industry and

government, both in its regulations and as an employer;

Examine its practices and call upon individual congregations to do likewise so as

to eliminate any sex discrimination while applying the principle of economic equity

for all;

Call upon our congregants in their individual or corporate relationships likewise

to eliminate any such discriminatory practices.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

On Toxic Substances

Adopted by the CCAR at the 95th Annual Convention of

the Central Conference of American Rabbis

Grossingers, New York, June 18-21, 1984

Judaism understands that the world is God’s creation and that whoever helps to preserve

it is doing God’s work. We who inherit a tradition marked by a reverence for life

must preserve the earth and all its varied life for our own sake and for generations

yet unborn.        

The problem of chemical and radioactive wastes is of comparatively recent origin.

The generation of long-lasting dangerous chemical wastes began about forty years

ago. At that time and for many years afterward, traditional methods of disposal underground, on the land, in the air, in rivers, or in the sea were followed and were considered

satisfactory.        

In recent years, the dangers of toxic waste disposal, in both the United States and

Canada, have become more and more visible. Some companies and governmental agencies

have tried to dispose of their wastes in ways that would keep them from harming persons or the environment. Others have continued to follow practices that have proved dangerous.

There is a serious difficulty in finding safe locations to store toxic wastes and

ensuring permanently safe disposal.        

In recent years, moreover, improper and unclean combustion of carbon fuels has acidified

the rain to levels toxic to the environment. This acid rain affects every area of

our nation, resulting in more than five billion dollars in damages each year to lakes, rivers, and forests.

Therefore be it resolved

that the Central Conference of American Rabbis:

1. Reaffirm its historic commitment to an environment free from dangers of chemical

and radioactive wastes and pollutants.

2. Recognize that each individual bears responsibility for solving the problems of

toxic waste.

3. Recognize that industry faces a very real problem in finding suitable sites for

toxic wastes.

4. Encourage state and provincial legislative bodies to develop “funds,” similar to

the United States government’s “Superfund,” that will be adequate to locate and clean

up abandoned sites where hazardous chemicals and radioactive wastes have been dumped,

and encourage and support the research and development of safer disposal methods of

toxic waste.

5. Promote legislation by the United States and Canadian governments which will encourage

industry, through such devices as tax credits and small business loans, to clean

up existing disposal sites, to assure safe disposal of toxic wastes in the future,

and to eliminate air-borne pollutants.

6. Support the strict enforcement of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and

the provision of adequate resources to the Environmental Protection Agency and state

agencies to enforce it in order that toxic wastes disposed of in the present and

future are disposed of safely and securely.

7. Support efforts of the United States and Canadian governments and their regulatory

agencies to pursue vigorously those who misuse waste dumps and burn fuels improperly,

and to demand compensation for damage that has already been done to persons and property due to unsafe disposal.

8. Encourage industry to examine its waste production processes and the recycling

of toxic wastes in order to use them efficiently and to keep chemical and radioactive

wastes that must be disposed of to the minimum amount.

9. Encourage the development and use of non-hazardous substitutes for materials and

processes that currently generate hazardous wastes, as well as call for tightening

of regulations to prohibit the introduction of toxic chemicals such as Dioxin into

the environment.

10. Support efforts for international consideration and regulation of toxic waste

disposal and clean-air standards, and the prohibition of toxic waste exportation

to other countries.

11. Call for legislation requiring strict testing of pesticides and the regulation

of both the export of pesticides banned in the United States and Canada, and the

import of foodstuffs grown with the use of such banned material.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

On Central America

Adopted by the CCAR at the 95th Annual Convention of

the Central Conference of American Rabbis

Grossingers, New York, June 18-21, 1984

The Central Conference of American Rabbis is dedicated to the pursuit of justice and

peace. It is our firm belief that governments should promote harmony. Our own government,

therefore, should insist on a policy that makes for stable and democratic societies in this hemisphere. Conditions prevalent in Central America–poverty, exploitation,

political subversion and lack of educational opportunity–have made for general insecurity

and the opportunity for a revolutionary take-over. Our government should make every effort to ameliorate the conditions responsible for political instability.

Therefore be it resolved that:

1. The Central Conference of American Rabbis call upon our own government and all

other governments through the United Nations or the Organization of American States

to relieve the conditions that have been prevalent in Central America through economic

assistance that will encourage these nations to develop democratically;

2. Religious communities should be consulted by our government and encouraged to play

a role in stabilizing Central America;

3. We oppose military aid by any country to governments that systematically deny human

rights to their citizens;

4. We urge all governments to refrain, either directly or through third parties, from

the support of any government that abets terrorist groups, either from the right

or the left, threatening the peace of the countries. As in the past, we hold that

human rights must be extended to all segments of the population before military or economic

assistance is provided either directly or through third parties;

5. The Central Conference of American Rabbis oppose the use of any country in the

Caribbean or Central or South American region as a staging area for intervention

against any other country;

6. We urge the United States government to liberalize the providing of sanctuary to

refugees fleeing from oppression;

7. The Central Conference of American Rabbis urge the use of our synagogues as sanctuaries

for refugees and commend those of our colleagues who have been actively involved

in promoting freedom and democracy in Central America here and there;

8. We commend Costa Rica for its leadership in bringing peace to Central America;

9. We endorse sponsorship by the Central Conference of American Rabbis of a Study

Mission to Central America, with participation by the CCAR Committee of Justice and

Peace and the Social Action Commission.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

On Soviet Jewry

Adopted by the CCAR at the 95th Annual Convention of

the Central Conference of American Rabbis

Grossingers, New York, June 18-21, 1984

Whereas

Jewish emigration from the USSR has gone from a high of 51,320 in 1979 to a low of

1,314 in 1983, and

Whereas

harassment of Refusenik families, including break-ins and searches, reminiscent of

Nazi techniques in the 1930s, have markedly increased, and

Whereas

attempts to communicate with Refusenik families via the mail have been frustrated

by the Soviet postal service, and

Whereas

new Soviet laws provide for terms of up to five years for Prisoners of Conscience

who are accused of disobeying or opposing Labor Camp Administrators, thus adding

yet more to their already unjustified punishment, and

Whereas

the Soviet Union continues cynically to ignore the very International Human Rights

Laws to which it subscribed in Helsinki, and

Whereas

the Soviet Jewish community, which is among the three largest Jewish communities

in the world, is in extreme danger,

We hereby resolve

to renew our efforts, individually and collectively, to work for the right to Soviet

Jewish emigration and the right for Soviet Jews to express themselves Jewishly within

the Soviet Union.

We applaud the efforts of the many Congresspersons and high officials who have shown

concern for Soviet Jewry, and urge the President and Secretary of State to continue

placing the issue of Soviet Jewry on the agenda of all bilateral talks with their

Russian counterparts. We applaud the efforts of the National Conference on Soviet Jewry

and of the Union of Councils, and urge them individually and cooperatively to continue

their work on behalf of Soviet Jewry.        

We call upon the American rabbinate to continue efforts to:

a. keep the plight of Soviet Jewry before our congregants;

b. encourage B’nai Mitzvah to reach out to their Russian peers in twinning ceremonies;

c. encourage congregations and congregational families to “adopt” Soviet Refusenik

families;

d. include appropriate liturgical materials in our worship services alluding to Soviet

Jewry;

e. arrange programs of visitation to the Soviet Union in order to bring Torah and

hope to our brothers and sisters who dwell there .

Our hearts go out to the Prisoners of Conscience, including Anatoly Shcharansky, Zucher

Zunshein, and Josef Begun, among others, who are so cruelly separated from loved

ones; to Refusenik families who wait so longingly for permission to leave so that

they might live in freedom; to the Hebrew teachers and students who keep alive the flame

of Jewish learning at great personal risk. To them and all Soviet Jews who continue

to be libeled by vicious anti-Semitic tracts and maligned by the Soviet press, our

prayers that the time may come soon when they will be free. Shalach et ami

–Let my people go.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

On Sotheby Parke-Bernet Auction

Adopted by the CCAR at the 95th Annual Convention of

the Central Conference of American Rabbis

Grossingers, New York, June 18-21, 1984

The impending auction of thirty-three Hebrew books and manuscripts scheduled to be

held at Sotheby’s on June 26, 1984, evokes our grave concern and leads us to question

its legality. The manuscripts were known to have belonged to Hochschule fuer die Wissenschaft des Judentums,

an institution with which the liberal Jewish community of Germany was closely identified.

Leo Baeck, of blessed memory, taught at that school, and not a few members of our

Conference studied there. We know that the leaders of the Hochschule never would

have sold those manuscripts or surrendered them willingly. If they gave them to individuals,

it could only have been in trust for the Jewish people as a whole.        

We have a right to wonder, therefore, where these manuscripts have been for the past

forty years, and how they came into the hands of those who are now offering them

for sale. We feel a sense of moral outrage that property that once was owned by the

Jewish people has suddenly been proffered for private profit.        

We, therefore, call on the leadership of the Central Conference of American Rabbis

to take all necessary steps to stop this sale until the ownership of these books

and manuscripts is        

clearly established and publicly revealed for all to know.        

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

On Israel

Adopted by the CCAR at the 95th Annual Convention of

the Central Conference of American Rabbis

Grossingers, New York, June 18-21, 1984

The Central Conference of American Rabbis joins the world Jewish Community in celebrating

the 36th anniversary of the founding of Medinat Yisrael.

More than a refuge for those of our people fleeing oppression, more than a thriving

and stable democracy in an area of the world wherein human rights and political freedoms

are rare, more even than a living testament to the unquenchable will of our people to survive forms of oppression that mere words will never adequately describe, Israel

has become a vibrant and revivifying source of strength for the Jewish people– its

faith, its vision, and its courage.        

We take this moment to reassert the Reform rabbinate’s unswerving commitment to Israel.

Our religious schools teach a love for Zion and an understanding of Zionism; our

labors on behalf of Israel within our local communities have helped forge coalitions

of support at a time when Israel has suffered from unwarranted public assault; we actively

encourage our young people to participate in NFTY-sponsored high school and college

programs in Israel; we nurture through personal example the flourishing of ARZA and Kadima chapters within our congregations; we lead our communities into active support

for wide-ranging Israel Bonds and United Jewish Appeal activities; we personally

participate in the raising of funds for our movement’s kibbutzim, Yahel and Lotan,

encouraging as well those who would seek to act upon their Reform Jewish perceptions of

aliya

; we read, we study, we preach, we experience that which the Land of Israel offers

to us.        

It is precisely because our movement stands as one with the State of Israel during

its ” celebrations, and it is precisely because Reform Jews represent a powerful

resource for the State of Israel, that we now deem it appropriate for all of us to

explore in depth the nature and the implications of those concerns that bind us to Medinat Yisrael.

Be it therefore resolved

that the Central Conference of American Rabbis affirm the following points:

1. We affirm the necessity of dialogue and discourse with the State of Israel on all

matters touching upon Kedushat Ha-am

and Kedushat Ha-arets

(the sacred dimensions of People and of Land); we similarly reaffirm the freedom

of the pulpit and the propriety of reasoned expression of diverse opinions. The cause

of Israel is not served when its advocates deny to it the best of their critical

and constructive advice that responsibly seeks to strengthen Israel and its special relation

with the United States;

2. As those who have historically articulated the instructions of our biblical prophets,

because we look to them and to those teachings that have evolved from them to gain

an understanding of the necessary interaction of power and morality in current Jewish life, we insist that the exercise of power by the Jewish state should always reflect

the moral integrity of Jewish concerns;

3. We acknowledge the diverse meanings embedded within the term centrality

. Not demanding exclusivity, we affirm the historic centrality of Israel for the Jewish

people even as we acknowledge our abiding commitment to the North American Jewish

community and to Jewish communities all over the world–particularly communities

at risk. Israeli Jewry and world Jewry must seek ways to intensify our sacred partnership;

4. Reconciliation between Jews and Arabs is a goal toward which we strive and which

we believe can be achieved, and one which requires flexibility and willingness to

sacrifice on all sides. In discussions leading toward structures of peace, concern

for secure borders and political and military stability need to be seen as compatible with

human rights and justice for all;

5. While Israel itself must be the judge of its own security needs, its decisions

also have a fundamental impact on the moral character of Jewish life and on the democratic

nature of the Jewish state. We believe that the legitimate demands of security for

Israel can–and must–be reconciled with the dignity, human rights, and the right of

self-determination of Palestinian Arabs. We therefore support the concept of territorial

compromise, including a temporary cessation of further settlement activities on the

West Bank, with the goal of encouraging Jordanian and Palestinian participation in

the peace process. Just as we deplore all acts of terrorism, so we deplore acts of

terrorism by Jews who seek to use violent methods of repression to quell dissent

within the Jewish state and the West Bank;

6. Our commitment to pluralism in Israel, as elsewhere, is multidimensional. We reject

attitudes that ignore the religious, cultural, and ethnic rights and concerns of

Edot Hamizrach,

Israeli Arabs, Ethiopian Jewry, as well as of Reform and Conservative Jewry. Pluralism

offers the promise of full equality and freedom, whereas a coercive denial of such

rights is a threat to the survival of the Jewish state;

7. The encouragement of aliya

as an option within the diverse expressions of Reform Judaism remains in the long-term

interest of our movement as well as of Israel;

8. We commend those of our colleagues actively involved in positive programs that

offer practical support and ever-growing strength to the state of Israel as she enters

her 37th year;

9. We recommend renewed support for Israel’s true friends in Congress. These friends

became apparent by their deeds and votes, not their words. We recommend that special

attention should be given to the Hispanic and Black caucuses, which have consistently

voted on Israel’s behalf;

10. Though we may take issue with certain policies, we reaffirm our call for increased

financial aid offered to Israel by world Jewry. Because of new economic and political

pressures, our people need help more than ever before.

11. We call upon the Central Conference of American Rabbis to create and carry forth

sophisticated rabbinic study missions to Israel, missions that will permit and enhance

the flourishing of dialogue between ourselves and all of the facets of contemporary

Israeli life;

12. We ask the Publications Committee to consider producing a volume or volumes that

would explore thoroughly the interconnections between Reform Jewish thought and Zionism

in all of its varied expressions;

13. We call upon the Union of American Hebrew Congregations and the Hebrew Union College-Jewish

Institute of Religion to explore the possibility of jointly establishing and funding

a program of Shelicut

in which Reform rabbis could be brought to Israel to serve our movement as teachers,

as youth leaders, as organizers of religious communities, and as participants in

those programs designed to bridge the gaps among Israel’s many religious, economic,

political, and ethnic elements;

14. We recommend that our colleagues greatly expand efforts already underway to establish

interfaith dialogues in concert with all major ethnic and religious communities here

in North America and in Israel, focusing upon the religious dimensions of our unbreakable bonds with the State of Israel and with Jerusalem, its capital.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

On Central America

Adopted by the CCAR at the 95th Annual Convention of

the Central Conference of American Rabbis

Grossingers, New York, June 18-21, 1984

The Central Conference of American Rabbis is dedicated to the pursuit of justice and

peace. It is our firm belief that governments should promote harmony. Our own government,

therefore, should insist on a policy that makes for stable and democratic societies in this hemisphere. Conditions prevalent in Central America–poverty, exploitation,

political subversion and lack of educational opportunity–have made for general insecurity

and the opportunity for a revolutionary take-over. Our government should make every effort to ameliorate the conditions responsible for political instability.

Therefore be it resolved that:

1. The Central Conference of American Rabbis call upon our own government and all

other governments through the United Nations or the Organization of American States

to relieve the conditions that have been prevalent in Central America through economic

assistance that will encourage these nations to develop democratically;

2. Religious communities should be consulted by our government and encouraged to play

a role in stabilizing Central America;

3. We oppose military aid by any country to governments that systematically deny human

rights to their citizens;

4. We urge all governments to refrain, either directly or through third parties, from

the support of any government that abets terrorist groups, either from the right

or the left, threatening the peace of the countries. As in the past, we hold that

human rights must be extended to all segments of the population before military or economic

assistance is provided either directly or through third parties;

5. The Central Conference of American Rabbis oppose the use of any country in the

Caribbean or Central or South American region as a staging area for intervention

against any other country;

6. We urge the United States government to liberalize the providing of sanctuary to

refugees fleeing from oppression;

7. The Central Conference of American Rabbis urge the use of our synagogues as sanctuaries

for refugees and commend those of our colleagues who have been actively involved

in promoting freedom and democracy in Central America here and there;

8. We commend Costa Rica for its leadership in bringing peace to Central America;

9. We endorse sponsorship by the Central Conference of American Rabbis of a Study

Mission to Central America, with participation by the CCAR Committee of Justice and

Peace and the Social Action Commission.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

On Religion in the Public Schools

Adopted by the CCAR at the 95th Annual Convention of

the Central Conference of American Rabbis

Grossingers, New York, June 18-21, 1984

Whereas

in recent years, there have been many successful efforts within the school systems

in the United States to protect the “wall of separation” between Church and State:

Whereas

there has, nevertheless, been a recent attempt to introduce vocal prayer and the

right of equal access for student religious groups into the schools,

Therefore be it resolved

that the Central Conference of American Rabbis deplores these attempts to compromise

a basic principle that has served for more than two centuries as the cornerstone

of religious liberty, and extends its gratitude to the United States Senate for its

rejection of the proposed Constitutional Amendment.

Be it further resolved

that the Central Conference of American Rabbis confirms its long-standing commitment

to the principle of the separation of Church and State, as historically understood

by the First Amendment to the Constitution. It is the best guarantor possible for

the full freedom of all religions within our Republic.

Be it further resolved

that as Jews committed to our religious tradition, we affirm that religion is too

precious and personal to be imposed upon the children in our schools. We believe

that the Constitution views the government as religiously neutral, while guaranteeing

freedom to make religious choices without incurring advantages or liabilities.

Be it further resolved

that we call upon our colleagues to oppose future attempts to introduce prayer, either

vocal or silent, and the right of equal access for student religious groups into

the public schools of our nation; and to encourage the practice of religion in houses

of worship and in the home.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

On Soviet Jewry

Adopted by the CCAR at the 95th Annual Convention of

the Central Conference of American Rabbis

Grossingers, New York, June 18-21, 1984

Whereas

Jewish emigration from the USSR has gone from a high of 51,320 in 1979 to a low of

1,314 in 1983, and

Whereas

harassment of Refusenik families, including break-ins and searches, reminiscent of

Nazi techniques in the 1930s, have markedly increased, and

Whereas

attempts to communicate with Refusenik families via the mail have been frustrated

by the Soviet postal service, and

Whereas

new Soviet laws provide for terms of up to five years for Prisoners of Conscience

who are accused of disobeying or opposing Labor Camp Administrators, thus adding

yet more to their already unjustified punishment, and

Whereas

the Soviet Union continues cynically to ignore the very International Human Rights

Laws to which it subscribed in Helsinki, and

Whereas

the Soviet Jewish community, which is among the three largest Jewish communities

in the world, is in extreme danger,

We hereby resolve

to renew our efforts, individually and collectively, to work for the right to Soviet

Jewish emigration and the right for Soviet Jews to express themselves Jewishly within

the Soviet Union.

We applaud the efforts of the many Congresspersons and high officials who have shown

concern for Soviet Jewry, and urge the President and Secretary of State to continue

placing the issue of Soviet Jewry on the agenda of all bilateral talks with their

Russian counterparts. We applaud the efforts of the National Conference on Soviet Jewry

and of the Union of Councils, and urge them individually and cooperatively to continue

their work on behalf of Soviet Jewry.        

We call upon the American rabbinate to continue efforts to:

a. keep the plight of Soviet Jewry before our congregants;

b. encourage B’nai Mitzvah to reach out to their Russian peers in twinning ceremonies;

c. encourage congregations and congregational families to “adopt” Soviet Refusenik

families;

d. include appropriate liturgical materials in our worship services alluding to Soviet

Jewry;

e. arrange programs of visitation to the Soviet Union in order to bring Torah and

hope to our brothers and sisters who dwell there .

Our hearts go out to the Prisoners of Conscience, including Anatoly Shcharansky, Zucher

Zunshein, and Josef Begun, among others, who are so cruelly separated from loved

ones; to Refusenik families who wait so longingly for permission to leave so that

they might live in freedom; to the Hebrew teachers and students who keep alive the flame

of Jewish learning at great personal risk. To them and all Soviet Jews who continue

to be libeled by vicious anti-Semitic tracts and maligned by the Soviet press, our

prayers that the time may come soon when they will be free. Shalach et ami

–Let my people go.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

On Religion in the Public Schools

Adopted by the CCAR at the 95th Annual Convention of

the Central Conference of American Rabbis

Grossingers, New York, June 18-21, 1984

Whereas

in recent years, there have been many successful efforts within the school systems

in the United States to protect the “wall of separation” between Church and State:

Whereas

there has, nevertheless, been a recent attempt to introduce vocal prayer and the

right of equal access for student religious groups into the schools,

Therefore be it resolved

that the Central Conference of American Rabbis deplores these attempts to compromise

a basic principle that has served for more than two centuries as the cornerstone

of religious liberty, and extends its gratitude to the United States Senate for its

rejection of the proposed Constitutional Amendment.

Be it further resolved

that the Central Conference of American Rabbis confirms its long-standing commitment

to the principle of the separation of Church and State, as historically understood

by the First Amendment to the Constitution. It is the best guarantor possible for

the full freedom of all religions within our Republic.

Be it further resolved

that as Jews committed to our religious tradition, we affirm that religion is too

precious and personal to be imposed upon the children in our schools. We believe

that the Constitution views the government as religiously neutral, while guaranteeing

freedom to make religious choices without incurring advantages or liabilities.

Be it further resolved

that we call upon our colleagues to oppose future attempts to introduce prayer, either

vocal or silent, and the right of equal access for student religious groups into

the public schools of our nation; and to encourage the practice of religion in houses

of worship and in the home.