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 the Pawtucket, RI Nativity Ruling

Adopted by the CCAR at the 95th Annual Convention of

the Central Conference of American Rabbis

Grossingers, New York, June 18-21, 1984

Whereas

the administration of President Ronald Reagan joined the town of Pawtucket, Rhode

Island, to allow the public display of a Nativity scene in the appeal of Lynch v.

Donnelly, which reached the United States Supreme Court from two lower Federal Courts;

and

Whereas

the Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision upheld, for the first time, direct governmental

approval and financial support of an avowedly religious symbol relating to the beliefs

of only one faith, stating that the Nativity scene is a harmless religious symbol

that is part of a broader observance of a secularized holiday; and

Whereas

the Supreme Court further argued that government, and other religions, should “accommodate”

to this religious symbol as long as it is linked with songs, reindeer, a Christmas

tree, and other decorations,

Be it resolved

that the Central Conference of American Rabbis decries the decision which, we believe,

constitutes official recognition of a profoundly religious event in clear violation

of the First Amendment clause, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

Be it further resolved

that the Central Conference of American Rabbis recognizes the seriousness of this

precedent and further condemns the view that any religious group should be asked

to accommodate a dominant religion. The Central Conference of American Rabbis calls

upon local, state, and federal governments to pass legislation that prohibits the use of tax

funds for the display of a crèche.

Be it further resolved

that the Central Conference of American Rabbis call upon its members and their congregations

to initiate information programs and letter-writing campaigns to help their elected

officials understand that this decision denigrates religion by trying to convert a religious symbol into a secular observance and that a tax-supported creche is

in conflict with the Constitution, is setting a dangerous precedent, and is insulting

to all people. It is recommended that the Union of American Hebrew Congregations

and the Central Conference of American Rabbis join with like-minded groups in challenging

the constitutionality of similar tax-supported displays.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

On Preventing Nuclear Holocaust

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, from its inception, has taken seriously

the Jewish obligation to “seek peace and pursue it.” We have sought to apply the

prophetic vision to the urgent contemporary issues of war and peace. Thus, we have

supported efforts to achieve effective international treaties to limit armaments and, in recent

years, to speak out for stable arms controls to curb the threat of nuclear annihilation.

We have expressed our growing alarm at unchecked nuclear proliferation and expressed our horror at both the dangers and the intolerable waste caused by the nuclear

arms race, which is exhausting much of the world’s resources and impoverishing hundreds

of millions of our fellow human beings.        

In 1982, we urged action toward a bilateral freeze of the testing, production, and

deployment of nuclear weapons, and in 1983, we called upon the United States to ratify

the SALT II treaty, negotiate further reductions in nuclear arsenals, complete a

comprehensive test ban treaty, and declare a policy of no first use of nuclear weapons.        

Fear of nuclear war has again substantially increased during the past year as the

United States and the Soviet Union have poured billions of dollars into new weapons

production and brought all arms reduction negotiations to a halt. The moral issues

of the nuclear arms race have been subjected to a searching scrutiny, dramatized by the

pastoral letter of the American Roman Catholic bishops and by the UAHC Religious

Action Center’s outstanding publication, Preventing the Nuclear Holocaust: A Jewish Response.

        

However, the momentum of the nuclear arms race has not yet been reversed. Negotiations

languish, and an entirely new and more destabilizing generation of awesome weaponry

is now being introduced. Both superpowers are developing a new generation of destabilizing, deadly accurate, “first-strike” weapons that increase the likelihood of nuclear

war. The history of attempts at arms control in the twentieth century tells us conclusively

that lasting progress in arms control cannot succeed in an atmosphere of military confrontation and hate, but only if there is ongoing progress toward increased

mutual understanding and trust.        

The deployment of such highly accurate weapons, capable of destroying the land-based

missiles that constitute the base of the Soviet nuclear deterrent might pressure

the USSR to adopt a “launch on warning” policy or, in time of crisis, even to launch

a preemptive strike. Such weapons are contrary to America’s security interests.

Therefore, be it resolved

that the Central Conference of American Rabbis:

1. Call upon our congregations in the United States and Canada to intensify their

efforts at peace education, with special emphasis on study courses based on the UAHC

Religious Action Center’s excellent book, Preventing a Nuclear Holocaust,

published in March 1983. We urge their forming and participating in interreligious

coalitions to strive for arms control and for a reversal of the nuclear arms race.

As Jews, we are called upon to witness to God’s dominion and to vouchsafe the future

of all the children of God. The Central Conference of American Rabbis suggests each member

consider implementing the program of “Rainbow Sign: A Jewish Project to Prevent Nuclear

Holocaust”;

2. Urge the United States Senate to ratify the Peaceful Nuclear Explosions Treaty,

the Threshold Test Ban Treaty, and SALT II–all of which were negotiated between

the Soviet Union and the United States and agreed to and signed by both governments;

3. Call on the United States and the USSR to renew the 1972 treaty limiting anti-ballistic

missile systems;

4. Urge the Administration to proceed with negotiations of a multilateral Comprehensive

Test Ban Treaty, which would prohibit the detonation of any nuclear weapon or device

for test purposes;

5. Call on the United States and the Soviet Union, and all other nuclear powers, to

forgo temporarily the testing, production, and deployment of first-strike weapons

and to enter into serious negotiations to be conducted for the purpose of permanently

eliminating the testing, production, and deployment of these weapons through a mutual,

verifiable agreement;

6. Call on the United States to delay further deployment of the ground-launched Cruise

Missile and Pershing II missile until we exhaust good-faith efforts to negotiate

successfully a treaty on intermediate nuclear forces;

7. Call upon all nations having nuclear capabilities to negotiate a treaty prohibiting

the testing, production, and deployment of space-based weapons and of earth-based

and atmosphere-based weapons designed to attack targets in space;

8. Call upon the United States government to cease public statements that promulgate

the dangerous illusion that society can survive a nuclear war;

9. Call on the government of the United States and the Soviet Union to move from their

current posture of confrontation and invective to good-faith negotiations at the

highest levels to reduce tension and to increase mutually beneficial economic and

cultural relations. The government of the United States should take such actions in consultation

with its allies.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Adopted by the CCAR at the 95th Annual Convention of

the Central Conference of American Rabbis

Grossingers, New York, June 18-21, 1984

Whereas

we applaud the establishment of a federal holiday in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin

Luther King, Jr., on the third Monday in January, starting in 1986; and

Whereas

this is a Federal holiday not binding upon individual states, but only on Federal

institutions,

Therefore be it resolved

that the Central Conference of American Rabbis call upon the individual states to

commemorate this day on a statewide basis as a constant reminder to all people of

the high ideals of social justice and racial equality to which Dr. King dedicated

his life, and that we commit ourselves to joining with others in developing public programs

that will illustrate these ideals in the most constructive ways in all the communities

we serve.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

On the Klanwatch

Adopted by the CCAR at the 95th Annual Convention of

the Central Conference of American Rabbis

Grossingers, New York, June 18-21, 1984

Whereas

the Central Conference of American Rabbis has traditionally championed the cause

of civil rights for all Americans, and

Whereas

the Central Conference of American Rabbis has particularly desired the complete equality

of Blacks in America,

Be it therefore resolved

that we deplore the burning and destruction of the Klanwatch central office (including

all files and records) in Montgomery, Alabama, in July 1983.

Be it further resolved

that we encourage our colleagues and their constituencies to provide financial support

for the rebuilding of this worthwhile organization, which seeks to curb Klan activity

and recruiting through litigation, education, and monitoring.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Adopted by the CCAR at the 95th Annual Convention of

the Central Conference of American Rabbis

Grossingers, New York, June 18-21, 1984

Whereas

we applaud the establishment of a federal holiday in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin

Luther King, Jr., on the third Monday in January, starting in 1986; and

Whereas

this is a Federal holiday not binding upon individual states, but only on Federal

institutions,

Therefore be it resolved

that the Central Conference of American Rabbis call upon the individual states to

commemorate this day on a statewide basis as a constant reminder to all people of

the high ideals of social justice and racial equality to which Dr. King dedicated

his life, and that we commit ourselves to joining with others in developing public programs

that will illustrate these ideals in the most constructive ways in all the communities

we serve.

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 Jewish Day Care

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 day care facilities and Jewish parenting assistance programs have great potential

for engendering positive Jewish identity and education, as well as for strengthening

Jewish family life,

Therefore be it resolved

that the Central Conference of American Rabbis urges its members to work toward assuring

that such Jewish family support systems exist in every Jewish community.

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 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.