Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

Israel

Adopted by the CCAR at the 94th Annual Convention of

the Central Conference of American Rabbis

Los Angeles, March 13-16, 1983

The following, which was passed by the Conference at the Los Angeles convention on

March 15, 1983, after discussion and amendments, is the beginning of a process of

discussion by the regions of the CCAR. The operative clauses are unnumbered paragraphs

three and four, stating our intention to join with the UAHC in “a period of study and

debate on those great and complex issues” and to “call upon the regions of the CCAR

to participate in a year-long program of analysis and dialogue with the aim of defining

the areas of consensus and the direction of action we as a Conference ought to pursue

regarding the following issues…”        

The numbered paragraphs which follow contain affirmations which are suggested as the

subject matter for such deliberations.        

A letter is going to our regional presidents asking them to begin the process prior

to their 1983-1984 Kallot, so that all members, when they gather, will be prepared

for such discussions.

Forty years after the Central Conference affirmed the compatibility of Reform and

Zionism, after it reunited Jewish religious values and Jewish aspirations for national

redemption, we are now called upon to strive to define the nature of Jewish Nationalism in the context of our religious, Reform tradition. This is a difficult task, but

it is inspired by many years of devotion to Israel, during which our movement has

established its world headquarters in Jerusalem, built its HUC-JIR in Jerusalem,

its Leo Baeck High School in Haifa, its two kibbutzim in the Arava, established ARZENU, its

Zionist body, and achieved much more. The gates through which we have passed during

these few decades had been opened for us by Abba Hillel Silver, Stephen S. Wise,

James Heller, Barnett Brickner, and the many others in the 1920s and 1930s. No less significant

is that at the very inception of the CCAR, toward the end of the nineteenth century,

eminent rabbis who had attained honor within this Conference were also distinguished leaders in American Zionism, among them Bernhard Felsenthal and Maximilian Heller.

They and others less well known were the pioneers of Zionism during the very beginnings

of our movement.        

We raise the issue of the nature of Jewish statehood because this has been a time

of collective distress over the anguish through which Israel and the Jewish people

have been passing. This is also a time of vindication of Israel’s unparalleled sense

of justice. Jews on various sides of conflicting issues are prompted by the deepest commitment

to the cause of Israel. Nothing less than identification with the ancient covenant

of our people binds us now to Israel and its destiny. Our differences are “leshem shamayim

(for the sake of heaven).” Let no one expect to divide us on issues of ultimate moment.

We stand as one in our commitment to the sovereignty and security of Israel on land

that may neither be partitioned again without Israel’s consent, nor deprived of its Jewish character. We stand as one on the unity of Jerusalem as the political capital

of Israel and the spiritual capital of the Jewish people, whose ages-long struggle

against anti-Semitism is continued in the form of resisting enmity toward Israel.

We stand as one in our determination to resist efforts at imposing a settlement or coercing

Israel and the Jewish people. We stand as one in insisting that Israel, which has

been deprived by its enemies of even one day of peace, cannot make meaningful concessions without assurances that its sovereignty is recognized, and oft-proclaimed designs

to overthrow it are withdrawn. We rejoice over the vitality of democratic and Jewish

values in Israel, as represented by the Kahan Judicial Commission of Inquiry report.        

We join the Board of Trustees of the UAHC in calling upon all Reform congregations

in North America to enter into a period of study and debate on those great and complex

issues which evolve from the Jewish people’s covenantal ties with the State of Israel.        

We call upon the regions of the CCAR to participate in a year-long program of analysis

and dialogue with the aim of defining the areas of consensus and the direction of

action we as a Conference ought to pursue regarding the following issues:

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 which seeks to strengthen Israel and its special relationship with

the United States.

2. As those who have historically appealed to the prophets, we look to them and to

those teachings which have evolved from them to gain an understanding of the necessary

interaction of power and morality in current Jewish life. The exercise of power by

the Jewish State should 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 the State 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 their 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, these 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.

6. Our commitment to pluralism in Israel, as elsewhere, is multi-dimensional. We reject

attitudes which 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 coercive denial of these

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 the United Jewish Appeal,

Israel Bonds, Interns for Peace, New Israel Fund, and Institutions of Reform Judaism

in Israel, and other such positive programs which offer practical support and ever-growing strength to the State of Israel as she enters her 36th year.

As we now embark upon a year of committed study and open dialogue, so do we renew

our commitment to the vitality, integrity, and well-being of the State of Israel.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

Israel

Adopted by the CCAR at the 94th Annual Convention of

the Central Conference of American Rabbis

Los Angeles, March 13-16, 1983

The following, which was passed by the Conference at the Los Angeles convention on

March 15, 1983, after discussion and amendments, is the beginning of a process of

discussion by the regions of the CCAR. The operative clauses are unnumbered paragraphs

three and four, stating our intention to join with the UAHC in “a period of study and

debate on those great and complex issues” and to “call upon the regions of the CCAR

to participate in a year-long program of analysis and dialogue with the aim of defining

the areas of consensus and the direction of action we as a Conference ought to pursue

regarding the following issues…”        

The numbered paragraphs which follow contain affirmations which are suggested as the

subject matter for such deliberations.        

A letter is going to our regional presidents asking them to begin the process prior

to their 1983-1984 Kallot, so that all members, when they gather, will be prepared

for such discussions.

Forty years after the Central Conference affirmed the compatibility of Reform and

Zionism, after it reunited Jewish religious values and Jewish aspirations for national

redemption, we are now called upon to strive to define the nature of Jewish Nationalism in the context of our religious, Reform tradition. This is a difficult task, but

it is inspired by many years of devotion to Israel, during which our movement has

established its world headquarters in Jerusalem, built its HUC-JIR in Jerusalem,

its Leo Baeck High School in Haifa, its two kibbutzim in the Arava, established ARZENU, its

Zionist body, and achieved much more. The gates through which we have passed during

these few decades had been opened for us by Abba Hillel Silver, Stephen S. Wise,

James Heller, Barnett Brickner, and the many others in the 1920s and 1930s. No less significant

is that at the very inception of the CCAR, toward the end of the nineteenth century,

eminent rabbis who had attained honor within this Conference were also distinguished leaders in American Zionism, among them Bernhard Felsenthal and Maximilian Heller.

They and others less well known were the pioneers of Zionism during the very beginnings

of our movement.        

We raise the issue of the nature of Jewish statehood because this has been a time

of collective distress over the anguish through which Israel and the Jewish people

have been passing. This is also a time of vindication of Israel’s unparalleled sense

of justice. Jews on various sides of conflicting issues are prompted by the deepest commitment

to the cause of Israel. Nothing less than identification with the ancient covenant

of our people binds us now to Israel and its destiny. Our differences are “leshem shamayim

(for the sake of heaven).” Let no one expect to divide us on issues of ultimate moment.

We stand as one in our commitment to the sovereignty and security of Israel on land

that may neither be partitioned again without Israel’s consent, nor deprived of its Jewish character. We stand as one on the unity of Jerusalem as the political capital

of Israel and the spiritual capital of the Jewish people, whose ages-long struggle

against anti-Semitism is continued in the form of resisting enmity toward Israel.

We stand as one in our determination to resist efforts at imposing a settlement or coercing

Israel and the Jewish people. We stand as one in insisting that Israel, which has

been deprived by its enemies of even one day of peace, cannot make meaningful concessions without assurances that its sovereignty is recognized, and oft-proclaimed designs

to overthrow it are withdrawn. We rejoice over the vitality of democratic and Jewish

values in Israel, as represented by the Kahan Judicial Commission of Inquiry report.        

We join the Board of Trustees of the UAHC in calling upon all Reform congregations

in North America to enter into a period of study and debate on those great and complex

issues which evolve from the Jewish people’s covenantal ties with the State of Israel.        

We call upon the regions of the CCAR to participate in a year-long program of analysis

and dialogue with the aim of defining the areas of consensus and the direction of

action we as a Conference ought to pursue regarding the following issues:

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 which seeks to strengthen Israel and its special relationship with

the United States.

2. As those who have historically appealed to the prophets, we look to them and to

those teachings which have evolved from them to gain an understanding of the necessary

interaction of power and morality in current Jewish life. The exercise of power by

the Jewish State should 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 the State 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 their 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, these 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.

6. Our commitment to pluralism in Israel, as elsewhere, is multi-dimensional. We reject

attitudes which 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 coercive denial of these

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 the United Jewish Appeal,

Israel Bonds, Interns for Peace, New Israel Fund, and Institutions of Reform Judaism

in Israel, and other such positive programs which offer practical support and ever-growing strength to the State of Israel as she enters her 36th year.

As we now embark upon a year of committed study and open dialogue, so do we renew

our commitment to the vitality, integrity, and well-being of the State of Israel.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

On Alcoholism

Adopted by the CCAR at the 94th Annual Convention of

the Central Conference of American Rabbis

Los Angeles, March 13-16, 1983

The Central Conference of American Rabbis, acknowledging the growing problem of alcoholism

and drug dependency within the Jewish community, calls upon its membership to endorse

and further the pioneering work of the JACS Foundation (for Jewish Alcoholics and Chemical-dependent persons and Significant others), which (1) conducts retreats

and support programs for Jewish alcoholics, chemically dependent persons, and their

loved ones; (2) provides community outreach programs, seminars, and information to

sensitize Jewish spiritual and lay leaders, health professionals, and the Jewish community

to the disease of alcoholism and chemical dependency, and (3) acts as a resource

and information clearinghouse on the effects of alcoholism and drug dependency on

Jewish family life.        

Further, the Central Conference of American Rabbis encourages its members to consult

and unite with the JACS Foundation and similar organizations in assisting chemically

dependent Jewish men, women, and children and their families to use resources and

values within Judaism which will strengthen their spiritual recovery and promote a process

of reconciliation with the Jewish community and their heritage.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

Soviet Oppression

Adopted by the CCAR at the 93rd Annual Convention of

the Central Conference of American Rabbis

New York City, June 27-July 1, 1982

We express our extreme concern about recent acts of Soviet oppression in the world.

These intrusions are part of a continuous pattern which has done much to strip away

basic freedoms and rights to which all humanity is entitled. Among those actions

which cause us most concern are: (1) the attacks upon the Polish Solidarity Movement, and

the repression of the civil liberties and human rights of the Polish people; (2)

the increasing oppression of the peoples of Afghanistan, including the use of chemical

warfare; and (3) the extreme reduction in the numbers of Soviet Jews being allowed to

emigrate and the increased oppression of those Soviet Jews who remain in the various

Soviet Jewish communities.        

We call upon all congregations and organizations to increase their efforts, especially

cooperative efforts with other religious and civic bodies, directed at helping these

and other peoples who are the victims of Soviet oppression.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

Retirement Benefits

Adopted by the CCAR at the 93rd Annual Convention of

the Central Conference of American Rabbis

New York City, June 27-July 1, 1982

Resolved,

that a representative of the Rabbinical Pension Board be urged to attend special

sessions for retired rabbis, spouses, and widows at regional Kallot

.

Further resolved,

that the Central Conference of American Rabbis continue to evaluate the question

of appropriate and adequate retirement benefits, not only for those colleagues in

the congregational rabbinate, but for the considerable number employed by HUC, the

UAHC, the CCAR, Hillel Foundation, and other Jewish organizations; such retirement benefits

to include provision for attending CCAR regional and national conventions.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

Registration and the Draft

Adopted by the CCAR at the 93rd Annual Convention of

the Central Conference of American Rabbis

New York City, June 27-July 1, 1982

Whereas

we have previously recognized the right of both conscientious objection and selective

conscientious objection to war; and

Whereas

registration at this time is unnecessary; and

Whereas,

believing that the costs of such an action draw funds from needed social, educational,

and economic programs that will make for social betterment,

Resolved,

that the Central Conference of American Rabbis opposes the inauguration or implementation

by our government of any national draft at this time. Similarly, we oppose the idea

of registering our youth at this time for some future draft. We believe that should there arise some national emergency necessitating the mobilization of our population,

sufficient techniques exist by which to effect that mobilization.

Further resolved,

that we urge our colleagues to provide counseling services to interested and affected

individuals, and to advertise widely this service in and through the community, so

that Jewish youth particularly might know where they might go for counseling that

is based on the Jewish religious tradition.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

Bilateral Nuclear Arms Freeze and Reduction

Adopted by the CCAR at the 93rd Annual Convention of

the Central Conference of American Rabbis

New York City, June 27-July 1, 1982

The Central Conference of American Rabbis expresses its extreme concern over the potential

for destruction to our civilization that a nuclear war poses. A nuclear war, even

a “limited” one, would result in death, injury, and disease on a scale without precedent. Civil defense and medical treatment would be totally inadequate. Our traditions

speak to us of Sakanat Nefashot

, the danger of exposing ourselves to health hazards; Bal Tashchit,

the abhorrence of willful destruction of the environment; and Yishuv Ha-arets,

the betterment and guardianship of the earth. Inspired by the prophets, we raise

our voices to call upon the United States government and the Union of Soviet Socialist

Republics to adopt a mutual freeze on the testing, production, and deployment of

nuclear weapons and new delivery systems for nuclear weapons. We further call upon the U.S.

and USSR to work against the proliferation of nuclear weapons and weapons-grade nuclear

materials, and to commit themselves to reducing their present levels of nuclear weapons and weapons-grade nuclear material.        

We commend the endeavors of outspoken clergy, responsible physicians and scientists,

and concerned citizens who advocated nuclear disarmament.        

We call upon the regions of the CCAR and other constituent bodies to endorse local,

state, and national efforts to freeze the nuclear arms race.        

The CCAR calls upon all national religious organizations to convene a special convocation

for nuclear arms control in Washington, and urges that the convocation be arranged

at the earliest feasible time.        

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

North American NFTY and Kallah

Adopted by the CCAR at the 93rd Annual Convention of

the Central Conference of American Rabbis

New York City, June 27-July 1, 1982

The Central Conference of American Rabbis endorses and supports the convening in February,

1983, of the first national gathering of Temple youth under the auspices of the North

American Federation of Temple Youth since 1948. We urge every member of the CCAR and every congregation to send at least two delegates representing the youth group

and the non-youth group high school population to this Kallah

. We encourage the creation of special congregational funds in support of this program.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

Legal Services

Adopted by the CCAR at the 93rd Annual Convention of

the Central Conference of American Rabbis

New York City, June 27-July 1, 1982

Background:

As Jews, the people of the Torah, we reaffirm our deep respect for law as an equitable

means of bringing justice to the world. The Torah commands us, “Ye shall do no unrighteousness

in judgment; thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor favor the person of the mighty; but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor” (Leviticus

19:15). We believe that the Administration’s substantial cuts in Legal Services Funding

place justice out of reach for the poor. We hold that the provision of legal services for the poor exemplified what a just government should do for its people.        

Legal representation should not be considered a luxury. We live in a system in which

the primary means of resolving disputes is the judicial process. Moreover, the Constitution

guarantees the same legal protection to all. The tenets of equality before the law and the opportunity to defend one’s legal rights in court are rendered meaningless

if access to the judicial system in civil cases is contingent on the amount of one’s

financial assets.        

By providing the poor–whether white, minority, women, or elderly–with access to the

courts, and by defending the legal rights of those who cannot afford legal counsel,

the Legal Services’ success in the courts reaffirms faith in and respect for the

legal process for those who have previously been helpless to exercise their legal rights.        

In this era of powerful interest groups, legal service lawyers provide a conduit to

our government for the interests of the poor. Without such advocates, the poor and

the elderly might be too easily forgotten.

Therefore,

the CCAR calls upon the Congress to fund a strong Legal Services Corporation which

is free from political influence.        

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

Israel Experiences

Adopted by the CCAR at the 93rd Annual Convention of

the Central Conference of American Rabbis

New York City, June 27-July 1, 1982

Whereas

an Israel Experience “sensitizes us Jewishly and increases the fulfillment of our

desire to rear a generation of committed Jews” (as Rabbi Alexander Schindler put

it at the UAHC Biennial in 1982); and

Whereas

the most highly concentrated Jewish education is given to our youth in their Confirmation

Class year; and

Whereas

we in the Reform Movement have the vehicle and facilities for short and long-term

Israel programs, in the framework of the UAHC International Education Department;

and

Whereas

participation in an Israel program should be an integral part of each child’s education,

Be it therefore resolved

that the CCAR urges all rabbis to attempt to establish a standard in their respective

congregations to send the Confirmation Class as a group to one of the Israel Summer

Programs of the UAHC International Education Department, making this Israel Experience a highlight of their religious school education.        

We urge all rabbis to include the exploration of Israel in the curriculum of their

Confirmation Class studies.        

Also, we urge our rabbis to create an awareness amongst their college-age congregants

of the long-term accredited college programs in Israel available to them.        

Furthermore, we urge all rabbis who have not yet done so to establish local scholarship

funds for the above-mentioned programs and to take other practical steps in order

to facilitate and encourage the participation of their youth in our various Israel

programs.