Resolution Adopted by the

CCAR

Support for Israel

Adopted by the 101st Annual

Convention of

the Central
Conference of American Rabbis

Seattle, Washington, June 1990

WHEREAS

Israel is the historic, spiritual, and cultural homeland of the Jewish

people,

and

WHEREAS Jewish tradition has continually supported

the Land and People of Israel,

and

WHEREAS fewer than 25

percent of America’s Jews have ever visited Israel,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that we support

all Reform Jewish programs of tourism, and

pilgrimages to Israel through existing Reform programs.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call

upon our colleagues to deepen their congregations’

spiritual, cultural, and historic ties to Zion by

encouraging tourism to Israel.

We

ask that our colleagues personally introduce their congregants to

Israel through

adult congregational

and youth pilgrimages.

BE IT

FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon our congregations to strengthen the

hands

of those who labor on behalf

of Israel. We call upon our congregations to support

UJA, Israel Bonds, The New Israel Fund, ARZA, IRAC,

ARZEINU, and KADIMA.

BE IT

FURTHER RESOLVED that we conduct regular educational programs to

inform our

congregants of the

political realities, the economic needs, and most important, the

spiritual and cultural heritage of

the land of Israel.

BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED that our members initiate and/or encourage interreligious

clergy

missions to Israel as a way

of increasing appreciation for the role of Israel in

the family of nations.

Resolution Adopted

by the CCAR

Soviet Jewry

Adopted by the 101st Annual

Convention of

the Central
Conference of American Rabbis

Seattle, Washington, June 1990

WHEREAS

we note with joy the mass exodus of our brothers and sisters from the

Soviet

Union, and

WHEREAS while many are leaving, many are

staying, while both need attention, and

WHEREAS we are especially moved and thrilled by the mass

migration of hundreds of

thousands

of our people from the Soviet Union to the State of Israel, and

WHEREAS it behooves us to be part

of the great process of the exodus of our time,

and

WHEREAS we

acknowledge the extraordinary possibilities of these days in which we

now

live and we urge our colleagues

to seize this time to be part of the miraculous series

of events that constitute the new “exodus”

of our people from Eastern Europe, and

WHEREAS we commend President Gorbachev and the leaders of the

Soviet Union responsible

for the

policy that, at long last, opens the borders of the Soviet Union to

allow

the reunification of our

people.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED

that we call upon all our colleagues and congregations to

assist in the settlement. and in the renewal

of Jewish and other educational opportunities

for those emigres who are coming to our communities

throughout North America. Many have come happily to our doors–

outreach should be created to attract many more.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we ask the Placement

Commission to give special placement

credits to our colleagues who may serve as

Shelichim

or

Morim

for long periods

to the Jews of Eastern Europe–particularly the outer reaches of

the Soviet Union.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we continue to

applaud the staff of the World Union for

Progressive Judaism for its great efforts in this direction and

for the establishment

of

progressive Jewish congregations throughout the Soviet Union.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we

applaud the UAHC for the creation of educational materials

to accomplish this purpose.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we laud the

people of the land of Israel for their wonderful

efforts at absorption of the vast numbers of

olim

from the Soviet

Union and elsewhere, and especially commend the congregations of

the Israel Movement for Progressive

Judaism who are deeply involved in exposing the

new olim

to the experience and ideology of Liberal Judaism.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call on all

our leaders and constituencies to engage

actively in implementing Operation Exodus of UJA.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we urge all

members of the Central Conference of American

Rabbis to send information on Operation Exodus to

their constituency, to contribute

individually and solicit funds for this cause from their

constituency.

BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED that we deplore the rise of ultra-nationalist anti-Jewish

sentiment

and we call on the Soviet

and other authorities to outlaw the expressions of ethnic

chauvinism and religious hatred against our

people and to implement modes of education that will combat these

sentiments and destructive activities.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we commend President Gorbachev and

the leaders of the

Soviet Union

responsible for the policy that, at long last, opens the borders of

the Soviet Union to allow the

reunification of our people.

BE

IT FURTHER RESOLVED that direct flights should be implemented

immediately. Diplomatic

relations

between Moscow and Tel Aviv should be restored which would accelerate

the

immigration process.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

Retirement Benefits

Adopted by the 101st Annual Convention of

the Central

Conference of American Rabbis

Seattle, Washington, June

1990

Background

The Central

Conference of American Rabbis greatly appreciates the achievements of

the Rabbinical Pension Board in

promoting more adequate pensions for the Reform rabbinate,

and it urges all of the constituent Reform

agencies to become full partners in this effort. We also commend the

efforts of the Rabbinical Pension Board and the Spouse

Support Group to alert members of the CCAR

to their responsibilities in planning

for their financial future, and we call upon both To continue

and expand such

activities.        

Despite these achievements,

however, we are increasingly concerned over reports of

financial difficulties confronting some of

our retired colleagues and widows. In

fact, just recently the CCAR Committee on Justice and Peace has

called upon us to

deal with this

situation in the interests of “justice” to the disadvantaged among

our ranks.        

As the numbers of rabbinical

retirees and widows grow, we believe that, for a variety

of reasons, various needs will increase. The

efforts here of the Relief and Subvention

Committee and the activities of NAORRR have already been

extremely helpful, but there remains a major circumstance that has not

yet been addressed by our movement.

That is the situation of those who retired on what then was

considered an adequate

income but

which, as a result of continuing inflation and extended longevity, is

scarcely so today.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the CCAR take

the initiative and enlist the cooperation

of the UAHC, HUC-JIR, RPB, and other constituent agencies in a

common effort to undertake

the

following without delay:

1.

Producing a definitive study of the prevailing financial situation of

rabbinical

retirees and widows,

looking toward an assessment of the extent of existing problems

and needs;

2. Making a study of estimated pensions for rabbis

between the ages of 55-65 in the

light of projected inflation and longevity, looking toward

uncovering areas of potential

financial difficulty for those approaching retirement;

3. Publicizing the needs in the

various Reform Jewish media as the information becomes

available;

4. Instituting an interim program designed to provide immediate

assistance to rabbis

and widows in

serious need of cost-of-living adjustments, and looking toward the

development of appropriate

mechanisms to provide for longer term solutions as needed;

5. Insisting that retirement

contracts provide all rabbis and spouses with reasonable

cost-of-living adjustments, adequate health

insurance benefits, and reimbursement

of expenses for attending at least one convention annually.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that

1. We urge the Rabbinical Placement

Board to consider the imposition of sanctions

against those congregations and organizations that

do not provide retirement benefits

in accordance with the movement’s guidelines:

2. We urge the CCAR, in coordination with

the UAHC, HUC-JIR, and RPB, to explore and

recommend specific funding sources to insure adequate

retirements for all rabbinic

retirees.

 

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR
Violence Against Women
Adopted by the 101st Annual Convention of
the Central Conference of American Rabbis

Seattle, Washington, June 1990

Background

Physical violence against women is not news. Throughout history, women have been victimized by acts of aggression predominantly attributable to men. Although those acts have a sexual component, they are primarily expressions of anger and hatred. Typically, both in terms of intent and consequences, these acts constitute recognized crimes including rape, date rape, assault and battery, sexual harassment in the workplace, and domestic violence.

Societal institutions have been and continue to be non-responsive to the victimization of women. Few law enforcement agencies have aggressive policies that enable them to pursue the arrest and prosecution of men who commit these violent crimes. Prosecutors exercise unrestricted discretion when deciding whether to issue a warrant and on what basis. Judges may be impacted by their own bias, which holds the victim responsible for her own victimization.

THEREFORE, the Central Conference of American Rabbis resolves to:

1. Heighten the awareness of the issue of violence against women through education programs within the congregations, drawing on the resources of the UAHC, CCAR, NFTS, NFTB, and NFTY, incorporating such programs into religious schools, youth groups, and adult education;

2. Call for the development of specific educational programs confronting date rapes;

3. Call for a plenary program at the convention in 1991, as part of ongoing programs on this subject;

4. Support and demand vigorous enforcement of existing laws prohibiting all forms of violence, including domestic, against women and encourage legislative reforms at the state, provincial, and local level where necessary;

5. Encourage local police departments, judges, prosecutors, and crown attorneys to attend training courses sensitizing them to the issues of violence against women, including the often misunderstood seriousness of domestic violence;

6. Promote the formation of local programs to aid women who are survivors of violence and to prevent future violence. Such programs include, but are not limited to, shelters for women and their children, self-defense training, and behavior modification for batterers;

7. Join the effort of other groups to launch a massive campaign that will address these issues.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

Domestic Agenda

Adopted by the 102nd Annual Convention of

the

Central Conference of American Rabbis

Fort Lauderdale, Florida,

June, 1991

WHEREAS, tikkun

olam,

the repair of our

broken and fragmented world is one of our most important religious

duties, and

WHEREAS, we have long encouraged our congregations

to be involved in social action

and

to apply the historic principles of Judaism to the problems of our

time, and

WHEREAS, the current

Administration has shown an alarming disinterest in domestic

affairs, and

WHEREAS, we owe our troops returning from the

Persian Gulf an America worthy of their

sacrifice,

THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, that we reaffirm our commitment to the battle against

injustice

within our nation.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we

call upon all Americans to unite in winning the war

at home and responding to such problems as feeding

the hungry, housing the homeless,

protecting our environment, providing health care for every

citizen and quality education for our children, creating new jobs,

destroying poverty and racism, discrimination

and prejudice and all the other curses that do so

crush the human spirit.

BE IT

FURTHER RESOLVED, that we convey to President Bush our hope that he

will bring

to the challenges we

face here at home the same skill, determination and leadership

that he brought to the war

effort.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED,

that we express our deepest gratitude to the men and women

of our armed forces who served in the

Persian Gulf and that, fully aware of their

sacrifice abroad, we pledge to continue our efforts

at home toward the establishment

of

a society in which equal opportunity is accessible to every

citizen.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

Freedom for Ethiopian Jewry

Adopted by the 102nd Annual

Convention of

the Central Conference of American Rabbis

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, June, 1991

WHEREAS, concerns of the Beta Yisrael

have been uppermost on our minds during the

period of crisis and war in Ethiopia,

and

WHEREAS, Rabbis David

Ibn abu Zimri, Esriel Hildesheimer, Ovadia Yosef, and

Solomon B. Freehof have all fully declared

Jews from Ethiopia to be benei berit

, and

WHEREAS,

Operation Solomon, the stunning, momentous, and dramatic airlift of

over

14,000 Ethiopian Jews

succeeded brilliantly, preceded by Operations Moses and Sheba,

and

WHEREAS, the State of Israel and advocacy groups such as the

North American Conference

on

Ethiopian Jewry, the American Association for Ethiopian Jews, and the

American

Rabbinic Network of

Ethiopian Jews have worked diligently to fulfill the

mitzvah

of pidyon

shevuyim

, redemption of the

captives,

THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, that the Central Conference of American Rabbis commend the

President of the United States, the

State of Israel and its President, Prime Minister

and Knesset members, and all involved in the airlift

of Ethiopian Jews of May 24-25,

for

this dramatic act of freedom for our people, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we seek the full

integration into the religious, social,

cultural, and educational life for these brothers and sisters

of our people; and

BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, that the institutions of Reform Judaism in Israel be

commended

for their efforts at

social integration and kelita

and

BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, that if there are Jews still languishing in Addis Ababa, the

Gondar Province, or other locations

in Ethiopia, efforts to secure their freedom

continue with the support of the world Jewish

community.

Resolution Adopted by the

CCAR

Free Exercise of

Religion and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of

1991

Adopted by the 102nd Annual

Convention of

the Central Conference of American Rabbis

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, June, 1991

WHEREAS, the Central Conference of American Rabbis has long

affirmed that religious

freedom and

the separation of church and state stands as a cornerstone of American

democracy, and

WHEREAS, the recent Oregon vs. Smith

case eliminated the requirement for

the government to show a “compelling state interest”

in sustaining legislation that burdens a

particular religious group, and

WHEREAS, Smith

jurisprudence has already engendered court decisions in which

the right to religious

freedom has

been subordinated to the whim of the state, and

WHEREAS, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of

1991, has just been introduced in

Congress to legislate that government may not burden a person

‘s exercise of religion,

except

where there is a compelling state interest to do so, thereby restoring

religious freedom to its proper place as a right guaranteed to every

American citizen,

THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED. that Central Conference of American Rabbis reaffirms its

conviction that the separation of

church and state is the bulwark of religious freedom;

and

BE IT

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Central Conference of American Rabbis urges

Congress

to protect the fundamental

religious freedom of all Americans by passing the Religious

Freedom Restoration Act of 1991; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the

Central Conference of American Rabbis calls upon

its members to work for the passage of the Religious

Freedom Restoration Act through

the

contacting of members of Congress to serve as co-sponsors or to

support this

legislation.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

National Health Care

Adopted by the 102nd Annual Convention of

the

Central Conference of American Rabbis

Fort Lauderdale, Florida,

June, 1991

WHEREAS, the Central

Conference of American Rabbis in 1976 adopted a resolution favoring

“a comprehensive national health

insurance program to cover prevention, treatment

and rehabilitation in all areas of health care,”

now

BE IT RESOLVED, that the

Central Conference of American Rabbis endorse the following

‘”Working Principles for Assessing

National Health Care Legislation” prepared by

the Health Working Group of the Interreligious

Health Care Consultation:

[SUMMARY:l We seek a national health care plan which grants universal

access to health

care benefits,

including access to primary and acute health care, immunization

services,

early diagnostic and

treatment programs, provider and consumer education, programs of

extended care and rehabilitation, mental health and health and

wellness promotion.

Such a program

should provide for education. training and retraining of health-care

workers as well as just

compensation and affirmative action in hiring. An effective plan will

provide for cost containment, equitable financing and assure quality

of

services.

Our first priority is access to primary and acute

health care plus immunization services,

early diagnostic and treatment programs, and provider and

consumer education. Programs

of

extended care and rehabilitation and programs of mental health are

very important additions.

Working Principles:

“We the people of the United States” are

confronted by a growing crisis in health

care. As communities of faith, we are called to action in the

face of such a challenge.

While the

United States spends more per person on health care than any other

nation

in the world, growing

numbers of people cannot afford simple basic health care, let

alone respond to catastrophic and

chronic health needs. More than thirteen million

children live in poverty; two of three are

completely without medical insurance.

Over fifteen percent of our people have no form of health care

coverage, thirty-seven million

at

any one time. In addition, sixty-five million are under-insured,

exposed to out-of-pocket

expenses

which threaten family economic survival. Health care spending is the

leading cause of personal bankruptcies in the United States. The

accelerating AIDS

crisis is

staining health providers to the breaking point. American business is

disadvantaged

in the world market

because of high health care

costs.        

A broadly shared concern for justice compels

us to encourage new health care financing

and coordination of delivery systems which better meet the

needs of all people. Market

strategies that serve only those able to pay are consistent

with neither our religious principles nor our understanding of

Commonwealth, as defined in the U.S. Constitution.

Health care for all is ultimately a result of the

basic principle of Justice for

all,

which must be the foundation upon which all attempts at reform are

based.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED

that we seek a national health care system that:

1. serves everyone living in the United States.

2. provides for the whole

population of the nation comprehensive benefits, including:

preventive services and health promotion,

primary and acute care, mental health care,

and extended care.

3. draws financial support from the broadest possible resource

base.

4. guarantees access to

care everywhere in the nation.

5.

sets prospective budgets for payments to health care institutions from

federal

funds in a way that assures

services for all parts of a region.

6. is sensitive to the needs of persons working in the various

components of the health

care

system.

7. provides quality

service and payment processes based on principles of equity and

efficiency.

8. sets a national budget for health education and

wellness promotion.

9. promotes

effective and safe innovation and research in medical techniques,

research

on the delivery of health

services, and research on health practices of individuals

and families.

10. reduces the burden of malpractice litigation.

11. significantly reduces the current rapid

inflation in the costs of providing medical

services.

12.

provides federal leadership in health promotion by assessing the

health impacts

of standard of

living issues, housing, nutrition, physical fitness, environmental

safety, and sanitation.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that

members of the Central Conference of American Rabbis

work simultaneously both to provide and ensure

access to full health care for the

employees of the institutions, agencies and congregations in

which we serve.

BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, that we convey to President Bush, and the Secretary of

Health,

and Human Services, and

members of Congress our hope that they will work diligently

on behalf of the health and well-being of

the citizens of our country by endorsing

the working principles for assessing National Health Care

legislation.

BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, that the Central Conference of American Rabbis become a

member

of the Interfaith Coalition

on Health Care with a minimum donation of $1,000 to the

Interfaith Coalition on Health Care.

Resolution Adopted by the

CCAR

Freedom for

Ethiopian Jewry

Adopted by the 102nd

Annual Convention of

the Central Conference of American

Rabbis

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, June, 1991

WHEREAS, concerns of the Beta Yisrael

have been uppermost on our minds

during the period of crisis and war in Ethiopia,

and

WHEREAS,

Rabbis David Ibn abu Zimri, Esriel Hildesheimer, Ovadia Yosef, and

Solomon B. Freehof have all fully

declared Jews from Ethiopia to be benei berit

, and

WHEREAS, Operation Solomon, the stunning, momentous, and

dramatic airlift of over

14,000

Ethiopian Jews succeeded brilliantly, preceded by Operations Moses and

Sheba,

and

WHEREAS, the State of Israel and advocacy groups

such as the North American Conference

on Ethiopian Jewry, the American Association for Ethiopian

Jews, and the American

Rabbinic

Network of Ethiopian Jews have worked diligently to fulfill the

mitzvah

of pidyon

shevuyim

, redemption of the

captives,

THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, that the Central Conference of American Rabbis commend the

President of the United States, the

State of Israel and its President, Prime Minister

and Knesset members, and all involved in the airlift

of Ethiopian Jews of May 24-25,

for

this dramatic act of freedom for our people, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we seek the full

integration into the religious, social,

cultural, and educational life for these brothers and sisters

of our people; and

BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, that the institutions of Reform Judaism in Israel be

commended

for their efforts at

social integration and kelita

and

BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, that if there are Jews still languishing in Addis Ababa, the

Gondar Province, or other locations

in Ethiopia, efforts to secure their freedom

continue with the support of the world Jewish

community.

Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

Israel and the Quest for Peace in the

Post-Gulf War Period

Adopted by the

102nd Annual Convention of

the Central Conference of American

Rabbis

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, June, 1991

WHEREAS, the Central Conference of American Rabbis

celebrates Israel’s forty-third

birthday, and its ingathering of Jewish Exiles, while lamenting

that this celebration

is clouded by

the reality that Israel is still under siege, and

WHEREAS, Israel has been defending its borders and

citizens from hostile Arab states

and political organizations for its imperiled lifespan, and

WHEREAS, the reduction of the Iraqi

military threat and the recent White House peace

initiatives are cause for optimism, we are concerned

that Arab hostility continues

unabated against Israel, and

WHEREAS, U.N. Resolution 242 calls for both Israeli territorial

concession and the

cessation of

Arab belligerency,

THEREFORE BE

IT RESOLVED, that, given these considerations and Israel’s legitimate

security needs, we still affirm

that all negotiations for peace require a give and

take through dialogue, between Israel and the

Palestinians of the West Bank and Gaza,

as well as with the Arab States.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Central Conference of American

Rabbis:

1. calls for an end to

Arab belligerence towards the Jewish State, cessation of the

attempts at incursion by

Palestinians into Israel’s territory, and end to terrorist

attacks in Israel’s towns and cities, and

demands the immediate end of the Arab boycott

of Israel;

2.

calls upon the Israeli government to freeze the establishing of new

settlements

in the West Bank (Judea

and Samaria) and Gaza Strip.

BE

IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Central Conference of American Rabbis

look with favor

upon a Regional

Peace Conference between Israel and her neighbors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we call upon the United

States government to use its

influence to encourage its new Arab allies to recognize Israel

and sit down at the

negotiating

table, and

BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, that the Central Conference of American Rabbis commends the

Bush Administration’s efforts, as

well as those similar efforts in Israel, towards

arms reduction in the Middle East in a way which

enhances the security of the whole

region, and supports continued active U.S. involvement in

seeking a just and lasting peace

between Israel and her neighbors and throughout the region.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that in any

peace settlement, the Central Conference of American

Rabbis supports the indivisibility of united

Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.