Resolution Adopted
by the CCAR
Urban Crisis
Adopted by the 104th Annual
Convention of
the Central Conference of American Rabbis
Montreal, Quebec, June 1993
Our
sage Hillel taught: Al tifrosh min hatzibbur
–do not separate yourself from the
community.
Sadly, our every day reality mocks
that teaching. For many years, but even more in
the last decade, our nations have turned away from
their cities with inevitable results:
Separation and degradation in our urban areas. Many have fled
and abandoned our cities; governments have radically reduced funding
for infrastructure, public education,
social services, income support, health care, economic
development, housing and more.
Crime, violence, illicit drugs, illiteracy, family breakdown,
and unemployment have
increased.
Too many residents of our cities live without
hope.
The CCAR has not ignored these issues in the
past. We have addressed through resolutions
and actions these critical issues: economic justice,
hunger, child abuse and neglect,
civil rights and racism, unemployment, discrimination in
housing, crime, personal security, eradication and amelioration of
poverty, health care, welfare reform and
income maintenance, and substance abuse. We commit ourselves
anew to act upon the
challenge of
these
resolutions.
Yet we have witnessed the
continuing decay and deterioration of our urban communities,
increasing violence, and growing
despair of families. Moreover. too many of our congregants
who have left the cities no longer feel
responsibility or connection to urban problems. We cannot, however,
separate ourselves from these problems. Those in the
cities, those who have left, and those who depend on
the cities for their livelihood
all
share a common community, with its challenges and its future.
THEREFORE, the Central Conference
of American Rabbis calls upon:
1.
The United States administration, Congress and the government of
Canada to give
the urban crisis a
high priority on their national agendas;
2. The Commission on Social Action to place the urban crisis
high on our Movement’s
agenda,
and
3. Our congregations to
undertake programs that educate and involve our congregants
in the rebuilding of our cities and
restoring of hope and opportunity in our urban
communities.