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The Southern Israelite
Southeast Reformed Jewry Organizes
S/acini In The Southern Israelite
The first permanent organization
of Reformed Jews in the Southeast
ern part of the United States was
affected at the first southeastern con
vention of the Union of American
Hebrew Congregations which closed
its two-day session here today with
the appointment of an Executive Com
mittee. The Convention marked the
first attempt of the Union to estab
lish sectional departments of its syna
gogues and school extension bureaus.
The success of the Southeastern ex
periment will be followed by organiz
ing similar branches in all parts of
the country.
The members of the Executive
Committee which will co-operate with
the Union's department of synagogue
and school extension in its program
to promote Judaism in this section
are Harold Hirsch, Atlanta, chair
man; Leon Schwartz, Mobile; J.
Benjamin, Jacksonville; Martin Levy,
Savannah; Leo Hart, Jackson, Miss.;
Wendell Weil, Sumter, S. C.; Leo
Levinthal, Nashville, and Rabbi Gus
tav Faulk, Regional Rabbi of the
Southeastern Union of American He
brew Congregation.
Ludwig Vogelstein, of New York,
chairman of the Union Executive
Bonrd, the principal speaker at the
final session of the Convention, dis
cussed “The Why of the Union of
Congregations.” Speakers of the
first session were: Dr. Leo Franklin
of Detroit; Julius Frieberg, of Cin
cinnati, and Dr. Harry Ettleson. More
than one hundred official delegates
from Southeastern congregations,
temple sisterhoods and brotherhoods
were in attendance.
The resolutions adopted accepted
the organization of the Southeastern
congregations headed by an executive
committee with one representative
from each state, in addition to the
chairman, Mr. Hirsch, and the secre
tary, Mr. Falk. The members of the
Executive Committe are to hold state
meetings in the near future and are
to report back to the Committee on
a program for promoting religious
interest in the South.
Through ignorance and inattention,
Jews in unorganized communities fall
away from Judaism, Julius W. Frei
berg, Cincinnati, told the first south
eastern convention of the Union of
American Hebrew Congregations at
Atlanta here Sunday morning.
Village and institutional residents
and college students are the chief
groups of unorganized Jews needing
attention, he said.
In addition, higher preparation is
needed for 75 per cent of the 8,000
Jewish religious teachers in the
Southeast, he pointed out.
Mr. Freiberg is Chairman of the
Board of Managers of the Union’s De
partment of Synagogue and School
Extension.
He opened the discussion on “What
Does the Organized Synagogue Owe
to the Unorganized Communities?”
Equipped, Speaker Says
The Union can solve the situation
because it is equipped by experience,
personnel and organization to do so,
he said.
Among the ways in which the Union
can aid these communities are the
sending out of rabbis from the He
brew Union College of Cincinnati,
the dissemination of literature
through the Union’s Department of
Synagogue and School Extension, and
the distribution of information on
Jews and Judaism by the Tract Com
mission of the Central Conference of
American Rabbis and of the Union,
he added.
Speaking on “A statement by a
Congregational Representative,” Wen
dell M. Levi, president of Temple
Sinai, Sumter, S. C., said:
“I see great possibilities and po
tentialities in our proposed organiza
tion.”
“We Have No Hierarchy”
“No religion in America has as lit
tle organization, as little central gov
ernment as does the Jew. We have
no hierarchy”.
He emphasized the advisability of
having the proposed organizations
foster a back-to-the-farm movement
among Jews, particularly in the
southeast. Originally, Jews were ag
ricultural, he pointed out.
Hon. Leon Schwarz, City Commis
sioner and former Mayor of Mobile,
Ala., urged a reawakening of Jewish
consciousness through pride of an
cestry and pride of faith.
“When a president of the United
States says, as the late lamented W T il-
liam H. Taft said to a body of Jews,
‘In just pride of ancestry, those of us
who are not of the Jewish people have
to be humble’, we are not trading on
snobbish ground with the assertion
that we are in the forefront of the
world’s aristocracy,” Mr. Schwarz
said.
r lhe Jew in America owes a duty
to his country to contribute his quota
of religion—broad and genuine—he
held.
Financial Need Stressed
“In religion, as in politics or busi
ness, organization is necessary, and
money is necessary to maintain or
ganization,” he continued.
“Reform Judaism in America is
properly organized in the Union of
American Hebrew Congregations, and
each constituent Congregation or unit
should make proper and adequate
contribution to the perpetuation of
Judaism in America, but beyond tha*
the rank and'file of the Congrega
tions making up the Union, must co
tribute, in addition to the thing ma
terial, a ‘conscious Jewishness’ 0 r
there will be no perpetuation.”
Mr. Schwarz spoke on “The Syna
gogue” in a conference on “The State
of Judaism in America”.
Charles P. Kramer, New York, rep
resenting the National Federation of
Temple Brotherhoods, spoke on "Tb
Youth” at the same session.
Looks to Adults
The adults must set the example if
they wish their children to be inter
ested in Judaism, Mr. Kramer said.
“Youth is ready, young, strong and
willing, but we, his parents, his guar
dians upon whom he looks for guid
ance, what precept and example are
we offering him?” Mr. Kramer ask
ed. “What rule of conduct in our re
ligious life are we following?”
He warned parents to emphasize
the soul rather than the physical
splendor of temples, if they would
win the youth.
Continued on Page 17)
Read front left Jo right, top row; Mrs. Israel L. Kaplan. Jac’isons ille, Fla. 5 Ludwig Vogelstein, !Vew York; Dr. ° nen .
Franklin, Detroit; Mrs. Maurice Steinfeld. St. Louis. Second row: Julius V. Freiberg, Cincinnati; F.dwin Wise, 1*®"**°^^!
Ala.; Dr. Harry W'. Ettelson, Memphis, Tenn.; Charles P. Kramer, New York. Bottom row: Leon Schwara, Mobile, A a.,
Isaac E. Marcuson, Macon, Ca.