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Page 6 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.