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PHI* Four
THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
Friday, July 5, 1968
THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
Published weekly by Southern Newspaper Enterprises, 39* Court-
land St., N. E., Atlanta, Georgia SM93, TR 6-8249, TR. 6-8240. Sec
ond class postace paid at Atlanta, Georgia. Yearly subscription 87.50.
The Southern Israelite invitee literary contributions and correspond
ence but is not to be considered as sharing the views expressed by
writers. DEADLINE is 5 P.M. FRIDAY, bnt material received earlier
will have a much better chance of publication.
Adolph Rosenberg, Editor and Publisher
Kathleen Nease, Vida Goldgar, Edward M. Kahn
Kathy Wood, Paul Warwick, Harry Rose
Betty Meyer, Gertrude Burnham
Georgia Press Assn.
iWtOWM NEWSPAPER ’ Arts Features
3g/njAsg>C0Tlg< Telegraphic
World uST Press
Rabbis, Chaplains
And New Ideologies
The Central Conference of American Rabbis, which is
an association of Reform rabbis in the United States and
Canada, has approved certain resolutions on service as mil
itary chaplains which reflect and confound the increased
confusion in our thinking about American foreign policy.
The Reform spiritual leaders, it seems to us, have succumbed
to what has become popular and fashionable in our current
ideologies on war and peace.
Of course every right thinking person is against war
and is for peace. But, somehow, we cannot, as American
citizens get ourselves to denounce every action of Amer
ican policy as evil, unjust and immoral, and obsolve the
other side from any responsibility or moral blame.
We do not lay claim to have the answers on what should
be the U. S. policies toward Asian nations. Nor can we, in
simple terms, assess the implications of the current revolu
tionary changes in Asia. Nor can we conjure up, as it were
by magic spell the solution to the complicated politics of the
war in Viet Nam.
The foregoing is merely preliminary to our major con
cern with the actions taken by the conference of Reform
rabbis on the service of chaplains in the U. S. armed
forces.
It is our understanding that rabbinical students and
newly ordained rabbis are not subject to draft in the mil
itary service.
Beginning with the Korean War in 1950, Orthodox
Conservative and Reform bodies of rabbis instituted a self-
imposed draft, which required newly ordained rabbis to
serve for two years as chaplains to Jewish personnel in the
military establishments of the U. S. Until this year this man
datory arrangement was in force. Recently, in response
largely to student opposition to serving in the Viet Nam war,
the Orthodox and Conservative bodies changed in favor of a
voluntary system. Reform students raised similar opposition.
But the Reform rabbis continued the mandatory system and
created a new category of “selective conscientious objection”
to a particular war.
In the past exemptions were granted only for physical
reasons or to unconditional pacifists. Special deferments were
also granted for family reasons or extended studies.
We can understand unconditional opposition to all wars
and conscientious objection based on religious convictions.
But “selective conscientious objection” to a particular
war would befit members of the S. D. S. (Students for a
Democratic Society) but hardly those qualified for service
as chaplains.
After all, what are the responsibilities of a Jewish chap
lain? They are to serve the spiritual needs of men and
women of the Jewish faith in the armed forces of the coun
try, wherever they may be located; to provide opportunities
for prayer and worship and the observance of Jewish re-
igious festivals and holy days, whenever and wherever cir
cumstances permit; to bring solace and comfort to the wound
ed and the last rites to the dying; to counsel with the men
and women of Jewish faith, so as to bring to them a deeper
understanding of the tenets of Judaism and some measure
of peace of mind in times of distress and despair. If a stu
dent cannot bring himself to participate in such broad Ju
daic mandates, he has no business in the rabbinate.
It is admitted that there is a shortage of spiritual leaders
on the domestic front as well as a shortage of chaplains in
the armed forces. Where is the greater urgency? In our
opinion the shortage in the armed forces is more critical.
If problems could be resolved by leaving them to each
individual’s conscience, this would be a sorry world. Some
individuals have flexible consciences. Some can adjust their
conscience to the demands of the moment which are popular
and expedient, and then rationalize that it is justice and
moral and ethical principles which guide their actions.
The official news release of the Central Conference of
American Rabbis makes no reference to two resolutions ap
proved by the rabbis which, to put it mildly, are highly
controversial. The endorsement of the positions taken by
Dr. Spock and the Rev. William Sloane Coffin Jr. The other
resolution approved is “to set up counseling services in the
675 Reform congregations for young men of draft age seek
ing exemption from military service as conscientious ob
jectors. It is a known fact that the term “conscientious ob
jectors” has received many and varied interpretations quite
different from the provisions in the Selective Seervice Act.
Will rabbis encourage or counsel young men how to avoid
the draft, or how to evade military service simply because
they are against the war in Viet Nam?
It seems to us that the setting up of such counseling
services will produce disruption, divisiveness, and undue
emotional tension in congregations. We venture to observe
that there will be many boards of congregations that will not
sanction the setting up of such services.
We are in favor of the freedom of the pulpit. We are
not opposed to rabbis and congregations dealing with social
issues involving civil liberties and civil rights, war and
peace. But not to the exclusion of, nor neglect of, facing
Jewish issues and problems and a serious commitment to
the survival of Klal Yisroel.
If a rabbi can opt loyalty or disloyalty, is he not setting
an example for laymen?
Is this what CCAR is saying? It comes through loud
and clear—and we don’t buy one “spock” of such nonsense.
No wonder there are not enough Jewish chaplains to
serve Jewish men and women in uniform.
Has the time come for the Jewish National Welfare
Board to turn to the Christian chaplains in order that our
men and women in uniform may have adequate spiritual at
tention? Our readers can be sure the Christian chaplains
will jump at the opportunity—and perform this challenge
with an integrity and understanding some of the new breed
of rabbinic candidates fail to fill. We have to assume there
are enough of this genre to warrant the default to which
our denominational branches are bowing.
Report Divorces
10% of Marriages
JERUSALEM (JTA) — The
Ministry for Religious Affairs
has reported that divorces are
running at a rate of 10 percent
of marriages among Israel’s
Jewish population. The rabbin
ate registered 18,200 marriages
and 1,960 divorces last year.
Civil marriage and divorce are
prohibited in IsraeL In another
area, the Ministry announced
that it had found pulpits for 19
new immigrant rabbis during
the past year and had helped
them find housing with interest-
free loans provided by the Wolf-
son Foundation.
Five Officers Killed
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Five
army reserve officers, a captain
and four lieutenants, aged 24 to
38, were killed in an automobile
accident when their private car
hit a concrete column near Jer
usalem. All had completed their
tour of reserve duty and were
returning to their homes.
To Decide on Tax
ROME (JTA) — An Italian
court will decide shortly wheth
er Jews in Italy were treated
as “enemies’ under the Musso
lini regime during World War
II and therefore should be ex
empt from payment of a 1946
head tax to cover war damages.
The question has been the sub
ject of many lawsuits in civil
and administrative courts since
the tax was decreed.
New Desalting Plant
TEL AVIV (JTA)A water de
salting plant will start opera
tions shortly at Nahal Yam, a
para-military settlement estab
lished on the northern Sinai
coast near the Bardawtl lagoon.
The settlers are engaged in fish
ing. The Jewish Agency’s set
tlement department ordered con
struction of the plant to provide
the settlement with fresh water
for domestic uses and irrigation.
Jewish Calendar
•TISHA B’AV
August 4, Sunday
•ROSH HASHANA
Sept. 23-24,
Mon. - Tues.
♦YOM KIPPUR
Oct. 2, Wednesday
Oct. 7-8,
•SUKKOT
Mon. - Tues.
•HASHANA RABBA
Oct. 13, Sunday
•SHEMINI ATZERET
Oct. 14, Monday
•SIMHAT TORAH
Oct. 15, Tuesday
‘HOLIDAY BEGINS
SUNDOWN PREVIOUS DAY
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