Texas Jewish Post (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 10, No. 30, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 26, 1956 Page: 1 of 12
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$ Texas Jewish Post $
SAF—Seven Arts Features
WNS—Worldwide News Service
UNS—United Nations Service
Dedicated to Truth, Liberty and Justice Member
American Association Fnglish-Jewish Newspapers
THE SOUTHWEST’S LEADING ENGLISH—JEWISH WEEKLY NEWSPAPER Texas Press Association
VOLUME X NO. 30
IN OUR TENTH YEAR THURSDAY, JULY 26, 1956
12 Pages — 15- Cents per copy
Rabbi Reichert, One Of American Coun cil For Judaism
Founders, Asks CouncilToDisbandOr Change InResignation
jess jawinj Complete Text Of Resignation
THE RABBI RESIGNS:
DR. IRVING F. REICHERT,
Rabbi-Emeritus of Congregation
Emanu-El, San Francisco, Cali-
fornia, has written the Texas
Jewish Post a special letter con-
cerning his resignation from the
American Council for Judaism.
Rabbi Reichert visited our area
a few years ago and, without de-
sign on his part, his visit stirred
a vicious controversy in a local
congregation because of the tac-
tics used by the American Council
for Judaism.
Now the word from San Fran-
cisco tells of Rabbi Reichert’s
resignation.
HOWEVER, there is more to
this matter than a resignation
from one of the original founders
of the ill-reputed Council for
Judaism.
Rabbi Reichert had more than
a patriarchal aire about him and
we often wondered how a man
so devoted to the cause of Jewry
could join the Council in its tac-
tics of whittling away at Israel
in particular and other Jews who
did not share Council’s views in
general.
Rabbi Reichert held his own
opinions. He explains these in his
letter of resignation to Council
President Clarence L. Coleman,
Jr. The Texas Jewish Post is re-
printing this letter in full. We are
doing this because we believe this
is a turning point in the history
of the Council.
MOREOVER, when one con-
siders the magnitude of this res-
ignation and/its greater meaning
one can realize the tremendous
impact, it will generate. Rabbi
Reichert is being very kind when
he refers to his withdrawal as a
resignation.” In reality it is a
denuciation.
It is a denunciation for the 'vic-
ious way the Council has attack-
ed its co-religionists. Mainly by
trying to infiltrate the Depart-
ment of State with anti-Israel
thinking. This has been done be-
fore and after the establishment
of the state of Israel.
It is a denunciation of the
Council’s tactics of trying to
counteract the positive principles
of the Jewish religion.
The greater precipitating event
which shattered any last hope Dr.
Continued to Page Four
Baltimore Rabbi To Preach
Guest Sermon At Agudas Achim
Congregation Agudas Achim is
having Rabbi Morris M. Shuval-
sky of Congregation Ahavas Shol-
om of Baltimore, Maryland as
their guest rabbi for the following
services: Friday evening services,
July 27, 8:15 p. m.; Saturday
morning services, July 28, 9:00
a. m.
An open house is being held in
Rabbi Shuvalsky’s honor at the
J. M. Leipner residence at 6109
Joyce Way in Dallas, on Sunday
afternoon, July 29, from 3:00 to
5:00 p. m.
Mr. Clarence L. Coleman, Jr.
President, American Council for Judaism
201 East 57th Street
New York 22, New York
Dear Mr. Coleman:
For a considerable time I have been deeply troubled by the di-
rection in which the American Council for Judaism has moved. It
has probably not escaped your attention that for the past several
years I have withdrawn from Couneil aetivities.
This letter is my resignation from the American Council for
Judaism. I submit it with an overwhelming sense of sadness and
disappointment. I was one of the founders of the Council. For
many years I was its devoted spokesman and vigorous advocate. The
high hopes which I had for its service to our people and our faith
have been utterly destroyed.
Let me tell you why I can no longer remain in the Council.
Our enterprise was begun by 95 rabbis. Among them were out-
standing and distinguished leaders of Reform Judaism. Our concern
was primarily with spiritual matters. Our emphasis was upon safe-
guarding the religious heritage bequeathed to our people by 4,009
years of history. At a time when rampant nationalism and secular-
ism threatened to overshadow and even displace the historic com-
mitment of the Jew to God and Torah, we attempted to set these
tendencies in retreat. We raised a standard to which all American
Jews, whether Reform, Conservative or Orthodox could repair. Not
even our most obdurate opponents could fairly challenge the sincer-
ity of our convictions, or the historic justification of our position.
Our first “Digest of Principles,” released on December 4, 1942
set forth our platform. It said:
“All Jews bear responsibility for each other’s welfare in the
mighty brotherhood of a deathless Faith. Because of the sufferings'
of our fellow Jews in many parts of the world, we have given and)
shall continue to give them our wholehearted moral and material!
support wherever needed. Text Continued to Page Nine
Sobeloff Is Finally Confirmed
As U S Fourth Circuit Court Judge
WASHINGTON (WNS)—Sol-
icitor General Simon E. Sobeloff’s
appointment by President Eisen-
hower as Judge of the U. S.
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
was finally confirmed last week
by the Senate by a vote of 64 to
19 after eight hours of debate.
Southern opposition to confir-
mation appeared to be based on
Mr. Sobeloff’s presentation before
the Supreme Court of the Ad-
ministration’s plan for carrying
out the court’s school desegrega-
tion decision. President Eisen-
hower first submitted the Sobel-
San Francisco Rabbi Breaks
" With 111 Famed Council; Calls
Organization “Pariah” In Jewish Life
(Special to The Texas Jewish Post)
SAN FRANCISCO — Rabbi Irving F. Reichert of San Francisco,
one of the original founders of the American Council for Judaism!
today called upon that organization to dissolve, or “call a halt to ite
obstructionist campaign against the welfare and legitimate aspira-
tions of Israel and its people.”
In a letter of resignation to Clarence L. Coleman, president of
the ACJ, Rabbi Reichert, charged that the Council—formed in 1942,
to combat “the rampant nationalism and secularism of American
Zionist groups” and to “Safeguard the religious heritage” of Juda-
ism, had abandoned its original platform to become a political presi-
sure group—and is today “virtually a pariah in Jewish life.”
Reviewing the history of the
Council as one of 95 American
Rabbis who had created it, and
as a former national vice-presi-
dent during 10 years, Rabbi
Reichert pointed out that while
the Council’s chief role was to
foster a revival of Artierican-Jew-
ish spiritual life, its initial digest
of principles also promised sup-
port to Palestine of an “economic
and spiritual nature.”
Today, the Rabbi declared, the
Council has repudiated this plat-
form and “seems determined to
create the impression that it is
waging its own private war upon
Israel and its people.”
“Its major emphasis,” said the
letter, “has been directed to the
purely political aspects of the
Arab-Israeli conflict and its re-
precussions on American-Middle
East diplomacy. It has attempted
to influence the policies of our
government in precisely the same
fashion as have the Zionists,
whose political activities it criti-
cizes.”
Citing as a case in point the
recent recommendation of the
Council that the United States
Government conduct an investi-
Rabbi Irving F. Reichert
Resignation . . .
secular nature of Judaism, the
letter went on to charge Council
leaders with failure to create
“through wise and statesmanlike
measures a climate of public op-
inion which would have made it
possible for the millions who
shared our original principles to
gation of the United Jewish Ap- have joined our ranks.’
peal, a national fund-raising
agency, Rabbi Reichert described
As the organizer of dozens of
ACJ chapters throughout the-
the move as “an incredible and United States, Rabbi Reichert de-
outrageous proposal.”
The Council, said Rabbi Reich-
ert, should either revise its pol-
clared that he had fought its lead-
ership for many years on Council
policy. In tendering his resigna-
Continued to Page Four
Simon E. Sobeloff
Confirmation . . .
icies drastically, or dissolve. “The tion, he concluded:
Hammarskjold Talks With Ben-Gurion;
May Bring Moscow Peace Proposal
JERUSALEM (WNS) — United Nations Secretary General Dag
Hammarskjold this week held a secret five-hour talk with Prime)
Minister David Ben-Gurion on Thursday, and a day later the talks
were resumed with the participation of Israel’s Foreign Minister,
Mrs. Golda Myerson, and UN truce chief, Maj. Gen. E. L. M. Burns.
According to reliable sources Hammarskjold, who was recently
in Russia, brought with him a Soviet proposal for lessening of Arab-
Israel tension. In circles close to the Israel Foreign Ministry, the
feeling prevails that the Soviet plan bears a price tag which, how-
ever, the Israel Government would be prepared to consider, if it is
not unreasonable. The same sources also believe that Mr. Hammar-
skjold will disillusion the rulers of Jordan and Egypt when he pre-
sents them with the Soviet views on the Arab-Israel issue.
It was learned here that the main reason for Mr. Hammarskjold’s'
unexpectedly early return to the Middle East was his anxiety over
what Israel might do... There has been an increase in border clashes!
between Jordan and Israel. According to Gen. Burns, there had been
more incidents reported in the past two months than during anfct
comparable period in several years.
entire atmosphere of the debate
In which the Council originally
engaged has altered significant-
ly” since the creation of the state
of Israel, the letter went on. The
extremist Jewish nationalist
wing has so tempered its argu-
ments that “one wonders to what
extent semantics, rather than real
issues divide the American Jew-
ish community today.”
“I can no longer continue to
accept the steady drift away from
principles and conduct which I
have cherished as an American
Jew and taught as a rabbi. . . I
feel that it is not so much that
I now part company with the
Council; the Council long ago
parted company with me.”
Rabbi Reichert is the Rabbi-
Emeritus of Congregation Emanu-
While citing the achievements El in San Francisco and an hon-
of the organization in emphasiz-
ing the religious rather than the
orary Vice-President of the Amer-
ican Council for Judaism.
Fort Worth Auxiliary To Stage
Summer Carnival Next Thursday
Everyone and his country cous-
in is invited to the Ladies Aux-
iliary’s old-time family Summer
Carnival which will be held this
Thursday evening, August 2, at
6:30 p. m., in the air-conditioned
comfort of Ahavath Sholom Syn-
agogue.
In the offing are wheels of
fortune, games of chance, booths
of every description, merry-go-
round for the children, mouse
race, photo tintypes, and a bigger
and better array of valuable
prizes than ever before in Aux-
Continued to Page Five
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Wisch, J. A. Texas Jewish Post (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 10, No. 30, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 26, 1956, newspaper, July 26, 1956; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth754666/m1/1/: accessed May 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .