AJC Regrets Union Of Orthodox Rabbis' Statement

American Jewish Committee
Monday, 24 March 1997

The American Jewish Committee regrets the decision by the Union of Orthodox Rabbis (Agudath HaRabbonim), a fringe element in right-wing Orthodoxy, to issue a statement declaring that the Reform and Conservative movements are "not Judaism." Such statements attempt to delegitimize Conservative and Reform Judaism.

In a Policy Statement on "Judaism, Pluralism and Peoplehood," adopted by AJC's Board of Governors in September 1996, the AJC asserted that, "our ties of peoplehood and heritage remain deep. We must never permit our disagreements, no matter how passionately debated, to undermine our commitment to Clal Yisrael - our devotion to one another and our covenant of participation in the ongoing Jewish historical enterprise. Our disagreements "should not be permitted to spill over into delegitimation of one group of Jews by another."

It is unfortunate that the Union of Orthodox Rabbis has chosen, with harsh words and intolerant spirit, to separate itself from the great majority of committed Jews. In that regard, the American Jewish Committee welcomes a statement from the Rabbinical Council of America and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America repudiating the divisive comments of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis.

For more information, or to contact American Jewish Committee, see their website at: www.ajc.org