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Advantages and Disadvantages of Remaining in Synagogue Council of America

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Article

Position Paper for Remaining in Synagogue Council of America (1974)

Five years ago I was asked to submit, to a special study panel of the Orthodox Union, a draft of the reasons why we ought not to secede from the Synagogue Council. I now have been asked to do so again. As I look over my paper of 1969, I am convinced I can let almost the whole thing stand as is. Indeed, it is depressing how little things have changed – and how caught up we are in a nexus of inconsequentiality! It seems to be the fate of Orthodoxy, at least in this country, that its major battles are fought over matters of little or no genuine significance. We have allowed truly important matters to be bypassed, and have chosen what are, relatively speaking, trivialities on which to stage our strongest stands. The Orthodox Union, as a more or less centrist group, seems peculiarly afflicted by this penchant for the petty. Once again we are evoking great principles – and wasting precious time and risking wounded pride and injured feelings – on an issue which is of concern as a symbol, but unimportant substantively. From everything that I have heard about the Synagogue Council of America (SCA), it has a limited scope of activity. It is not the kind of organiza-tion which will seriously affect the destiny of Torah and American Jewry one way or another. I do not by any means wish to deprecate the value of SCA. It has its place in the community and its functions to perform. In the course of the past several years I have intermittently accepted some assignments from the SCA, and have had occasion to observe its activities and, in most cases, to admire its efficiency and its adherence to the principles upon which the Ortho-dox groups have conditioned their affiliation with it. But it certainly does not appear to me to be worthy of the dissension it has produced in our ranks. We will survive with it, and without it. It is almost farcical how we have succeeded in making a “tzimmes” yesh me’ayin.Nevertheless even insignificant issues must be met if they are thrust upon us agai…
Orthodoxy & Other Denominations

Correspondence

Memoranda to Marvin Herskowitz about Membership in the Synagogue Council of America (1969)

It seems to be the fate of Orthodoxy, at least in this country, that its major battles are fought over matters of little or no consequence. We have allowed truly important matters to be bypassed, and have chosen what are, relatively speaking, trivialities on which to stage our strongest stands. The Orthodox Union, as a more or less centrist group, seems peculiarly afflicted by this penchant for the petty. Once again we are evoking great principles and wasting precious time and risking wounded pride and injured feelings on an issue which is of concern only as a symbol, but unimportant in itself. From everything I have heard about the Synagogue Council of America (SCA), it has a limited scope of activity (how much can an “address” accomplish?). It is not the kind of organization which will seriously affect the destiny of Torah and American Jewry one way or another. I do not by any means wish to depreciate the value of SCA, but it certainly does not appear to me to be worthy of the dissension it has produced in our ranks. We will survive with it, and without it. It is almost farcical how we have succeeded in making iqarim tafel u’tafel iqarim.
Orthodoxy & Other Denominations

Correspondence

Memorandum from Dr. Schick about the Synagogue Council of America (1968)

As much as many of us would like it to go away, the problem of Union membership in the Synagogue Council is still with us. The reason for this is plain: the issue goes to the heart of Orthodox unity and development in this country; it is not an irrelevant polemic that the foes of SCA continue to wave. In this memorandum I would like to develop the view that continued membership in SCA is inimical to the welfare of the UOJCA and the Orthodox Community and that our leadership must face up to this question, at the convention or otherwise, in a responsible and courageous fashion. 1. SCA was formed in the 1920’s at a time when Orthodox Jewry in this country was weak. Indisputably, if the question today was whether to join, our response would be negative, for the situation is much improved over what it was forty years ago. Yet, we are being told to confront the challenges of the latter third of this century in terms of an enervated Orthodoxy of more than a generation ago. We reject this attitude in other areas such as Chinuch, and we ought to do the same here. 2. From its inception until now the SCA has not contributed in any way to the observance of Halacha or to the general welfare of the Torah world. The proponents of continued membership do not controvert this, nor do they advance any positive reasons for the maintenance of a status quo which is contrary to the changing situation of Orthodox Jewry. The virtues of belonging to SCA are negative, amounting, in fact, to straw men easily knocked down, and to fears that are born out of a lack of confidence in Orthodox vitality.3. But the case against SCA does not rest on the mere inefficacy of this antiquarian umbrella. The organization, even with the Orthodox veto, has acted contrary to our interests, as in the quickly forgotten Boston conference of last year. Indeed whenever the SCA decides to do something more than issue pro forma statements on public matters it is apt to act counter to our conception of its purpose. So…
Orthodoxy & Other Denominations