NEW YORK (Oct. 27)
More than 20 congregations in various communities all over the United States have joined in a move to require contributions to the United Jewish Appeal as a pre-requisite for membership, it was reported today by Rabbi Earl Jordan, director of the UJA’s rabbinical advisory council. Rabbi Jordan said the boards of rabbis in Cleveland, Kansas City and St. Louis have adopted resolutions advocating the same practice. Rabbi Jordan said the first congregation to take this step was Beth Jacob of Los Angeles where Rabbi Simon Dolgin found that 130 of the 500 member families had not made contributions to the UJA. After instituting the mandatory contributions requirement, 128 of the families submitted checks, Rabbi Jordan reported. Temple Menorah, of Miami, Fla., was one of the first six congregations in the U.S. to initiate the mandatory contributions practice. A resolution issued by Rabbi Mayer Abramowitz and Temple officials requires all members to contribute to the Greater Miami Jewish Federation’s annual combined Jewish Appeal and Israel Emergency Fund campaign. Others include Temple Sinai of Los Angeles (Rabbi Hillel Silverman); Congregation Ezra. (Rabbi Ira Sud), and the K.A.M. Congregation (Rabbi Simeon Maslin) both of Chicago; and Congregation Agudath Sholom (Rabbi Joseph Ehrenkranz) of Stamford, Conn. Rabbi Jordon said that no minimum contribution is being proposed by the UJA, the boards of rabbis or the synagogues. The act of giving is considered more important than the size of the contribution, he said.