Reform Outreach Threatened

An Editorial from The (Boston) Jewish Advocate

This editorial is reprinted with permission of the The (Boston) Jewish Advocate.

The Reform movement, whose name bespeaks progresssiveness, has pioneered many contributions to American Jewish life, including revisions in prayers and services, innovative attention to youth activities and education, and stimulation of social action expressive of the moral aspirations of Judaism.

In line with these distinctions, in recent times the movement has led the way in devising programs and strategies to cope with the growing numbers of mixed marriages.

It is because of this background that dismay greeted the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) announcement that budgetary conditions was forcing it to terminate the positions of the 13 regional outreach directors whose operations are believed by many, including outspoken local Reform rabbis, to be vital. Others within UAHC ranks point out that the directors have done their work by instilling the principle and practice of outreach in individual congregations, and so can be dispensed with in view of the budgetary shortfalls. They believe the labor of creating programs for interfaith families and encouraging non-Jewish spouses to convert to Judaism will go forward.

The successful resolution of this issue holds importance for the entire Jewish world. This is because even as we await the results of the new population survey of U.S. Jewry, it can be anticipated that the high rate of mixed marriages will not have significantly abated.