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From: abeles@mhuxm.UUCP (J. Abeles (Bellcore, Murray Hill, NJ))
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Message to non-ultraorthodox Jews re: fundraising
Message-ID: <417@mhuxm.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 27-Aug-85 09:23:42 EDT
Article-I.D.: mhuxm.417
Posted: Tue Aug 27 09:23:42 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 30-Aug-85 20:05:56 EDT
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 58


A message for Jewish readers who are not aligned with ultra-orthodox groups:

At this time of the year we are beginning to prepare for Rosh Hashanah,
the Yomim Noraim, and Yom Kippur.  At the same time, fund-raising efforts 
are also being revived from their summer hiatus.  Furthermore it is 
traditional to give to tzedakah (justly-deserved charity) at this time 
of the year.

During the past year, a number of ultra-orthodox groups have made 
strong statements of opposition to recognizing the legitimacy of your
Conservative and Reform rabbinical authorities in the State of Israel.
These statements have been expressed in the course of public debate
over the question of "Who is a Rabbi?" with regard to the Israeli 
Law of Return which grants Israeli citizenship to Jews, including
converts by authorized rabbis.

I wish to suggest to all those who are approached by such ultra-orthodox
groups with requests for donations:

1)  That you immediately ask any fundraisers about the position of their
organization on recognizing Conservative and Reform conversions, or the
position of their parent organization.

2)  That you set aside all charitable contributions that would have been
made to certain organizations as discussed above (according to your 
affiliation) and donate them as promptly as possible to other equally 
deserving organizations which recognize the authority of your rabbis.

3)  That you give as much as you can possibly afford to these latter
charities, and especially the United Jewish Appeal type of charity
to promote unity and identification among all Jews.  In addition, that
you make special efforts to distinguish between actual tzedakah and
other contributions such as those which maintain community facilities
and synagogues or political contributions related to issues which
are not related to actual charity.  Please make certain to give
generously to organizations which will support the needs of the poor
and the hungry, as well as other forms of true tzedakah.  Set aside
in your mind a separate budget for the other charities and also give
generously to them.

4)  That you discuss this issue with older members of your family who
may be in a position to make sizable contributions to Jewish organization,
and who may not be fully aware of the fact that some of these organizations
are expressing strong opposition to the authority of their rabbis.
In particular last wills and testaments should be examined to ensure
that they express the wishes of the person involved with respect to these
issues.

In addition I would like to point out that one chassidic organization,
the Lubavitch, also known as "Chabad", with headquarters at 770 Eastern
Parkway, Brooklyn NY operate extensive fund-raising activites among
non-ultraorthordox Jews.  This organization has taken special pains to be
outspoken in expressing their position that only orthodox rabbis have
any authority.

--J. Abeles
  mhuxm!abeles