any innovation, shock some people and call forth opposition and ridicule. But I wish to point out several flaws in the negative argument. Professor Lauterbach intimates that the matter has hitherto never arisen as a practical issue because it has been taken for granted that a woman cannot, in the capacity of a rabbi, carry out, or represent the people in, a function in which she is not personally obliged to participate. How, then, can we infer from this that with the full entry of woman in all the religious functions of home and synagogue, she must still be denied the privilege of ordination? We broke with tradition long ago when we granted women an equal standing with men in all our religious functions.
I disagree entirely with the remark that by taking the proposed step, we shall create a schism. The Russian Jews , to whom reference has been made, do recognize and follow women leaders, as in the radical factions. And if women are not recognized as leaders in the Orthodox synagogue, let us not forget that neither are we recognized as such. There is a distinct difference made, even in the Yid dish terminology, between a rav and a rabbi. Again, we broke with tradition long ago when we declared that a rabbi need not be an authority on questions of kashrut; and I need not mention which, from the point of view of Orthodoxy, is the greater offense.
When I received the responsum of Dr. Lauterbach a week or two ago, I inquired as to the attitude of the members of a Unitarian Church in Moline, where a woman has been officiating for about half a year, and the reply was very favorable. That minister is not falling behind her male predecessors in her zeal and ability in handling all the problems of the church. So, as to the practicality of the matter, I believe that should be left entirely
with the individual congregation.
Rabbi James G. Heller: I do not believe that the Conference has the right to appeal to its duty to“Catholic Israel” in order to settle this question. In the past, many decisions have been taken which evidenced no regard for mere keeping of the peace. The
one question at issue, the one question that should be discussed
by this Conference, is whether in principle the admission of women into the rabbinate is desirable, and whether it is in accordance with the historic teachings of Reform Judaism. The entire content of Dr. Lauterbach’s responsum, to my mind, be summed