Chapter 4

A CRITIQUE OF SOLOMON B. FREEHOF 'S CONCEPT OF MINHAG AND REFORM JEWISH PRACTICE

Joan S. Friedman

In 1944 Solomon B. Freehof was, to all appearances, at the height of his rabbinic career. Ordained at Hebrew Union College in 1915 after an outstanding academic performance, he had served as a chaplain with the American Expeditionary Forces in France and with the army of occupation in Germany , as a faculty member at HUC , as rabbi of KAM Congregation in Chicago , and since 1934, as senior rabbi of Rodef Shalom Congregation in Pittsburgh . He was about to complete four years as vice-president and then president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, during which time he was actively involved in the struggles over Zion­ism within the CCAR and the UAHC and its member congrega­tions which resulted in the emergence of the American Council for Judaism. ? He had over 20 years of experience on the CCAR Liturgy Committee and had served as its chairman since 1930; under his leadership the Conference produced its revised Union

Notes for this section begin on page 129.