Truman: American Jews Have Been “vigilant in the advocacy of the spiritual essence of democracy”

Truman praises the rabbis’ “continuing dedication to religion and the values of faith.”.

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Abraham J. Feldman was born in Kiev, Ukraine and came to the U.S. in 1906 at age 11. In 1918, he was ordained as a rabbi at the Hebrew Union College, and then served as fellowship assistant for Rabbi Stephen S. Wise at his Free Synagogue in New York. A year later,...

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Truman: American Jews Have Been “vigilant in the advocacy of the spiritual essence of democracy”

Truman praises the rabbis’ “continuing dedication to religion and the values of faith.”.

Abraham J. Feldman was born in Kiev, Ukraine and came to the U.S. in 1906 at age 11. In 1918, he was ordained as a rabbi at the Hebrew Union College, and then served as fellowship assistant for Rabbi Stephen S. Wise at his Free Synagogue in New York. A year later, Feldman went on to Congregation Children of Israel in Athens, Ga. and then spent five years as rabbi to the Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in Philadelphia. In 1925 Feldman was selected as rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel in West Hartford, CT, where he remained until retiring in 1977. While at Beth Israel, Feldman was a leader not only in Connecticut Jewish life, but also in ecumenical and secular organizations. In 1929 he was a co-founder of the Connecticut Jewish Ledger, of which he remained editor until 1977.

Feldman was prominent in Jewish organizations at the national level, as well. He was a member of the Board of Governors of Hebrew Union College and served on the executive council of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, the oldest American federation of Jewish congregations and a long-time center of Reform Judaism. Long a member of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the principal organization of Reform Jewish rabbis in the United States, Feldman rose in 1947 to become its President. From 1952-1957, he served as President of the Synagogue Council of America, a joint organization of Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox Jewish communities which acted to coordinate Jewish life and activities in America. The organization did more than act as facilitator of activities and dialogue between the branches of American Judaism, it made the world outside aware of Jewish concerns. In addition, he participated in Zionist activities, and was on the publications committee of Jewish Publication Society and the National Committee of the Jewish Book Council of America. A prolific writer, Feldman penned more than 26 books, pamphlets, and articles.

Rabbi Feldman had a small but significant correspondence from three presidents on such topics as the contributions of Jews to American society, the refuge that the United States has provided, and their advocacy and defense of American institutions. We recently obtained this letter directly from the Feldman family; it has never been offered for sale before.

On May 14, 1948, twenty-four hours before Britain’s mandate to rule in Palestine was scheduled to end, Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben Gurion, proclaimed the independence of the state of Israel. The next day, over the determined opposition of Secretary of State George C. Marshall and others, President Truman extended full and unconditional recognition to the Israeli government. Even as it did so, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia went to war against the new Jewish state. The war dragged on into 1949, but by April of that year it was over. Israel was victorious and on May 11, and with American support Israel became the 59th member state in the United Nations. Truman was lionized by the Jewish community worldwide, which in the wake of the Holocaust, could barely believe that a Jewish state was emerging after 2,000 years of waiting.

Typed Letter Signed on White House letterhead, Washington, June 1, 1949, to Feldman as President of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. “I am pleased to send cordial greetings on the notable occasion of the sixtieth anniversary of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Founded as an association of American rabbis, its members have throughout the threescore years of its history, been eloquent and learned interpreters of their ancient and historic faith, and at the same time they have been most vigilant in the advocacy of the spiritual essence of American democracy and stalwart defenders of American institutions.  In the various communities where your men serve, they are distinguished by their learning, by their eloquence, and by their exemplary devotion to the well-being of all our citizens of all religious allegiances and loyalties. They are, and have been, servants of God and servants of their fellow men. May the Central Conference of American Rabbis, through its membership, continue to bless the people of the Synagogue and the people of the United States by a continuing dedication to religion and the values of faith.”    

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