Yakov Hilsenrath, rabbi emeritus at the Highland Park Conservative Temple-Congregation Anshe Emeth, made a plea for Jewish unity and funding of Jewish education during the annual Louis Rockoff Lecture.
November 18, 2008
A veteran local rabbi urged Jews to put aside their denominational differences to ensure the survival of their institutions in a difficult economic time.
Rabbi Yakov Hilsenrath, rabbi emeritus of Highland Park Conservative Temple-Congregation Anshe Emeth, also said local needs, especially Jewish education, must become a higher priority on the Jewish agenda, higher perhaps then support for Israel.
“American Jewry at this point is basically sound, and Israel at this point is basically sound — not rich, but sound,” said Hilsenrath, delivering the annual Louis Rockoff Lecture at the synagogue on Nov. 3. “But Jewish education in this country today is dying of hunger.”
Despite his having grandchildren serving in the Israel Defense Forces and his years of pleading from the pulpit for funds for Israel, Hilsenrath said that day school and adult education must become a priority. If not, “in another 50 years there won’t even be an American-Jewish community to be concerned about Israel. Unless there is an existing American-Jewish community with strong political power, I fear for the future of Israel.”
The rabbi said that in times of scarcity, Jewish law and tradition assert that giving to the poor in one’s own community takes precedence over giving to the poor of the Holy Land. After giving much “serious and careful” thought to that injunction, Hilsenrath said, he could only conclude that despite being a “devoted Zionist who has lived his life doing everything I could to help Israel” since its founding in 1948, “the greater priority” was the local community.
Local day schools — including Solomon Schechter Day School of Raritan Valley and Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva — have had to dip more deeply into precious scholarship funds as families have been hit hard by the tough economic climate, he said.
If Jewish education is allowed to fall by the wayside, the community is even more likely to be swallowed up by assimilation and intermarriage, said the rabbi, and to lose any child of any denomination in such a way, diminishes the community as a whole.
“It should be the priority for all of us regardless of our religious identity. I am proud to be part of the Conservative community of Raritan Valley. But at the same time, isn’t it also my responsibility — should something happen at [Orthodox] Congregation Ahavas Achim — to help the children at [Orthodox] Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva?”
Hilsenrath noted that the current HPCT rabbi, Eliot Malomet, was not attending the lecture because he was conducting an adult education program at Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple, a Reform synagogue in New Brunswick.
“Brotherhood in action,” said Hilsenrath. “Are we not all part of the same Jewish community?”
He also urged the community to unite on areas of common concern, such as support for Israel and social service needs.
“We need to come together as a community, and, with the economy, we need to do it now or we are all in trouble,” said Hilsenrath. “All our children are in trouble. All our social services need our support or it will be a catastrophe.”
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