Temple Emanu-El Congregation of New York, the largest Reform temple in the United States, has resigned from the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, the central body of Reform synagogues, it was disclosed today.
The resignation came as the climax of a long-time disagreement over the procedures of the UAHC in electing its board of trustees and other procedures. The 150-member board is made up of UAHC officers, officers of affiliated organizations, and members of congregations at large who are nominated by a committee appointed by the chairman of the board of the UAHC.
Alfred M. Bachrach, president of the temple board, said that the temple officers felt that the UAHC should be operated directly by the congregations, and that a majority of the UAHC board should therefore be direct appointees of the congregations.
The resignation cannot become effective until the next meeting of the UAHC General Assembly, in 1965. The temple has agreed to meet with a special UAHC committee to find a solution to the dispute before that date.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
