Federation president Morton Katz defers action on opening membership from strictly Jewish to Federation. (Photo by Dean Shapiro)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Federation president Morton Katz made the announcement at the beginning of the meeting held at the Uptown Jewish Community Center. It preceded discussion from the floor that appears to indicate the path to ratification of an amendment to that effect may be a rocky one. Comments from several members in the audience \u2013 including one participant who called it a \u201cPandora\u2019s box\u201d \u2013 revealed how thorny an issue this has the potential to become when it is taken up by Federation\u2019s Board of Trustees at its December 17 meeting.<\/p>\n
The crux of the issue revolves around the definition of what constitutes a \u201cJewish household\u201d and whether or not that definition can be expanded to include non-Jews who are or were formerly members of Jewish households. Under Article III, Section 2 of Federation\u2019s Articles of Incorporation it states:<\/p>\n
All persons of the Jewish faith who are over the age of majority, support the mission of the Corporation, and who contribute to the Corporation\u2019s Annual Campaign shall be members of the Corporation from the date on which the contribution is made through the end of the fiscal year succeeding the fiscal year during which the contribution is made.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The proposed amendment to the section would add the words \u201cand members or former members of their households\u201d after the opening words, \u201cAll persons of the Jewish faith.\u201d This wording addition which, in effect, expands the definition of a \u201cJewish household,\u201d Katz explained, \u201cwill make us (the Federation) more inclusive.\u201d<\/p>\n
That wording, he noted, will make it possible for widows and widowers of Jews or former spouses who are no longer married to Jews to become Federation members as long as they meet the other membership requirements of supporting the Federation\u2019s mission and making an annual financial contribution.
\n\u201cThere are many officers, past and present of our Federation, who are married to non-Jews or have spouses who are non-Jewish,\u201d Katz told the audience gathered in the auditorium of the Jewish Community Center on St. Charles Avenue. \u201cSome of those spouses would like to participate in the Federation, whether it be on committees or whether it be on the Board. Studies are showing there\u2019s more intermarriage than ever before in the Jewish community. And we don\u2019t want to lose those people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Citing figures that show households of intermarried Jews and non-Jews as high as 40 percent, Katz added. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to turn them away. We have to look toward the future of what\u2019s happening amongst Jews worldwide. I\u2019m not telling you how I feel; that\u2019s how the Board feels.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also cited examples from other U.S. cities where this issue has been resolved to include non-Jews who are or were formerly members of Jewish households. He was careful to note that this does not open up membership to any non-Jew who wants to join the Federation, nor does it automatically open up membership on the Federation Board to them. Board membership will still have to be earned through diligent, sustained service to the Jewish community, he added.<\/p>\n
However, despite these reassurances, some trepidation was voiced among several of those present, particularly over how the word \u201chousehold\u201d is defined within the wording of the amendment. One audience member worried that someone fitting the definition of a \u201cformer member of a Jewish household\u201d who converted out of the faith could still qualify for membership and he suggested that the new wording be limited to \u201cwidows and widowers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Katz explained that the amendment is worded the way it is because it will hopefully include other household arrangements such as unmarried partners. However, he acknowledged that the final wording might be \u201cfine-tuned\u201d to be more specific.
\nAnother audience member asked about the possibility of a straw poll being taken on the issue but Katz noted that this option has already been considered and decided against. \u201cIt might be misinterpreted. Someone looking at that might think we actually voted and we\u2019re not,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n
Still another audience member expressed reservations over the language of the proposed amendment, particularly as it applies to the criteria defining a member or former member of a Jewish household. \u201cWho is going to determine who is a member of or a former member of a household? You are opening Pandora\u2019s box to a lot of discomfort and perhaps to even litigation,\u201d the speaker noted.<\/p>\n
The final speaker from the floor, Rabbi Edward Paul Cohn of Temple Sinai, while not expressing a stand on the issue, thanked and congratulated the Board for taking up the task. He suggested that a new subcommittee be formed to \u201cexamine all of the intricacies of the feelings about the Jewish-ness of these individuals and all of the implications that have bothered people. I think, between now and December 17, there should be plenty of time to provide wording that people can examine and come to this meeting with a degree of intelligence, articulate their feelings and be qualified to vote on it,\u201d Cohn said.<\/p>\n
The meeting at which the vote on the issue will occur will be at 6:00 p.m., December 17, at the Goldring-Woldenberg Facility in Metairie.<\/p>\n
![\"Katz_Morton0916\"](\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Katz_Morton0916.jpg\")