The delegation released a statement which was handed to Hungarian Foreign Minister János Martonyi as well. Below is the text of the statement:
“The Rabbinic Cabinet of The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) represents approximately 900 rabbis from across the spectrum of Jewish religious movements in North America. Rabbis of all the representative movements of North American Jewry are a part of the Rabbinic Cabinet of JFNA, including rabbis from the reform Jewish Movement (Union of Reform Judaism – URJ).
The Reform Jewish Movement (URJ) is a well known and recognized stream of Judaism within North America and around the world through the World Union for Progressive Judaism. Their synagogues and rabbis play an active, important and positive role in the overall community of Judaism within North America. In fact, worldwide, the World Union for Progressive Judaism, and the URJ in North America, consists of approximately 1,200 congregations, with more than 1,8 million members in 45 countries on six continents.
The Rabbis in our Rabbinic Cabinet of JFNA represent the Orthodox, Conservative and Reform movements. We work cooperatively and respectfully together here in North America for the good of the entire North American Jewish community even while maintaining some ideological differences. One example of this interdenominational Jewish cooperation is the delegation of 30 rabbis from the Rabbinic Cabinet of JFNA that comes on a fact-finding mission to Hungary this month.
We, the Rabbinic Cabinet of the Jewish Federations of North America strongly urge recognition of the Union of Hungarian Reform Jewish Congregations (Magyar Reform Zsidó Hitközségek Szövetsége), which is affiliated with the World Union for Progressive Judaism, as a recognized Jewish movement in Hungary.
It is our hope, and fervent prayer, that the Union Of Hungarian Reform Jewish Congregations will be accepted as a legitimate Jewish movement in Hungary.
Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt, Potomac, Maryland, Chair of the Rabbinic Cabinet
Rabbi Lester Bronstein, White Plains, N.Y., V.P. of the Rabbinic Cabinet
Rabbi Larry Kotok, Rochester, N.Y., V.P. of the Rabbinic Cabinet
Rabbi Fredrick Klein, Miami, Florida, V.P. of the Rabbinic Cabinet
Rabbi Steven Lindemann, Cherry Hill, N.J., V.P. of the Rabbinic Cabinet
Rabbi Gerald I. Weider, Director of the Rabbinic Cabinet
The Jewish Federations of North America
347-416-2211
rabbiweider@Jewishfederations.org”
