Maurice Eisendrath

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Maurice Nathan Eisendrath
Born(1902-07-10)July 10, 1902
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedNovember 9, 1973(1973-11-09) (aged 71)
New York City, U.S.
Occupation(s)Rabbi, President of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, American activist

Maurice Nathan Eisendrath (July 10, 1902 – November 9, 1973) was a leader of American

U.S. Anti-war Movement of the 1960s. The Maurice N. Eisendrath Bearer of Light Award, one of the highest honors bestowed by the American Reform Movement, is named in his honor.[1]

Union of American Hebrew Congregations

In 1943, Eisendrath was called to

New York City.[4] During Eisendrath's 30-year tenure as the head of the UAHC, the number of Reform congregations within the UAHC grew considerably. In 1956, the UAHC had 536 congregations. By 1970 the number of congregations had grown to 706.[4] Eisendrath's tenure was also characterized by controversy based on his political views and activism. For instance, in 1967, Temple Emanu-El resigned from the UAHC because of "Eisendrath's bombastic public statements." At the time, Temple Emanu-El was not only the largest Reform Synagogue in the North America, it was also located directly next door to the UAHC headquarters.[4]

Opposition to the Vietnam War

In May 1965, Eisendrath included his opposition to the Vietnam War in his report to the UAHC Board of Trustees. He criticized the American government's effort to "stroll the world like 'a star-studded Texas sheriff' to impose our brand of law and order upon the entire world."[5] On April 24, 1967, Eisendrath, Martin Luther King Jr., and other cultural and religious leaders formed the peace action group, Negotiation Now.[5] On this same day, Eisendrath wrote a letter to Martin Luther King Jr. that is preserved by

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
.

Awards and recognition

  • Awarded the Gandhi Peace Award in 1961.[7]
  • The Maurice N. Eisendrath Bearer of Light Award is named in his memory.

Bibliography

  • Eisendrath, Maurice (1937). Where Jew and Christian Part. Holy Blossom Synagogue.
  • Eisendrath, Maurice (1939). The Never Failing Stream. Macmillan Canada.
  • Eisendrath, Maurice (1941). Reading in War-time. Macmillan.
  • Eisendrath, Maurice (1964). Can Faith Survive?:The Thoughts and Afterthoughts of an American Rabbi. McGraw-Hill.

References

  1. ^ "Union for Reform Judaism Grants and Awards". Union for Reform Judaism. 4 November 2019.
  2. ISBN 978-0807405253
    .
  3. ISBN 978-1851096381
    .
  4. ^ a b c Kaplan, Dana (2013). The New Reform Judaism: Challenges and Reflections. The Jewish Publication Society. pp. 73–74.
  5. ^
    ISBN 978-1580232739
    .
  6. ^ "Eisendrath, Maurice (1967). "Letter to Martin Luther King, Jr. about the Vietnam War".
  7. ^ Waskow, Arthur (1962). America in Hiding. Ballantine Books. pp. 89–90.
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