CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF AMERICAN RABBIS (Reform)
The Central Conference of American Rabbis reaffirms its conviction that conscientious objection to military service is in accordance with the highest interpretation of Judaism and therefore petitions the Government of the United States to grant to Jewish religious conscientious objectors to war the same exemption from military service as has long been granted to members of the Society of Friends and similar religious organizations.
(Statement of the Central Conference, 1936)
Our conference, some years since, affirmed the right of the conscientious objectors to refuse, on religious and humanitarian grounds, to bear arms. The Conference does not recede from this attitude. This affirmation may still be invoked by those whose conscience will not allow them, under any circumstances, to bear arms. Nor must those who invoke it become the object of recrimination on the part of the many of us who will not agree with them.
(Statement of the Central Conference, 1940)
Acting out of commitment to the prophetic ideals of justice and peace, and acknowledging the duty of the individual to act in accordance with the highest ideals of morality, we hereby express our support of those who conscientiously dissent from the policy of our government in Vietnam and who refuse to cooperate with that policy.
(Statement of the Central Conference , 1968)
Over the past years the Central Conference of American Rabbis has spoken out on many occasions against the war in Southeast Asia. We believe that in doing so we have expressed the deep commitment of the Jewish tradition to a search for peace and the protection and enhancement of humanity.
We are deeply gratified by the cease-fire accord presently in force in Vietnam. It has brought cessation to a war we have long opposed and for which we saw neither moral nor legal sanction.
We express our most reverent hope that this cease-fire will ripen into an abiding and lasting peace, and that it will provide the needed opportunity to reconcile the deep domestic division s which so embitter our society. It is time now to "bind up the wounds of the nation."
It is to our considered judgment, based on the Jewish religious demand always to temper justice with mercy, that the first way to affect this healing process is by Congress's granting unconditional amnesty to those young men who refused to serve in the Vietnam war and so either went
to prison, resisted or deserted, or went into exile. The Congress of the United States has the power to grant amnesty as it has done on many occasions in the past. As we make peace with our enemies, let us also make peace with these, our youth.
The Central Conference of American Rabbis calls upon the Congress of the United States to grant unconditional amnesty as an act of reconciliation and compassion.
(Statement by the Central Conference, 1973)
Vietnamese Refugees and Amnesty 1975
WHEREAS we are heirs of a prophetic tradition which ever sought to repair the damaged world, and
WHEREAS in our efforts to restore the world to sanity we affirm the following position which we take knowing full well the complexity of such an issue but knowing also that we cannot be silent,
WHEREAS the Central Conference of American Rabbis has a long record of opposition to the Vietnam conflict,
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that we now express our special concern for the people and the land of Vietnam and seek the rebuilding of that devastated country just as we seek the healing of the wounds the war in Vietnam brought to our own country. We call for relief funds to be extended to Vietnam under multilateral auspices to insure their expenditure for the purposes granted. We deplore the sentiment in our own country which would close our gates to Vietnamese refugees or any refugee coming here to seek freedom. We call on congregations to take active part in the resettlement of refugees. We again call on Congress to grant unconditional amnesty to those who refused to serve in the Vietnam war and either went to prison, resisted, deserted or went into exile.
Amnesty (1976)
WHEREAS the wounds caused by the Vietnam War cannot be bound up until those who refused to serve are welcomed home,
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that we again call upon Congress and the President to grant unconditional amnesty to all who refused to serve in the Vietnam War and either went to prison, resisted, deserted, received less than an honorable discharge or went into exile.
Registration and the Draft
Whereas, We have previously recognized the right of both conscientious objection and selective conscientious objection to war; and
Whereas, Registration at this time is unnecessary; and
Whereas, Believing that the costs of such an action draw funds from needed social,
educational and economic programs that will make for social betterment;
Resolved, That the Central Conference of American Rabbis opposes the inauguration or implementation by our government of any national draft at this time. Similarly, we oppose the idea of registering our youth at this time for some future draft. We believe that should there arise some national emergency necessitating the mobilization of our population, sufficient techniques exist by which to effect that mobilization.
Further Resolved, That we urge our colleagues to provide counseling services to interested and affected individuals, and to advertise widely this service in and through the community, so that Jewish youth particularly might know where they might go for counseling that is based on the Jewish religious tradition.
(Resolution adopted at the 93rd Annual Convention, June-July, 1982)
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