Renowned rabbi speaks on upcoming elections at Beth Am

With the Florida Republican primary elections less than two weeks away, Congregation Beth Am in Longwood is sponsoring a program at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 29 that will offer essential information for the informed Jewish voter.

“Hard Choices and the Upcoming Election” will address Jewish viewpoints on some of the hot political issues being discussed today. Rabbi Kassel Abelson, a nationally recognized speaker on Conservative Judaism, will present a Jewish perspective on abortion, health care and changing views on homosexuality in order to help Jews to answer the question, “If I want to support a candidate who promotes a Jewish view on an issue, then what is a Jewish outlook on that topic?”

Abelson is a nationally recognized speaker in Conservative Judaism. Ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1948, he has been serving congregations for the past 56 years. Since 1992, he has been rabbi emeritus at Beth El, a 1,350-family “community” in Minneapolis, where he started as an assistant rabbi in 1948. Among his many accomplishments during his years at Beth El was his organization of the youth program that formed the nucleus for today’s United Synagogue Youth. Abelson was honored by the National Youth Commission as a founder of USY.

Abelson is a past president of the Rabbinical Assembly of America, the international association of Conservative rabbis. He has served on the executive boards of the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency. He has also held positions in the Minnesota Rabbinical Association, the Urban Coalition, the World Council of Synagogues and many other local and national Jewish organizations.

He currently serves on the national executive board of the Rabbinical Assembly. He was chairman of the National Committee on Jewish Law and Standards (CLJS) of the Rabbinical Assembly for 15 years, longer than any other chair in the 112-year history of the Rabbinical Assembly. He has edited the CLJS Proceedings and Responsa 1991-2000, a publication of the CLJS that addressed many issues facing the contemporary Conservative rabbinate including synagogue practice, kashrut, organ donations, social issues and new technologies. Abelson is a recognized authority on bio-medical ethics.

He is highly regarded by rabbis in all Jewish movements throughout the world, and is respected as a rabbis’ rabbi.

Steve Leibowitz, president of Beth Am, said “These are challenging times for us as American Jews or Jewish-Americans. We will have choices in the upcoming election year; and we, at Beth Am, want to be at the forefront of educating Jews in our Central Florida community on how to make informed choices. Rabbi Ablelson’s program is the first of many dialogues that will take place at Beth Am this year. I encourage everyone who plans on casting a vote in the Florida primary election and in the national general election in November to attend with an open mind.”

There is no charge to attend this program and a light breakfast will be served. Call Beth Am at 407-862-3505 to reserve a seat at this event.

For more information “Hard Choices and the Upcoming Election” and the education opportunities at Beth Am, consult the synagogue website at www.CongBethAm.org.

Read this entire story in the print edition of the Heritage; call 407-834-8787 for more information.