Albert Vorspan

Albert Vorspan (February 12, 1924 - February 16, 2019) was an American author and long-time leader of Reform Judaism. He was director emeritus of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism.[1][2] and served as senior vice president of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, the predecessor organization of the Union of Reform Judaism, at the time of his retirement in 1993.[3]

Vorspan was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. He fought in the US Navy during World War II.[4]

In 1964, Vorspan was arrested and jailed with a group of Reform rabbis who at the request of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. joined in the civil rights protests in St. Augustine, Florida.[4]

In 1966, his criticism of the war in Vietnam was condemned by Sen. Thomas J. Dodd, a member of the Senate Subcommittee on Internal Security, as reflecting "a vociferous minority" rather than mainstream Jewish opinion.[5]

In 1988, at the outbreak of the first Palestinian intifada, he criticized Israeli government policy.[6] In a series of diary entries published in the New York Times Magazine,[7] he wrote, "Whether we accept it or not, every night's television news confirms it: Israelis now seem the oppressors, Palestinians the victims."

In response, Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Organizations, accused him of "too much public posturing and too little private discourse."[6]

Legacy

Union for Reform Judaism senior adviser Rabbi David Saperstein called Vorspan "one of the g’dolei hador, or 'great ones', of Jewish social justice work."[4] URJ President Rabbi Rick Jacobs described Vorspan as "one of the towering giants of Jewish social justice."[4]

Family

Several of Vorspan's family members are also active in the Jewish community. His brother, Max Vorspan, who died in June 2002, was an American rabbi, professor, historian, and administrator at the American Jewish University, and leader in the Los Angeles Jewish community. His nephew, Rabbi David Vorspan, is Founding Rabbi of Congregation Shir Ami in Woodland Hills, California, and Founding Rabbi of de Toledo High School in West Hills, California.

Vorspan was married to Shirley Vorspan for 72 years until her death on August 27, 2018.[8]

Books
  • Albert Vorspan and David Saperstein. Jewish dimensions of social justice : tough moral choices of our time New York, NY.: UAHC Press, 1998. ISBN 0-8074-0650-3.

References
  1. "Rabbi Alexander M. Schindler 1925-2000". reformjudaismmag.net. RJ Magazine 3/01. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  2. "Remembering Al Vorspan: The Prophet Who Loved To Laugh". ReformJudaism.org. 2019-02-17. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  3. "Focus on Issues: Reform Movement Looks Ahead to New Directions, New Leaders | Jewish Telegraphic Agency". archive.jta.org. Jewish Telegraphic Agency. February 13, 1995. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  4. Oster, Marcy. "Al Vorspan, Jewish social justice leader for the Reform movement, dies at 95". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  5. "Stand of Reform Congregations on Vietnam Denounced in Senate | Jewish Telegraphic Agency". www.jta.org. Jewish Telegraphic Agency. May 27, 1966. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  6. "Jewish Leaders Debate the Costs of Disunity on Israeli Policies | Jewish Telegraphic Agency". archive.jta.org. Jewish Telegraphic Agency. May 10, 1988. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  7. Vorspan, Albert (May 8, 1988). "SOUL-SEARCHING". The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  8. "Shirley Vorspan". hudsonvalleyone.com. hv1. August 28, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
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