At a rabbinical conference in 1941 three individuals sat down and talked about a very real problem: Jewish Conscientious Objectors languishing in prisons across the United States because they objected to participation in military service. Just as sad, many of their families and friends, as well as every Jewish organization, had turned their backs on them. Only the Quakers stepped forward to offer some humane connection with these Jewish COs.
The three people who met and talked about the situation were Jane Evans, a Jewish communal worker; Rabbi Isidor Hoffman, Jewish chaplain at Columbia University, and Rabbi Abraham Cornbach of Hebrew Union College. The three decided it was time for an organization dedicated to convincing the Jewish community of its Judaic and moral obligation to Jewish men who refused to kill.
Before long, many rabbis and others joined together to form the Jewish Peace Fellowship. Seventy-two years later the JPF is alive and well. Our first newsletter, Tidings, was issued in August 1942 and continued as Shalom, and is now our online newsletter. We are among the very few consistent voices for nonviolence and peace in American Jewish life.
The JPF unites those who believe that Jewish ideals and experience provide inspiration for a commitment to life that shuns violence. Drawing upon the traditional roots of Judaism and upon its meaning in the world today, the JPF maintains an active program of draft and peace education, opposition to war, and belief in the reconciliation of Israeli Jews and Palestinians.
It’s our birthday at the Jewish Peace Fellowship. And for every birthday there should be gifts! So this year, please give a few minutes of your time and your generosity (tzedaka) and deepen your involvement. We love to read the thoughts of our readers and invite you to send them to us for Shalom. You may discover other JPF members in your area. And if possible, send a donation to the JPF to insure that we continue for another seventy-two years.