Jewish Outreach Papers, 1970-1999 (majority within 1979-1998)

Summary

Creator:

Belin, David W.

Abstract:

This collection contains the correspondence between David Belin and numerous influential Jewish philanthropists, writers, rabbis, and officials of Reform Jewish organizations on the topic of Jewish Outreach. It also contains writings, speeches, articles, newspaper clippings, and published materials about Jewish outreach topics. Well-represented subjects include conversion to Judaism, outreach to intermarried couples, rabbinic officiation of marriages between Jews and non-Jews, Jewish population studies, anti-Semitism in late 20th century United States, and Zionism in the Reform Judaic movement.

Extent:

19 Linear Feet

Language:

English

Authors:

Encoded finding aid prepared by Doris J. Malkmus, 2005

Background

Scope and Content:

The David Belin Jewish Outreach Papers measure 19.1 linear feet and date from 1970-1999. This collection consists primarily of papers related to Belin's leadership in promoting Reform Jewish outreach. The collection is arranged in six series: Correspondence; Organizations; Manuscripts, Typescripts, and Notes; Topical Files; Publications; and Audiocassettes. The Correspondence series consists of letters Belin exchanged with major figures within Reform Judaism. This series includes a rich exchange of ideas, opinions, plans, writings, and reports. The Organizations series reflects Belin's accomplishments while an officer and member of the boards and committees of several Jewish organizations. The Manuscripts, Typescripts and Notes series reveals Belin as an accomplished writer and speaker and also includes many writings and speeches by others. The Topical Files series includes newsletters, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, and other publications that Belin filed according to subject. Topical files that pertain to specific organizational activities are filed in the Organizations series. The Publications series consists of journals, magazines, and monographs about Judaism in general; materials published by individual organizations are included in their respective Organizations series. The Audiocassettes series includes 17 audiocassettes. Some are recordings of Belin, while others are recordings of convention speakers, board meetings, interviews, and commercially produced educational tapes.

The arrangement within each series follows the filing system used by Belin wherever possible. Belin filed most of his correspondence by the organization it concerned. Thus the Correspondence series consists of correspondence in general while the Organizations series includes the correspondence about organizational matters--although there is considerable overlap. Each organization also has topical files and publications that Belin filed according to the related organization. The exception to this rule is that all manuscript/typescript speeches and writings by Belin and others has been separated into a separate Manuscripts, Typescripts, and Notes series. This has permitted the writings and speeches to be arranged alphabetically by author. Correspondence that accompanied a typescript has been kept with it.

Biographical / Historical:

David William Belin, attorney, activist, and author, was born in Washington, D.C., June 20, 1928 and raised in Sioux City, Iowa. At age 18, he joined the Army and served in Korea and Japan. In 1951 he matriculated at the University of Michigan, receiving a B.A. in 1951 M.B.A. in 1953 and J.D in 1954--each with high distinction. He married Constance Newman, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, on September 14, 1952. They moved to Des Moines, Iowa, and raised five children, Jonathan, James, Joy, Thomas, and Laura. Constance Newman Belin died in 1980. Twelve years later, he married Barbara Ross and they lived in New York City and Des Moines.

After graduation from law school, he joined the law firm of Herrick and Langdon in Des Moines. The firm became Herrick, Langdon, Sandblom & Belin in 1962. He became a senior partner in Belin, Harris, Langdon & Helmick in 1966 and was a senior partner in Belin, Lamson, McCormick, Zumbach, Flynn from 1978 to 1999. He served as a Trustee for Kemper Mutual Funds and on the Board of Directors of other corporations.

Belin had a wide range of public service appointments, beginning in January 1964 when U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren appointed him as Counsel to the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, also known as the Warren Commission. He became a vocal advocate of the Warren Commission conclusion that a "single gunman acting alone" had assassinated President Kennedy. In 1975 President Gerald Ford appointed him Executive Director of the Rockefeller Commission on CIA Activities Within the United States.

David Belin played a leadership role in the Reform Judaism movement, particularly in the development of national outreach programs to interfaith couples, to the religiously non-preferenced, and to converts to Judaism. In 1978 Belin was appointed chairman of the newly formed Union of American Hebrew Congregation (UAHC) -- Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) Task Force on Reform Outreach. He chaired this committee until 1988 when he stepped down and co-found the Jewish Outreach Institute (JOI) with City University of New York Professor Dr. Egan Meyer. He served as President of JOI from its founding until his untimely death in 1999. JOI worked across denominational lines and internationally. Belin continued to write assiduously on the topic of Jewish Outreach and he appeared nationally and internationally as a speaker. In addition to his leading role in Jewish outreach, Belin was an active fundraiser and a member of the search committee to nominate a successor to UAHC President Rabbi Alexander Schindler. Belin also served in leadership positions in other organizations, notably as Chairman of the North American Board of the World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) and Vice-Chairman and Secretary of the Jewish Foundation for Christian Rescuers (JFCR).

He was active in a broad range of civic endeavors. He was instrumental in the development of the Connie Belin National Center for Gifted Education at the University of Iowa. In Des Moines, he served as President of the Jewish Community Center and President of the Bureau of Jewish Education. From 1993-1999 he served on the board of directors of the National Association of Gifted Children.

In addition to his service work, Belin authored three books and numerous articles. He wrote two books about the Kennedy assassination, November 22, 1963 You Are the Jury (1973) and Final Disclosure: The Full Truth About the Assassination of President Kennedy (1988). In 1991 he published his last bookLeaving Money Wisely. His articles were published in a range of magazines and newspapers including The New York Times and theNational Review. He appeared on national television programs including "Meet the Press," "Face the Nation," and "Firing Line."

Belin won numerous awards, including the Henry M. Bates Memorial Award, in 1954 from the University of Michigan Law School, the Young Leadership Award of the American Association for Jewish Education, and the Brotherhood Award from the National Conference of Christians and Jews, in 1978.

• The New York Times, January 18, 1999 p B8. Pro-Quest Historical Newspapers, The New York Times (1987-Current file); January 18, 1999 p B8. (Viewed through the University of Michigan Library Electronic Resources, May 26, 2005.)
• "David Belin," Marquis Who's Who on the Web. (Viewed through the University of Michigan Library Electronic Resources, May 31, 2005.)
• Other biographical sources found in collection.

Organizational ProfilesAssociation of Reformed Zionists of America (ARZA) was organized as part of the Reform movement in 1978 to bring Reform convictions to Zionism. Its seeks to build strong connections to Reform counterparts in Israel in order to strengthen Reformist principles of voluntarism, pluralism, Jewish unity, social ethics, and universal concern within Israel. Its name changed to ARZA/WORLD UNION, in 1998 with the merger of ARZA, ARZA Canada, and the North American Board of the World Union for Progressive Judaism. ARZA and the World Union for Progressive Judaism separated, in 2004.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) was founded by concerned Jews in 1906 to promote pluralistic and democratic societies where all minorities are protected. The AJC operates offices around the world, providing an international think tank and advocacy organization that identifies trends and problems and facilitates effective and appropriate responses.

Central Conference of Rabbis (CCAR) was established in 1889 and together with the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (now Union for Reform Judaism) and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion forms the three institutional pillars of Reform Judaism. In 2005 the CCAR numbered more than 1800 rabbis serving more than 900 congregations and innumerable chaplaincies. Its members serve throughout the world.

Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) is the educational and intellectual center of Reform Judaism. It maintains four centers: Hebrew Union College, founded in 1875 in Cincinnati; the Jewish Institute of Religion, founded by Rabbi Stephen Wise in 1922 in New York; a third center located in Los Angeles; and a fourth branch operating in Israel since 1963.

Jewish Foundation of Christian Rescuers (JFCR), was founded, in 1986 by Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis as an arm of the Anti-Defamation League of the B'nai B'rith. Its purpose is to provide financial assistance to individuals who rescued Jews during World War Two. It was renamed the Jewish Foundation of the Righteous in 1996 when it separated from the Anti-Defamation League. The JFCR fulfills the traditional Jewish commitment to Halarat Hatov, the searching out and recognition of goodness. In addition, to providing financial assistance, the JFCR maintains aneducational program about the history of the Holocaust for middle and high school teachers.

Jewish Outreach Institute (JOI) was founded in 1988 by David Belin (Board President) and Dr. Egon May er (Director). The Jewish Outreach Institute promotes Jewish outreach through innovative programming, surveys and research, sponsoring national conferences, and publishing educational materials. JOI has drawn national attention to the importance of including the intermarried in the Jewish community.

Temple B'nai Jeshrun, located in Des Moines, it is the largest congregation of Reform Judaism in Iowa. David and Connie Belin were members of the congregation from the early 1950s until their respective deaths.

Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC), renamed the Union for Reform Judaism in 2003 is the central, congregational body of the Reform Movement in North America. Founded in Cincinnati, in 1873 by Rabbi Isaac May er Wise, it is the largest Jewish movement in North America with over 900 congregations. As the congregational arm of the movement, the General Assembly, Board of Trustees, and its standing and ad hoc committees, provide leadership and vision on spiritual, ethical, and political issues. Rabbi Alexander M. Schindler, served as its president until 1996 followed by Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie. The Union is divided into operational departments with 250 professional staff members. Belin worked with the Education, Endowment, Investment, Presidential Search, Social Action, and Strategic Planning Committees.

UAHC-CCAR Task Force on Reform Jewish Outreach was authorized by UAHC President Schindler in December 1978 in response to the Jonestown massacre. David Belin from the UAHC and Max Shapiro of the CCAR were its first co-chairs; Belin continued as chair until 1988. Initially, the commission was organized into subcommittees, with each subcommittee assigned to investigate one of five areas of inquiry--the needs of non-Jewish partners in a mixed marriage, the children of mixed marriages, people seeking conversion to Judaism, recent converts to Judaism, and Americans with no religious preference. The Task Force created a Special Report on Reform Jewish Outreach in 1981 drafted largely by Sandford Seltzer, Director of Special Projects at CCAR. After 1981 the Task Force continued to develop programs, sponsor conferences, and develop educational materials and publications. The commission also provided educational materials to rabbis and congregations regarding the needs of converts. It also supported discussion and research into doctrinal areas such as patrilinear descent and rabbinic officiation for marriage between Jews and non-Jews. Lydia Kukoff served as its first director and Dru Greenberg as its second.

World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) This organization represents the international arm of Reform Judaism. Reform Judaism had relatively few congregations outside the United States and had repudiated Zionism until the 1970s. Consequently, the UAHC had few direct ties with the Israeli government or displaced Jews desiring a permanent homeland. Belin was influential in organizing the North American Board of WUPJ to build stronger ties between Israel and North American Reform Judaism.

Acquisition Information:

Papers were donated by Thomas R. and Laura Belin in 2004.

Processing information:

Collection processed and finding aid created by Doris J. Malkmus, 2005.

Arrangement:

The David Belin Jewish Outreach Papers are arranged in six series: Correspondence; Organizations; Manuscripts, Typescripts and Notes ; Topical Files; Publications; and Audiocassettes.

1. Speeches -- Box 15
2. Writings -- Box 15
3. Notes -- Box 15

Related

Additional Descriptive Data:

Related Collections:

The political papers of David Belin were donated to the Gerald Ford Presidential Library in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Subjects

Click on terms below to find any related finding aids on this site.

Subjects:

Judaism -- United States -- 20th century
Reform Judaism -- United States -- 20th century
Reform Judaism -- Israel -- 20th century
Reform Judaism -- United States -- History
Interfaith marriage (Jewish law) -- United States
Marriage (Jewish law) -- United States
Conversion -- Judaism -- United States -- 20th century
Demographic surveys -- United States -- 20th century
Homosexuality -- Religious aspects -- Judaism
African Americans -- Relations with Jews -- United States
Antisemitism -- United States -- 20th century

Formats:

Audiocassettes
Articles
Drafts (documents)
Correspondence
Magazines (periodical)
Manuscripts
Monographs
Newsletters
Newspaper clippings
Notes
Pamphlets
Sermons
Speeches
Transcripts

Names:

ARZA/WORLD UNION, North America
Central Conference of American Rabbis
Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
Jewish Outreach Institute
Temple B'nai Jeshurun (Des Moines, Iowa)
Union of American Hebrew Congregations
World Union for Progressive Judaism
American Jewish Committee
B'nai B'rith. Anti-defamation League
Jewish Museum (New York, N.Y.)
Union of American Hebrew Congregations. Board of Trustees
World Union for Progressive Judaism. American Board
Belin, David W.
Foxman, Abraham H.
Glaser, Joseph B.
Greenwood, Dru
Kukoff, Lydia
Kulwin, Clifford M.
Linowitz, Sol M., 1913-
Mayer, Egon, 1944-
Merians, Melvin
Mihaly, Eugene
Schindler, Alexander M.
Syme, Daniel B.
Walter, Jacob, 1930-
Yoffie, Eric H.