TABLE OF CONTENTS
Series A. CCAR Committee on the Chaplaincy. 1963-1975.
Series B. CCAR Committee on Homosexuality in the Rabbinate. 1977-1990.
A Finding Aid to the Selig Salkowitz Papers. 1963-2000.
Manuscript Collection No. 725
Introduction |
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| Repository: | The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives |
| Creator: | Salkowitz, Selig, b. 1929 |
| Title: | Selig Salkowitz Papers |
| Dates: | 1963-2000 |
| Quantity: | 2.4 linear ft. (6 Hollinger boxes) |
| Abstract: | Contains minutes, correspondence, reports, nearprint, and working papers associated with Salkowitz's service on committees of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), including the Committee on the Chaplaincy, the Committee on Homosexuality in the Rabbinate, and the Committee on Human Sexuality. |
| Collection Number: | MS-725 |
| Language: | Collection material in English. |
Biographical Sketch
Selig Salkowitz was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1929. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1950. He attended Hebrew Union College where he received a Bachelor of Hebrew Letters degree in 1952 and a Master of Hebrew Letters degree in 1954. Salkowitz later earned a Doctorate of Divinity at the New York Theological Seminary in 1970. In addition, he did independent study at the Oxford Center for Postgraduate Hebrew Studies, and obtained a Certificate in Pastoral Counseling from the Post Graduate Center for Mental Health in New York City.
Rabbi Salkowitz served as a Navy chaplain from 1954-1974, doing active duty in the Mariana Islands from 1954-1956, and reserve duty in the U.S. from 1956-1974. He also served on the Central Conference of American Rabbis' Chaplaincy Committee as well as on the National Jewish Welfare Board's Commission on Jewish Chaplaincy.
Salkowitz's other committee work for the CCAR included chairing the important Committee on Homosexuality in the Rabbinate (1986-1990) and co-chairing the Committee on Human Sexuality (1993-2000). Both of these committees explored questions of the place of gays and lesbians in the Reform movement, debating both inclusion in the rabbinate and whether to officiate and recognize marriages between same-sex couples. At the recommendation of the Committee on Homosexuality in the Rabbinate, the CCAR adopted a resolution in 1990 allowing openly gay and lesbian rabbis in the Reform rabbinate. In 2000, the CCAR adopted a resolution in support of rabbis who chose to officiate at same-sex ceremonies.
During his career as a pulpit rabbi, Dr. Salkowitz served Temple Beth El in Providence, Rhode Island (1956-1958), Temple Avoda, Fair Lawn, New Jersey (1958-1988) and Union Temple of Brooklyn, New York (1988-1992). He was also interim rabbi at Temple Israel of Stockton, California (1992-1993).
Scope and Content Note
The Selig Salkowitz Papers (1963-2000) consist of minutes, correspondence, reports, nearprint, and working papers associated with Salkowitz's service on several important committees of the CCAR, including the Committee on the Chaplaincy, the Committee on Homosexuality in the Rabbinate, and the Committee on Human Sexuality.
Arrangement Note
This collection is arranged in four (4) series:
- Series A. CCAR Committee on the Chaplaincy. 1963-1975.
- Series B. CCAR Committee on Homosexuality in the Rabbinate. 1977-1990.
- Series C. CCAR Committee on Human Sexuality. 1977-2000.
- Series D. Miscellaneous. 1979-1993.
Conditions of Access and Use
Terms of Access
The collection is restricted to the Executive Director of the American Jewish Archives.
Terms of Reproduction and Use
Copyright restrictions may apply. Authorization to publish, quote, or reproduce, with exceptions for fair use, may be obtained through the American Jewish Archives, Cincinnati, Ohio. Please address queries to the Executive Director of the American Jewish Archives. For more information, see the American Jewish Archives copyright information webpage.
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Footnotes and bibliographic references should refer to the Selig Salkowitz Papers and the American Jewish Archives. A suggestion for at least the first citation is as follows:
[Description], [Date], Selig Salkowitz Papers, MS-725, Box [#], Folder [#]. American Jewish Archives, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Provenance
The Selig Salkowitz Papers were received from Rabbi Selig Salkowitz, Fair Lawn, New Jersey, in 2001. Additional materials were donated by Rabbi Salkowitz in 2008.
Processing Information
Processed by Dorothy Smith, 2006, 2008. Additional processing by Kevin Proffitt, 2013.
Box Folder Listing
| Series C. CCAR Committee on Human Sexuality. 1977-2000. [1.5 Hollinger boxes] | |||||||||||
| Scope and Content Note: Records from this committee reflect work on the question of sanctioning same-sex unions in the Reform movement. Included are minutes, correspondence, survey responses, and nearprint. Also included is a small amount of material from Rabbi Salkowitz's earlier work with the Committee on Family Life and the Sub-Committee on Jewish Sexual Values. | |||||||||||
| Restriction Note: The collection is restricted to the Executive Director of the American Jewish Archives. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 5 | 1 | Committee on Family Life. 1977-1983. | |||||||||
| 5 | 2 | Sub-Committee on Jewish Sexual Values. 1978-1982. | |||||||||
| 5 | 3 | Committee on Human Sexuality. 1993-1995. | |||||||||
| 5 | 4 | Committee on Human Sexuality. 1996-1997. | |||||||||
| 5 | 5 | Committee on Human Sexuality. 1998-1999. | |||||||||
| 5 | 6 | Committee on Human Sexuality. 2000. | |||||||||
| 5 | 7 | CCAR Conference on Judaism and Sexual Values. Correspondence.1980-1982. | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 6 | 1 | CCAR Conference on Judaism and Sexual Values. Papers. 1980-1981. | |||||||||
| [An appendix of papers presented at this conference is available.] | |||||||||||
| 6 | 2 | Breakout session responses. 1996. | |||||||||
| 6 | 3 | Sexuality questionnaire and correspondence. 1979-1980. | |||||||||
Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the AJA's online catalog.