This is a machine-generated transcript. Text is unformatted and may contain errors.
There on I'm a wagon members of the committee religious leaders friends my purpose is chairman of this meeting is merely to call to order and to introduce the various members of the program I should do that as briefly insistently as possible it has been suggested that I make several comments relative to each of the speakers or participants as they come here to the rostrum at this point I'm going to call upon the Reverend Dr William Rosenblum the rabbi emeritus of Temple Israel who is going to give the invocation Rabbi Rosenblum is one of the original members of the committee of religious leaders since its inception in the year one thousand nine hundred fifty nine he has certainly been energetic tireless and overwhelmingly advantageous to the work of the committee my lord a Tory comment is most brief and simple in the early days of one nine hundred fifty nine at which I was privileged to be present in the natural ineptness and awkward as you might say of a group this meeting together for the first time regularly and consistently was Rabbi Rosen plumes geniality directness and gracious good human that set the tone of warmth which enable us to work so effectively over these past years rabbit Rosenblum will now give the invocation since we are of all faiths shall we pause for a moment then first each of us in our own way for thought of prayer our God and God of our fathers. The source of all blessing and we are grateful on this stage to be able to render praise on to one who has brought blessing to our community a man who had the vision some time ago to realize that a government of politics is not a low enough and all material blessing sufficient but most important of all the spiritual goals that the community must seek and so was prompted to call us and to be to serve the sacred cause. Throughout the years we have worked with him and he has worked with us so that today in many ways our city is better its ideals continue to be greater and our hopes for realisation always better grant then as he leaves the service in the city that he receives the blessing of health and happiness from self and his loved ones continue to work in a spirit of dedication and always to have the help of men like ourselves with all ministers of different phase out of one faith seeking to bring to our community to our nation and to our world the blessings of peace the blessings of faith those blessings which in the name of the greatest bounties of all men and on. Another charter member of the committee of religious leaders is the Reverend Dr Daniel Potter executive director of the Protestant Council of the city of New York Dr Part of course himself has been tireless and energetic and these words can be said of every man who will be presented to you this afternoon but I would like to state that our greatest contribution from Dr Potter is the realization that through the work of the committee of religious leaders a Protestant president good friends have been able to finally enumerate songs of problem as he was a Catholic very very in order to pray in one particular occasion for the work of the committee is well known to the majority of us here present Dr Potter in very brief fashion which is simply express the motivation behind its founding by his honor the mayor and some statements concerning its work done O'Brien and. Mayor Wagner distinguished colleagues ladies and gentleman my charge is to give a very brief history of the function of this committee its origin and some of the trials that it has gone through long before the word ecumenical became a household word throughout the world there developed close to interfaith cooperation here in New York City ten years ago in one thousand fifty five in an interfaith committee was formed in the New York City Youth Board and held many meetings studying the relationship of the moral and ethical values of our faiths that we hold in common in relation to the motivations and behavior patterns of young people and adults this question was especially important as the entire city and the nation faced a spectacular growth in crime and juvenile delinquency in one thousand fifty seven Mayor Robert F. Wagner whom we honor today invited representatives of the Protestant council city of New York the New York Court of rabbis and Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York to meet with him to consider the role of religious leaders in helping to lift the moral and ethical standards of our city as well as to help in the Control and Prevention of the social ills which at that time were on such a raw it's resulting from this conference the committee of religious leader was formed in one thousand fifty eight in one nine hundred fifty nine with official representatives designated by the Queen's Federation of churches the diocese of Brooklyn of the Roman Catholic Church the New York Court of rabbis the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York and the Protestant Council of the city of New York in the course of these intervening years this committee grew from its very modest inception to its present membership now of more than two hundred cards human. While it was the startling increase in crime and juvenile delinquency which prompted Mayor Wagner to call us together we realized almost from the beginning that the growth of crime in general and the apparent decline of the ethical standards of our community must be due in large measure to forces and influences in our city which affect the minds and mores of our people as a whole we recognize that no one cause could be charged for this deterioration but rather that our churches and synagogues our homes and schools are public officials and communal agencies and because of the strategic power and position they occupied in reaching the eyes and ears of our people our mass communication media all shared in what was happening to our city we started our discussion with people in the newspapers motion pictures magazines television and radio because of the conviction that aside from the home the school and religion they constituted a first line of effective influence in molding the character of our people are adults as well as you. The committee enlarged and divided into many subcommittees at one point we had fifteen such committees Committee on achievement of use Committee of the nation of salacious literature the committee on moral and ethical values of education committee on public entertainment the committee on newspapers Committee on radio and television the committee on the responsibility of home and neighborhood the Committee on Public Information and then the Committee on religion and rights and disappoint in our history immediately it was seen that the whole area of integration was a very major area of concern and subsequent to that major conference held about three years ago the committee these following subcommittees came into being the committee on Civil Rights Committee on Education Subcommittee on employment Committee on Health and Welfare Committee on housing Subcommittee on life of the church and synagogue these committees are major responsibilities we encourage every power structure in our city to carry its rightful share of responsibility. In lifting the moral and ethical standards of our trials as well as confronting as effectively as possible the forces of corruption and social sects there is a wide gap between the Judio Christian ideals and the moral climate and behavior within our city our democratic way of life is based upon the religious convictions of our heritage family integrity justice honesty self-discipline respect for the rights of others and the Ten Commandments these ideals must become more vocal more articulate in our society and culture if they are really to be discovered acquired accepted and developed in our youth. During the life of this committee three important conferences have been hell the first was in May of one nine hundred sixty two it was entitled A dialogue on the mass media and the moral. The second the metropolitan New York Conference on Religion rights this was held on February twenty fifth one thousand nine hundred sixty four and attended by more than two thousand five hundred community leaders and the last was in May thirty nine conflicts to five on an all day seminar on the turtle Commandments and I came to. The Kyle ocean continuous work of these fifteen commemoration Now some of them from buying for the Ark over the passion there's about ten eleven has been made possible by the Continental Shelf shock official of the staff of The New York for the you for which you have acted as a secretary for this committee from the very beginning it was needless to say that little ecumenical work could happen to those without the valuable and Jennifer thanks for the. Way on the first committee and you further shows that the course which is later broadened and deepened by the out of the author. With a shotgun and his very able and conscientious. Mayor Wagner from the very beginning has given conscientious encouragement to the efforts of this committee he has opened great financing for many meetings both of the major committees and from when you have to come to the new facts to hear reports and give a good commendation and encourage that's always been the most personal involvement a lot of keeping track of and yet at no time the news Kenya has ever been an in-flight movie to exploit this committee in any way for political purposes I shall never forget the night of the band with its climax a conference on religion right now that the grand bargain. Now I go with president and daughter's official green encouragement and then after that you can order for him to be at the bedside of his late wife. Who's days were numbered far more closely than one of the three alive even in such a critical moment of. Time to get the committee heard. Throughout the years with fields I know you know well and I appreciate why one who has given far beyond the call of his office you know to the moral and ethical standards I feel. Like a pattern self have to introduce. Because predicated upon the fact that the mayor in the his administration of the city of New York manifests himself as a man of great ideals and I am thinking and yet at the practical realism whereby I was able to meet daily problems of such a complex organization as a city of New York at the inception of the committee vigorously the mayor did not expect the number of tradesmen would get together to pronounce lofty truths but to do something very real and something practically concerning the problems confronting city for this purpose he put out disposal the New York City Board to act as a secretary and as Dr Potter emphasized so wonderfully and clearly merely to be of assistance and not of any way to formulate OK the activities of the committee of co-operation have been that because. Without them ever copying could not have been complex where so please bear with us today the honorable the Rajah's who was with us from the very beginning of the committee over the past three years the executive director of The New York City you Flora. And Phil Bryant a Wagner that includes me and encouraging the ladies and gentlemen I love to express my profound thanks to the man for appointing. A secretary to the very important committee when I said I don't think many. Religious leaders are the. One of the most important if not the most important committee. Today we are confronted on all sides with materialism and men who are not only concerned with the present like and tell us something about the future for they concerned with us and our problems of everyday living in line with May Wagner's philosophy in working with all areas of the community of helping to develop the positive finding the negative and directing it towards the positive has only not only in cars the physical has brought forth a mile in the earth. We have the combination of the spirit. As a working together for the benefit of individuals and families and neighborhoods certainly we have. What a thing and hopefully for a good spiritual tomorrow I would like to also express my personal appreciate and gratitude for the opportunity of working with and then there's a very distinguished committee and there was a song a few years ago that I think great popularity and passion and. They worked together. Worked on the philosophy and you. And reaching out and planning way of helping people around the important problems that confront us today and I'd like to thank Mr De Niro and his staff. I would like to point out. For a male member that I think that's. The type of membership that he was going to work with and I don't blame them. Combined. With the fencing. In my heart I thank you. For the dynamic problems that's. In it and following I say your. Compassion. And their willingness to. Bring you home with the help of your membership. In the not that you'll continue in. The world of. The Klan Federation. Again and. Again and again a great contribution to the committee. And. Compassion and the third chapter of the book of the future. I have seen the business God has given to the man. To be busy he has made everything beautiful image. What eternity in the man's mind. I know that there is nothing better for them than the big happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live. I know that whatever God endures for ever nothing can be. Anything away from me God has made it so in order that man well for him. There was wickedness. And then the question. Was within. The right and away. From the sons of men. For every man for everything in the richest nation and every matter under heaven. And in. Time to pluck up his plan. Time to. Time to. Time to live. The way. Don't. Embrace. The way. To keep silence. And that. Was. The meaning of from early his father very religious leaders to have expressions of a Wagner. For the founding of us and the courage many has given to us through the years I deliberately refrain from making any lot of sorry comments relative to his honor we know that he was a great man who got the work at this moment of and member of the committee Rabbi Harold H. Gordon the executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis again sampling tireless and energetic sympathetic and understanding Rabbi Gordon's greatest contribution to the committee even to the leaders he brought up for the New York Board of Rabbis for meeting where I like you were appearing Monsignor O'Brien who Wagner Mr Rogers Nero my colleagues of all Fay's distinguished persons ladies and gentlemen in reality all the praise that Monsignor O'Brien has seemingly reserved for me to heap upon Mayor Wagner I think much of it has already been said beginning with my good friend Rabbi Rosenblum who in his beautiful invocation has said much and coming down to the prayer of revenue Grant Anderson it's my pleasant duty at this time to give utterance to a few words on behalf of the New York Board of Rabbis on behalf of all my colleagues in the New York Board of Rabbis and more particularly on behalf of the entire committee of religious leaders I'm sure I'm sure you've heard the story and probably it's current in every religious group we like to tell it in the Jewish group the story about the rabbi all came to the community a new community at any rate he was the new rabbi in the community. And he thought that he would get up in the pulpit on Saturday and speak very forcefully about some of the things with which he personally was deeply concerned than a thought ought to be the concern of the entire community and the first subject that he spoke on the first Sabbath he was there the importance of the ethical behavior of man towards his fellow man and he waxed eloquent when he finished service was over President of the congregation approached him casually and said Rabbi that was an excellent sermon you gave but you know we're living in the space age today we've advanced beyond the the days of thousands of years ago there's really a new code of ethics that's current in modern society and you know it would be good if you considered some of this new code in your future talks to the Congregation of the rabbi listened well that was one down the next Friday night cheese autumn self-willed what's important this is the Sabbath day my congregation want to know something about the Sabbath how deeply I feel about it what it means in the way of spiritual and physical refreshment to one who really observes the sadness as a child being and so of course once more he waxed eloquent and once again pres of the congregation very casually said to Rabbi again very good sermon but you know Rabbi This is a different economy we're living in today people don't observe the Sabbath as they used to years ago. Why you can see that from the empty benches you can see that from what people say to you what people are engaged in on the Sabbath it would be a good idea if you took this into consideration the rabbi swallow that too and the next Sabbath The rabbi thought he'd talk about the importance of a pure family life what could be more important in any family in any community than to talk about the fidelity of husband to wife and the relationship of parent to child and child to parent and again the eloquence and once again when he finished after the service the president said to Rabbi again very good sermon but you know this is the space age we're living in and things have changed considerably since those days and you know you're going to tread on a lot of tones when you talk about the Sabbath and Jordi family life and ethical behavior but by this time the rabbi was frustrated he said Well tell me what shall I talk about we'll talk about religion Well I'm sure that this little quip is just as courage in Protestant Catholic circles as it is in Jewish circles regrettably However this seems to be the attitude of a good many of the laity religion is something suspended up in the skies has really no relationship to our daily life a tall and to man to man relationship to ethical behavior or to business practices or to ordinary courtesy or to a host of other things that we who are engaged in disseminating the ideals of religion really know which to be and therefore of course it it came as a pleasant surprise. In one nine hundred fifty eight. When the mayor the city of New York the man whom we're honoring today decided to establish the committee of religious leaders because I think in that establishment in that one act of here. He indicated that he do you know understand that there was a close relationship between the daily acts of every person and what we considered to be religion and that the two must go together if you're talking about what you and I are doing this is religion is either good or bad but it's part of religion and religion must focus its attention on every yes but daily life and so of course you know the committee really just leaders had a number of conferences which dealt with down to earth ideas and I think down to earth I'd say advisedly such as some of the movies that Tara is shown in the Times Square and and pornographic literature are to make literature our meetings with. Leaders of mass media discussions of rants and religion their impact on presentation of losing on you in the news and a host of other matters it took place as result of the founding of the committee of religious leaders I would say that. There is a famous Hebrew frames taken from the Tolman which was Colin at one moment with. Some people who by in one hour in one act. Have done something that gains them immortality greatness and I would say that regardless of what may or Wagner may have done and he has done much to elevate the the moral and spiritual climate of this city. If he had done nothing else but create the committee of religious leaders with its wonderful secretary of the Youth Board Mr Rogers Mr New Year on his staff he would have heard our life time respect and admiration I close with something that's familiar to some of you at Passover time the first two nights of Passover we read from a special booklet of ritual called the hug God of the story of passion and one of the best known passages in that story is a song I had to the effect that if God We the Jewish people say at this time if God had just taken us out of slavery for nothing and had done nothing else die again we would have considered it sufficient for us to rendered gratitude to him then it goes on to say and if he done nothing else but take us taking us through forty years in the wilderness thankfully die you would have been enough for us to thank God for what he's done if he had done nothing at all for taking us to Mount Sinai and given us a can commandment nothing else diluted the feel of the refrain die a little it would have been perfect for us to have given fangs to the Almighty for what he's done for us I can honestly say that we can say and in that spirit at any rate. While our mayor has done many men for us. And we could say at the conclusion of that one John you know that would have been enough for us to say Mayor Wagner you have done excellently by the city of New York by the religious and the lay leadership we certainly can't say that. On the occasion of honoring him because of the creation of the committee of religious leaders when we certainly can't say die you know had Mayor wagger done nothing else but established this organization to integrate the clergy into the laity to bring to bear the resources of religion on the problems of daily life he would have earned our eternal gratitude and so Mayor Wagner you have been on the giving end so many times of citations flacks medallions I wonder if you realize how much pleasure we that we each one of us has at this moment in being able to present to you this citation which reads in the following manner know all man by these presence that the committee of religious leaders of the city of New York. Does hereby cite the Honorable Robert F. Wagner for distinguished and exceptional service as mayor of this great city and in particular recognition for the emphasis during use term that he placed upon religious and moral values in the resolution of the city's problems on behalf of a grateful and God loving citizenry this citation is prayer from the presented signed by granting Fandor some executive secretary of the Queen's Federation of churches Rabbi Harold H. Gordon of The New York Board of Rabbis Reverend Kenneth and Morgan director a confraternity of Christian doctrine representing the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn Monsignor Joseph P. O'Brien Chancellor Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York Dr Dan Potter executive director Protestant council the city of New York and Rabbi William F. Rosenblum Rabbi emeritus of Temple Israel representing the New York one of rabbis Mayor Wagner we are pleased to present this to you and with this go our best wishes for a long life for good health and for continued creativity on behalf of this city this state in this nation and world peace. By garden and the distinguished members of the clergy and friends first of all let me express to you Rabbi. My deep gratitude for the kind words and through you to all of the members of the committee and legislators for this very lovely citation which I will cherish family well and. Handed down to my two boys so that. They will have something to think of that's good about their father. And. I do say that wonderful to have so many of the clergy here that's the finest atmosphere I've seen in this reception room in quite some time. To come are often. Upstairs there having some hearings and a lot of estimate that's much more enjoyable and. Closer to religion here and I feel at home because I have worked with so many of you over the years I certainly don't feel like the person in the story that some of you may know of the distinguished British author who lived in London all of his life and made a great deal of money and decided he liked to spend the last few years of his life in the quiet of the British countryside so it bought himself a very beautiful home outside of a small city in the middle part of England and the day after he moved in a delegation from the nearby small city called on him and said they were a delegation. To try to raise some money for a new home for the homeless they hope that drones are great author would make the first contribution great help to them and their drive and he said Well I'll be delighted out give ten pounds. Next morning he saw a headline in the local papers known for great author giving one hundred pounds to the home for the homeless. Well there was little concern with that he called them back into the bedroom and I think you misunderstood me yesterday I said ten pounds not one hundred pounds chairman said we can rectify that very easily tomorrow we'll have a headline Mr Jones the famous author refuses to give one hundred home for the homeless I thought from Ahmed he said that would be so good he said I'll tell you what gentlemen I'll make an agreement with you I'll give you one hundred pounds if you'll allow me to write the inscription for the home for the homeless Well I had a fast title and I said this is wonderful we're going to get the hundred pounds to start the drive and at this great author to write the inscription for they came back and said That's a great evil and he said Give me a piece of paper and a pencil a write something down and he said Here's your and script and for the home for the homeless in the red I was a stranger but they took me and. I. Certainly don't feel that way here today with all of you seriously just for a moment I know that anything I would say would be any climatic after the fine talks we have heard from distinguished members of the clergy of. Three Faiths and on the part of my good friend the Rajah's of the boy it seems almost yesterday really because as one reflects on twelve years. It's hard to put years into their proper perspective when we first met and then of course I remember well as ever and then part of mentioning to the meetings that we held the good things that were accomplished to you with the press with the other mass media publishers and they also influenced you. And others so CA did with you had on the moral climate of a city we've had problems the city will have lots of problems often times I've said that some of our problems are just like an onion you peel off one layer and find others I think progress has been made and a good deal of it has been done because of the great interest that clergy and faiths have taken in in these problems to help raise the standards for people hear things they read things they see and I think we said this at our first meeting I remember think I said it that talked to the judges you talk to social workers they all say that most of the youngsters who get into trouble come from broken homes where they haven't any love or affection training or discipline and then perhaps more important practically all of them have no religious training and I think that the churches synagogues have improved in many many ways to bring that religious training to so many of our youngsters and to help them appreciate the dignity of man and the idea that religion can give them not just comfort but inspiration and allow them to become even finer and better citizens and you the committee of religious leaders have played a great role in helping to improve this atmosphere in the city and I sincerely hope that. The committee can be continued maybe we'll have to change the name to a task last ten you. But whatever it's called it's the same thing and one of the really fine and wonderful things I truly believe that I will hand down to the new administration. New Man or elect John Lindsay is the committee and the work that it's done and the wonderful cooperation on the part of all the faiths working together.