Alexander Schindler

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is orphaned as few or no other articles link to it.
Please help introduce links in articles on related topics. (January 2008)

Rabbi Alexander Schindler (1925-2000) was the leading figure of American Reform Judaism during the 1970s and 1980s.

Born in Germany, he came to America with his family at age 12. He was one of the last European-born leaders of American Jewry.

He served as president of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (since renamed the Union for Reform Judaism) from 1973 to 1996.

His best-known, and most-controversial, pronouncements were his call for Jews to accept Patrilineal Descent (recognizing as Jewish children of Jewish fathers) and "outreach" to non-Jews. He intended this to include general proselytizing to non-Jews, but in practice this applied to non-Jews married to Jews.

He served as chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.