Rauh Jewish Archives
part of the Senator John Heinz History Center
Generation to Generation: family stories drawn from the Rauh Jewish Archives
Rabbi Sidney Riback enlisted in the Army during World War II, and House of Israel Congregation in Sharon searched for a replacement. This letter from the Jewish Community Service Bureau of the Yeshiva College suggests that the congregation, which had initially practiced Judaism in the Orthodox tradition, was increasingly liberal in its religious practices. The congregation eventually hired Rabbi Michael Kurz, who had been ordained within the Conservative movement and also spoke Yiddish.