Joseph Bernard Glaser

Background

Glaser, Joseph Bernard was born on May 1, 1925 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Son of Louis James and Dena Sophie (Harris) Glaser. He was wounded twice as an infantryman in Europe in World War II.

Education

Joseph B. Glaser graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1948 and received a law degree from the University of San Francisco in 1951. He also was awarded bachelor's and master's degrees in Hebrew letters in 1954 and 1956, both from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. He served in the U.S. Army, serving in the infantry in Europe during World War II, where he was wounded twice.

Career

He was ordained a rabbi in 1956. From 1956 to 1959, he was the rabbi of Temple Beth Torah in Ventura, Calif. From 1959 to 1971, he was a San Francisco regional director for the Union of American Hebrew Congregations.

Rabbi Glaser became executive vice president of Central Conference American Rabbis, New York City in 1971 and held the position till 1994.

Moreover, rom 1954 till 1959 he also had served in posts with the movement’s teaching arm, the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, where he had been a registrar and teacher at the Los Angeles branch.

In 1967-1968 he was a Chairman of Clergy Committee Farm Labor Negotiation, and in 1977-1982 served as Chairman board Religion in American Life.

Achievements

• Joseph Bernard Glaser has been listed as a noteworthy association executive by Marquis Who's Who.
  
  Rabbi Glaser played a central role in solving urgent Jewish qustions. These included the 1990 decision that sexual orientation should not bar membership in the conference and that all Jews, regardless of orientation, have a right to full participation in Jewish life. At the same time, the conference reaffirmed the ideal of a monogamous, procreative marital relationship.
  
  He also was a defender of the Reform movement’s controversial 1983 resolution on patrilineal descent, which said that Judaism can be passed on to a child of a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother.

Religion

Glaser held central roles in many key positions taken by the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Among them was its 1990 decision not to bar any candidate for membership because of sexual orientation.Moreover, hу defended patrilineal descent controversy.

Views

Quotations: In an interview in october 1993 concerning the role of non-Jews in Jewish religious practice, Glaser said, “There’s a certain hypocrisy involved in having someone lead rituals which are limited to membership in the Jewish people, like an aliyah” to read the Torah.

Membership

He was an active Committee 100 for Tibet. Member of numerous association and organisations: Central Conference American Rabbis, Synagogue Council American (executive committee), Union American Hebrew Congregations (executive committee, trustee), Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations and Jewish Law Association.

Personality

Joseph Glaser was a genial man, trying to to help people in need. He was active on behalf of many groups, including migrant farm workers in California, American Indians, Tibetan refugees and Israelis.

Quotes from others about the person

• In an encomium, the Reform movement’s American Conference of Cantors called Glaser a “beloved rabbi of rabbis” and “treasured leader of Reform Judaism.”
  
  Schindler recalled Glaser as “a staunch defender of the rabbinate,” “profoundly devoted to Israel,” and “someone who was very much interested in the camping movement.”
  
  “When all is said and done, the camps are the most effective instruments for the transmission of Judaism at our command,” Schindler said. “The struggle for Jewish continuity has lost one of its leaders.”

Connections

Married Agathe Maier, September 23, 1951. Children: Simeon, Meyer, Sara, John.

Father:

Louis James Glaser

Mother:

Dena Sophie (Harris) Glaser

Spouse:

Agathe Maier

child:

Meyer Glaser

child:

John Glaser

child:

Simeon Glaser

child:

Sara Glaser