The Sancta of Jewish Life 1981

un 1, 1981 — XV. ON THE SANCTA OF JEWISH LIFE

THE RABBINICAL COUNCIL OF AMERICA IN CONVENTION ASSEMBLED,

IS APPALLED BY recent increase in the theft of sifrei Torah, Torah decorative pieces, and other sacred objects;

CONGRATULATES the Police Department of the City of New York for recent successes in tracking down some of the perpetrators of theses sacrilegious crimes, and urges prosecution and punishment to the full extent of the law of persons convicted of these crimes;

CALLS UPON Rabbis and synagogues everywhere, to exercise caution in protecting their own sacred objects, and in purchasing or acquiring new sifrei Torah by carefully checking the sources of the sifrei Torah through two or more prior owners, or by investigating the reputation of the sellers;

URGES rabbinic groups to continue to seek simple and convenient means of devising identification for sifrei Torah;

CALLS for the establishment of a commission to investigate the costs of ritual objects (i.e. etrog, lulav, tallit, tefillin, mezuzot, etc.) and to implement means of establishing fair pricing for these objects.