"... Motion made and seconded that the temple purchase the Petersville property in New Hampshire, the money to be raised through the sale of the Goralsky Block to William Safferstein for the offered price of SI 00,000.00, the motion was voted on and passed unanimously, and the president, Chester Kaplan, was empowered to institute the necessary negotiations, the meeting was adjourned at ‘0:32 A.M. Respectfully submitted, Joseph Schneider, Secretary."
Chester Kaplan looked around at the board. "Corrections or additions?" he asked. "None? Then the report is accepted as read. Do we have any committee reports?" He looked from one to another of the committee chairmen, each of whom responded with a shake of the head.
"Nothing today, Chet. Nothing happened, we didn't hold a meeting."
"Uh-uh."
"Nothing new on the insurance situation. Paul?" he asked.
"Well, Chet. I'm waiting to hear from this guy. I'd rather wait until next week and make a full report."
"Okay, then we move on to Old Business. Rabbi?" as he saw the hand raised.
"I move for reconsideration of the motion to buy the Petersville property,” he said.
"Do I hear a second?" Silence.
Kaplan's lips twitched as he strove to suppress a smile. "Since there's no second on the rabbi's motion—"
"Just a minute." The rabbi was nettled. In preparing his case, it had not occurred to him that he might not have a chance to present it. "I'd like to explain the reason for my motion to reconsider."
"That comes during discussion on the motion," the chairman pointed out, "and we can't discuss it if it hasn't been seconded."
The rabbi bit his lip in vexation, he rose. "Point of privilege then. This is a matter on which the rabbi of the congregation has a right—"
Paul Goodman, a former president, called out. "Point of order, Mr. Chairman."
"Go on, Paul."
"I should like to say, and with all due respect, that the rabbi is not an official member of this body, he attends board meetings only on the invitation of the chairman—"
"No, Paul," said Kaplan. "It's true that the rabbi attends these meetings by invitation, but when I extended the invitation at the beginning of the year, I made it plain that the rabbi is to be considered a full member during my term in office, that means he's to have all rights and privileges. But, of course," he added, "I intend to follow parliamentary law in conducting these meetings. Go on, Rabbi, I think you’ve got the floor."
"I was about to say that there are certain matters on which the rabbi of the congregation has rights inherent in his position, the Petersville property is for the purpose of establishing a permanent retreat. This is an extension of the religious function of the temple, and that concerns the rabbi of the congregation even more than it concerns the board of directors."
"There's nothing in the motion to indicate it." said Goodman. "The motion doesn't say that the property is to be used as a retreat. Speaking for myself. I voted for it because I thought it was a good deal for the temple, but I was thinking of it more as a summer camp for the kids." He could see that the rabbi was angry, and remembering occasions in the past when he had wrangled with him, he was only too happy to add to his vexation.
The rabbi tried hard to recover his aplomb, he sat down and even managed a smile. "All right,” he said, "then I move for a reconsideration of the motion to sell the Goralsky Block."
"It's the same motion," said the secretary.
The board of members grinned as they realized the cleverness of their chairman in wording the motion in such a way as to include both the purchase of the Petersville property and the sale of the Goralsky Block.
"These are two separate actions," the rabbi said. "You can't tie them together just by putting them into a single motion."
"Why not; Congress does it all the time." Goodman said. "If that's the way the motion reads, then that's the motion."
And in a whisper to a neighbor, "It looks as though the rabbi is up a tree."
Kaplan considered. "I can see a certain justice in your contention, Rabbi. I'll permit it. Do I hear a second?"
"What are we considering now?" the secretary asked. "I’ve lost track."
"The rabbi has moved that we reconsider the motion to sell the Goralsky Block, and in spite of the valid objection of the secretary that it is part of the motion to buy the Petersville property, I'm allowing it. Now do I hear a second?"
Again silence.
Kaplan smiled. Several grinned and winked at each other in self-approval. Paul Goodman laughed out loud.
"It looks as though the members are convinced they were right the first time, Rabbi," said Kaplan.
"Or were well drilled," the rabbi retorted. "You leave me no choice but to call for a Din Torah."
"What did he say? A Din Torah? What's a Din Torah?" "It's like a trial, he's summonsing us like to a trial." "How can he do that?"
"Just a minute. Rabbi," Kaplan said, his placidity somewhat dented. "Who are you calling to a Din Torah?"
"All of you, individually and collectively."
"Let me get this straight," Kaplan said. "You're planning to hold a trial or a special hearing and you're going to call us to—"
"I have no choice," said the rabbi demurely. "There has been a serious breach of halacha—"
"What's he talking about?"
"What's halacha?"
"He says we broke the law."
"What law? Is he accusing us—"
"Order, order. Let's have order, gentlemen." Kaplan banged his gavel. Taking advantage of the momentary silence, he said, "Let me get this straight, Rabbi. I know you're opposed to this. You told me so, are you now planning to set up some kind of trial with yourself as judge and jury as well as plaintiff?"
"That is a valid objection, Mr. Chairman," the rabbi admitted. "I'm not neutral in this matter. So I plan to present the matter to the Greater Boston Rabbinic Council. I presume if they find merit in my plea, they will appoint someone, a rabbi who has standing as a Talmudist, someone like Rabbi Jacobs of Boston, perhaps, and two dayanim who will ask both sides to appear before them and present their views."
"Can he do that?" "What if we don't go?"
"Then they'd notify the press and make a stink." came a whispered reply.
Kaplan looked about him and made a rapid count. Of the twenty who were present, a good dozen were his close associates who came to his Wednesday At Homes regularly and joined him in the retreats at Petersville. Of the others, some had no interest in the retreat, but considered it a good buy for the temple, as for the rest, while they had no strong convictions about the need for a retreat, they were, like Paul Goodman, solidly against the rabbi. So what did he have to fear? He faced the rabbi. "What is it that you want, Rabbi?" he asked.
"I want to be heard on this motion."
"All right, then I second the motion to reconsider," said Kaplan.
"Hey, Chet— we agreed—"
"You can't do that, Chet. You're the chairman."
"So I vacate the chair, aaron, will you take the chair, please?" he asked of the vice-president.
"Sure. Chet." "Mr. Chairman." "Mr. Kaplan."
"I rise to second the rabbi's motion to reconsider," said Kaplan.
"A motion has been made and seconded to reconsider the motion to sell the Goralsky Block and buy the Petersville property," said the vice-president. "Discussion. Yes, Rabbi."'
"The reason for my insistence on being heard," the rabbi began easily, "is that I feel that you are all decent, fair-minded men and will do what's right if you have all the facts. Now I think you'll all agree that if anyone should respect the wishes of the testator of a will, it should be the beneficiaries, those who profit from his benevolence, well, the temple received a valuable property from Mr. Goralsky, and I feel that the least we can do to show our appreciation is to abide by his wishes concerning it."