NEULANDER, ARTHUR H.

NEULANDER, ARTHUR H. (1896–1988), U.S. Conservative rabbi, author. Neulander was born in Hungary and immigrated to the United States in 1903. He received his M.A. from New York University in 1918 and was ordained at the jewish theological seminary in 1921. Neulander spent his entire career as a congregational rabbi on the East Coast of the United States, serving Temple Gates of Prayer, Flushing, N.Y. (1922–25); Society for the Advancement of Judaism, New York City (1925–26); Temple Beth-El, Camden, N.J. (1926–27); Temple Beth Israel, Richmond Hill, N.Y. (1928–53); and Bayswater Jewish Center, Far Rockaway, N.Y. (1953–68). Neulander's contributions to the workings of the rabbinical assembly , meanwhile, were instrumental in shaping Conservative Judaism. As a member and later chairman (1954–59) of the RA's Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, he wrote and influenced key responsa that modernized halakhah : permitting the use of electricity on Shabbat "in consonance with the spirit of the Sabbath"; permitting aliyyot (to the Torah) for women; and reopening the study of the agunah problem. Neulander also served for many years on the RA's executive committee and edited the Proceedings of the Rabbinical Assembly (1941–44). In addition, he chaired the Committee on Textbook Publications for the United Synagogue Commission on Jewish Education (1946–47). On behalf of the U.S. government and world Jewry, Neulander traveled to Hungary in the wake of that country's 1956 revolt against Communist oppression to escort 20,000 fleeing Jewish refugees to the United States. As a regional officer of the Zionist Organization of America, he spearheaded fundraising efforts that enabled the purchase of the land now belonging to Neveh Ilan, a moshav in the Jerusalem Corridor settled by many American olim. (Bezalel Gordon (2nd ed.)