“The ‘assimilationist’ Jewish leaders of Montreal who formed the majority of the Jewish School Commission have sold our school rights for a ‘mess of pottage.'”
This was the comment last night by Jewish leaders in Montreal who have been fighting for separate Jewish schools when it became known yesterday that the contract between the Protestant and Jewish School Boards was signed. Although the official text will not be supplied to the press until late tomorrow, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency correspondent is reliably informed that the contract contains the following main points.
First, Jewish children enjoy the same rights and privileges as Protestant children in the schools of Montreal; second, Jewish children may attend any Protestant school in their district and not be segregated from other children in classes. (This clause is considered a great victory by the Jewish School Commission which fought against the segregation of Jewish children): third the Protestant School Board recognizes 13 Jewish holidays and Jewish children will not lose any marks for absence; fourth, Jewish children will not have to study the New Testament and will not lose any marks, if they will bring a letter from their parents voicing disapproval of this subject; fifth, Protestants assure that they will not discriminate against employing Jewish teachers, but will make such appointments and promotions when deemed fit.
A feeling prevails in Montreal today that the Jewish School Commission hastened the signing of the contract in order to offset any protest movement which might be planned by the Separate Jewish School Committee or other organization.
The contract will be in force for fifteen years, each party having to give due notice two years before the expiration of the contract of any necessary change, otherwise the contract will be automatically renewed for a new 15 year period. The contract gives the Jews the same status which they enjoyed in the Protestant schools under the 1903 agreement, but deprives the Jewish nationalist element of Montreal of its hope of ever having a separate Jewish school system under government control, which right was granted to Jews by the supreme court of the British Empire, the Privy Council in London, and which right was given force by the passage of the Jewish School Bill by the Legislature of the Province of Quebec.
A conference of all Montreal Jewish organizations is being called for next Sunday by the Separate Jewish School Committee. The conference will consider what attitude it should take in the present emergency situation.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
