Apologize for Passion Play Ads in Pittsburgh Schools

The circulation of advertising material announcing the Freiburg Passion Play through the public schools of Pittsburgh and attempts to encourage such pupils to attend the the performance of this play was made the subject of successful representations to the Pittsburgh school authorities by the Pittsburgh Council of the American Jewish Congress.

In a letter addressed by Oscar Robins, president of the Jewish Council, to the board of public education he called attention to the violation of the traditional American spirit of separation of the public school system from religious instruction which is involved in attempts to advertise and to patronize through the channels of the school performances of a religious character. “This,” he said, “is particularly obnoxious where the performance, as in the present instance, tends to arouse ill-feeling on the part of the youthful members of one religious group against those of another.”

In reply, Ben G. Graham, superintendent of schools, expressed his regrets that this literature should have been circulated through the schools and offered his apologies for any offense which may have been given “to any of our pupils or their parents.”