ADL of B’nai B’rith Study Shows Role of Jews Still Distorted in Study Texts

A study of junior and senior high school social studies textbooks has failed to find a single text which presents “a reasonably complete and undistorted picture of America’s many minority groups.” The study was made public yesterday by Benjamin R. Epstein, national director of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith at that agency’s annual meeting. Basing his remarks on the study conducted for the League by Michael B. Kane under the supervision of Oscar Cohen, director of the agency’s program division, Mr. Epstein cited the following examples: treatment of the Jews is still largely confined to an over-emphasis of their ancient past. Only a very few texts present a varied true-to-life picture of modern Jews and their contributions to America; Nazi persecution of Jews and other minorities are still inadequately treated or completely Ignored. The study of 45 of the nation’s most widely used social studies texts also noted that: Some texts avoid mentioning the crucifixion altogether while a few still explicitly link the Jews to the death of Jesus in a way likely to increase anti-Semitic feelings; the infrequent and disjointed references to Jews in medieval and modern European history still deal mainly with persecution. However, most texts do offer comprehensive discussions of the State of Israel which acknowledge and highlight the accomplishments of its Jewish citizens.

Only a very few texts convey a realistic sense of the diversity of the American Jewish population and of their similarity to the other peoples of this nation. The study found that while one of the 48 texts examined in 1960 gave “fully adequate coverage” of the Nazi persecutions, the 1969 figure is four out of 45. In 1960, nine offered “reasonably adequate coverage,” in 1969 11 did. The ADL, which ended its four-day meeting yesterday, elected Seymour Graubard as its new chairman. Mr. Graubard, 58, a New York attorney and civic leader, had been chairman of ADL’s national executive committee. He succeeds Samuel Dalsimer who died eight months ago. The acting ADL chairman has been Dore Schary, the playwright, now City Commissioner for Cultural Affairs. Former Chief Justice Earl Warren received the agency’s America’s Democratic Legacy Award.