N.Y. Solons Halt Blaine Repeal Effort; Catholics, Jews Asked for That Action

A leader of an Orthodox Jewish group said today that his organization had reversed its long-standing opposition to efforts to repeal an amendment which bars state aid to private schools and had asked Gov. Nelson Rockefeller and legislative leaders to postpone indefinitely such repeal efforts. It was reported from Albany earlier this week that the legislative leaders had decided to postpone action on repeal of the Blaine amendment indefinitely. Rabbi Moshe Sherer, executive president of Agudath Israel of America, said the Governor and the legislative leaders had been under increasing pressure from Orthodox Jewish and Catholic groups not to take action on the second reading of the repeal measure, scheduled for the current legislative session, but were reluctant to do so because of public commitments to repeal the amendment. Rabbi Sherer said that the formal request by the religious leaders for postponement was deemed sufficient grounds for such action for the time being.

In his formal request to the governor and the legislators, Rabbi Sherer declared that the mandated referendum on the Blaine amendment in November “would spark unnecessary religious strife and create religious tensions at a time in our history when we must do everything possible to bring our people together again in harmony and tranquility.” He added that this consideration, “coupled with the fact that our non-public schools can utilize various other approaches and options on the issue of state aid” to private schools “adds up to the conclusion that any action at this time on the Blaine amendment would not only be superfluous but possibly deterious to our overall community interests.” He urged the Governor and the legislative leaders to support the Speno-Lerner Parent-Aid bill, which he said was “consonant” with the Blaine amendment. The measure would provide for grants ranging from $50 to $250 annually to parents of children attending non-public schools, depending on the family’s income. The bill would benefit Jewish families who send their children to Jewish day schools.