“GHETTO BENCHES” RECENTLY ESTABLISHED IN POLAND’S SCHOOLS WERE ASSAILED IN A LETTER TO MINISTER OF EDUCATION SWIETOSLAWSKI SENT BY PROF. JEROME DAVIS, PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, AND MADE PUBLIC HERE TODAY.
THE TEXT OF THE LETTER FOLLOWS:
“ON BEHALF OF THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, REPRESENTING 25,000 TEACHERS IN THE UNITED STATES, I WISH TO PROTEST AGAINST THE ESTABLISHMENT OF “GHETTO BENCHES” IN POLAND. THIS IS THE MOST SERIOUS POSSIBLE VIOLATION OF THE SOLEMN OBLIGATION ASSUMED TOWARDS THE MINORITY PEOPLES WHEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA HELPED TO FREE POLAND FROM THE YOKE OF CENTURIES.
“WE CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THE POLISH GOVERNMENT WILL DEFY THE PUBLIC SENTIMENT OF THE WORLD AND CONTINUE THIS POLICY. AS AMERICAN TEACHERS WE HAVE BEEN SHOCKED BEYOND MEASURE TO HEAR THAT SUCH OUTRAGEOUS REGULATIONS HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED. WE SHOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL TO HEAR FROM YOU THAT THESE MEASURES HAVE BEEN REPEALED.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
