Rabbis of all branches of Judaism joined Protestant clergymen here this week-end in a statement calling upon the South to accept desegregation of the public school system in line with the Supreme Court’s decision.
The “save the schools” plan was endorsed by a total of 312 Atlanta clergymen. A 1957 statement on desegregation issued by Atlanta clergymen as individuals was not signed by the rabbis. In all, 17 denominations were represented in the latest statement. Though no Roman Catholic priests signed the statement, the Bishop of Atlanta praised the document.
Among the practical steps suggested by the signers were: the drafting of a public school operating plan in keeping with the law of the land; appointment of bi-racial citizens’ committees to help maintain interracial peace on the local and statewide level; free discussion of the issues in church and synagogue.
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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.
