For the first time in the history of British Jewry a representative of the British Government appeared yesterday before the plenary session of the Board of Deputies of British Jews to address them in behalf of the Government.
The official was R.A. Butler, President of the Board of Education. He addressed the Jewish leaders on the new education bill which the government is now proposing, and emphasized that it is in the interests of all that smaller national groups should have a strong and vital life of their own.
“On behalf of His Majesty’s Government,” he said, “I can assure you that the public service of the Jewish leaders for their own people, and through them for the public, is deeply valued. The work of the Board of Deputies of British Jews has the encouragement of the government and its good wishes. Never has there been such suffering in the history of Israel. How important you must feel it is to bring up your younger generation at this time in the traditional and eternal values of Hebraism.”
After explaining the features of the new educational bill and the good effect which this bill will have on Jewish education, Mr. Butler concluded; “I wish success to the Jewish community in its task of establishing its youth firmly in the faith and in the way of life of their forefathers. This will be a factor in raising the standards of our country as a whole.”
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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.