Canadian Jews Seek Membership on Protestant School Board

The Canadian Jewish Congress today called upon the Quebec provincial government to provide a legal status for Jews in the educational system now being reorganized for the province, which has only sectarian schools, operated separately by Catholics and by Protestants.

In the Montreal area, Jewish children now attend Protestant schools by virtue of a contract with the Protestant school commission. While Jewish school taxes constitute three-quarters of the revenue of the Protestant school board, the Jewish community and Jewish parents have no representation on the board, and no rights under the school law.

In a brief submitted today by a CJC delegation to Youth Minister Paul Gerin-Lajoie, the Congress asked for the inclusion of specific guarantees for Jewish membership on the proposed Superior Council on Education, and on the proposed Protestant Committee of the Council. The brief, which noted that “Jews have been considered a part of the Protestant educational framework,” also asked that the major religious groups be consulted on appointments, and that the Canadian Jewish Congress be recognized as the Jewish representative group.

Describing the Quebec educational setup as “one of the most glaring undemocratic situations,” the brief declared: “Surely this is a classical case of taxation without representation. The Jewish community pays its school taxes to the Protestant School Board; and yet, Jews are not free to present themselves for election or be appointed to any of the boards. Despite the many complications, legal and other, the salient fact remains that this is an inexcusable violation of even the most basic tenets of democracy.”

The delegation, which was headed by Saul Hayes, executive vice-president of the CJC, included Rabbi Solomon Frank, Ben Beutel and Dr. Samuel Levin.