The basic structure of American democratic living may crumble unless we reaffirm the fundamental American tenet of the separation of church and state in the field of public education, Dr. Moshe Davis, dean of the Teachers Institute and College of Jewish Studies of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, declared today at the second annual Rabbinical Assembly conference on Jewish education, which is being attended by 117 rabbis from every part of the country.
In stressing the necessity for continued separation of church and state in the educational field, Dr. Davis said, “we do not for a moment imply that our public school system be entirely secular or a-religious. Public school curricula should be religiously rooted and spiritually motivated but they should not include sectarian teachings.” In his outline of the objectives of Jewish education in this country, Doctor Davis said that our basic premise must be that the Jewish school is complementary to, and not competitive with, the general education of the student.
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.
