Jewish Groups Define Opposition to Religious Festivals in Public Schools

Nine national Jewish religious and community relations agencies today issued a joint statement opposing the observance of religious festivals in the public elementary and high schools. “In our view, such observance constitutes a violation of the traditional American principle of separation of church and state,” the statement said.

The statement was released by the Joint Advisory Committee of the Synagogue Council of America and the National Community Relations Advisory Council in response to requests for the position of these organizations regarding Chanukah and Christmas programs in the public schools.

“Religious liberty is an indispensable aspect of democratic freedom; indeed it is the very foundation of American democracy,” the Jewish organizations declared. “As a nation of people attached to many different religious faiths, or to none, we owe our survival and our unity to the universal acceptance of the uniquely American concept that the relationship between man and God is not and may not be subject to government control or regulation.”

The statement pointed out that “the growth of democracy in the United States is in large measure a product of that unique principle in our basic law that puts religion outside the jurisdiction of the state. Any impairment of that principle threatens religious liberty and brings other basic freedoms into jeopardy.”

Regarding joint religious holiday observances in the schools, the statement goes on to say: “Joint religious observances such as Christmas-Chanukah and Easter-Passover, are in our opinion no less a breach of the principle of separation of church and state and violate the conscience of many religious persons, Jews and Christians alike.”

While recommending that local Jewish communities take such action as may be appropriate to safeguard the right of non-participation of Jewish children where religious holiday observances are nevertheless held in the public schools, local Jewish communities are urged to consult with the Joint Advisory Committee before taking formal or public action on these matters.

The Synagogue Council of America is the coordinating agency for the following Conservative, Orthodox and Reform national rabbinical and congregational organizations: Central Conference of American Rabbis, Rabbinical Assembly of America. Rabbinical Council of America, Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America and United Synagogue of America.

The National Community Relations Advisory Council is the coordinating agency for six national organizations — American Jewish Congress, Jewish Labor Committee, Jewish War Veterans, Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America and United Synagogue of America–and 43 local, state and regional Jewish community relations councils throughout the country.