A course relating the ethical and moral values of Judaism, answering questions confronted daily by youngsters, such as sexual behavior, family conflicts and intermarriage, has been introduced into the religious schools of the 664 member Reform synagogues of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations of the United States and Canada. The course will be offered to the Reform congregational schools in February.
Members of the UAHC board of trustees, meeting here in connection with the six day 48th biennial general assembly of the UAHC and 25th assembly of the National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods, were told in a report by Rabbi Alexander Schindler, director of education of the UAHC that “such curriculum material will be taught for the first time in any Jewish religious school (Conservative, Orthodox or Reform). Only a few church schools are teaching such subjects today. Our young people demanded such a course and, contrary to what many people believe, most public schools do not have any kind of planned sex education.”
The material is contained in a new volume to be published this week by the UAHC department of education. The book is “Consecrated Unto Me,” by Rabbi Roland B. Gittelsohn of Temple Israel, of Boston, who has taught such a course to his confirmants.
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