Jewish objections to the teaching of religion in the public schools of Ontario were clarified in a statement made public by Sydney M. Harris, leader in the B’nai B’rith and the Canadian Jewish Congress here. He denied that Jews were seeking minority rule or the ousting of the concept of a divinity from the school system. The objection of the Jewish community was to the teaching of a single religion on school time and money.
A suggestion had publicly been made that “Jews should be proud of their faith and have their children stand up and lese” before the classes on religious instruction begin. Mr. Harris stated that “as an adult he would be proud to withdraw. But it is not easy for a six or seven-year-old to be a martyr for something about which he is just beginning to learn. We are worried about the psychological scars it leaves on our youngsters.”
Pointing to the 44 approved prayers in the official book of regulations, Mr. Harris said that all but five include the name of Christ and could not honestly be used by non-Christians. He also complained that some teachers approach the subject of religious instruction in the classes “with a religious and evangelistic fervor that causes distress in Jewish homes.”
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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.
