Major Jewish Groups Oppose Teaching of Religion in Public Schools

Opposition to public school teaching of so-called “moral and spiritual values,” or of a “common core” of religious beliefs, or the “factual” or “objective” teaching of religion was expressed in a joint statement of policy issued today by the national rabbinic and congregational bodies of Reform, Conservative and Orthodox Judaism and a number of national Jewish civic bodies and Jewish community councils.

The statement was approved by the Synagogue Council of America and the National Community Relations Advisory Council, and released by the latter. A total of 43 Jewish organizations are represented by these two coordinating bodies. Joining in the statement were: American Jewish Congress, Central Conference of American Rabbis, Jewish Labor Committee, Jewish War Veterans, Rabbinical Assembly of America, Rabbinical Council of America, Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, United Synagogue of America, and Jewish councils in all parts of the country.

In an “Affirmation of Principle,” the forty-three Jewish organizations asserted: “We are deeply concerned with religious education and are making every effort to bring religious training to our children, in consonance with the principle that the maintenance and furtherance of religion are the responsibility of home, synagogue and church, and not of the public school. The basic law of the United States, the “affirmation” continued, “puts religion outside the jurisdiction of the state. Any impairment of that principle threatens religious liberty and bring others basic freedoms into jeopardy.”

The public schools must recognize the realities of religious differences in the community and among their pupils, the statement said, and “should continue as they have done throughout their history to teach pupils that acceptance of and respect of such differences are basic to American democracy and contribute toward harmonious living in a free society. This implies no need, however, on the part of the public schools to teach religious doctrines or to teach about religious doctrines.”

Regarding “objective” or “factual” teaching about religion, the Jewish groups declare that “the public schools must and should teach with full objectivity the role that religion has played in the life of mankind and in the development of society when such teaching is intrinsic to the regular subject matter being studied.” Factual, objective and impartial teaching about religious doctrines, the Jewish statement calls an “unattainable objective.” The statement opposes “common core” teaching as “a watering down, a vitiation of all that is spiritually meaningful in every religious faith.”