Mussolini Promises New School Books for Jewish Children in Italian Schools to Avoid Subjecting Them

Dissatisfaction with the existing system of education of Jewish children in Italy was expressed to Signor Mussolini today by the Chief Rabbi, Dr. Sacerdoti, in an interview lasting about three-quarters of an hour. The text books whose use is compulsory in the Italian elementary schools are permeated with Catholic teachings, the Chief Rabbi complained, tending consequently to instil Catholic beliefs in the minds of the Jewish children who attend the schools. Signor Mussolini agreed that special editions of the school books should be prepared for the use of the Jewish children, in order to avoid this danger of subjecting them to Catholic influence.

The Chief Rabbi also raised the question of the dome of the Great Synagogue, whose removal has been recommended by the Rome Planning Commission. Signor Mussolini promised the Chief Rabbi that the dome will not be removed, and will only be modified to improve the skyline of the city, but in such a way that it should not offend the religious sentiments of the Jewish population.

The complaint that Jewish children in the Italian schools are subjected to Catholic religious influence has been made by the Jewish representatives for years. The Italian State schools are Catholic schools. Before 1923 the State schools were secular schools, so that Jewish children were able to attend them without the religious question being involved. But in 1923, the then Fascist Minister of Education, Professor Gentile, carried through an Education Reform Law, which has transformed the schools into Catholic institutions. Article 3 of the Gentile Law states that “the teaching of Christian doctrine, according to the accepted form received by Catholic tradition, is the basis and the aim of elementary education in all its states”. Consequently, Jewish parents who send their children to State schools subject them to conversionist influence. Mere exemption from attendance during the hours specially devoted to religious teaching, does not meet the problem. Under the Gentile law, the hours devoted to singing lessons are given up to religious music. The teaching of Italian is utilised for the purpose of extolling the heroes and martyrs of the Catholic faith. The teaching of history lends itself to holding up for admiration the outstanding personages and events of Catholic civilisation. In most other subjects, such as essay-writing, reading, etc., the teachers are required to make use of religious themes as much as possible. The whole of the teaching in the State schools is impregnated with the Catholic spirit.

The Italian Jews have repeatedly endeavoured to obtain some measure from the Government which would remedy this situation, but hitherto without success. Wherever possible they have opened special schools for Jewish children, retaining the ordinary educational programme of the Government, but substituting Jewish religious ideas for the Catholic. They have asked the Government to grant financial subsidies to these schools, which are doing work properly belonging to the State, but so far these requests have been refused, although in 1925 Professor Gentile, as Minister of Education, promised the late Jewish Senator Polacco (who died in 1926) that this would be done.

The situation was graphically described at that time by Senator Polacco in a speech in the Senate. You are making the schools centres of religious proselytism, he cried, or else you are causing the mind of the child to wander confusedly between the two opposing elements of his home teaching and his school teaching, with the probability that he will finish up by falling into that religious indifference which the Government is so anxious to combat.

This elementary education, he proceeded, is compulsory for all citizens. The consequence is that in Rome and in all Italy hundreds of Jewish children are compelled to attend schools which are designed to cripple their religious conscience and to alienate them from their families.