Opposition to all forms of religious teaching in the public schools-other than such teaching about the role of religion in the history of mankind as may be intrinsic to regular subject matter being studied-was expressed in a statement adopted here last night at the closing meeting of the annual plenary session of the National Community Relations Advisory Council.
The session, which concluded four days of meetings, also adopted unanimously a comprehensive set of recommendations for Jewish community relations programs for the year 1955-56. Intended as guides to all Jewish community relations agencies, these recommendations stressed particularly the need to support full racial integration in the public schools in the spirit of the recent United States Supreme Court decrees, and the elimination of segregation of housing and other aspects of community life. Bernhard H. Trager of Bridgeport, Conn., was unanimously re-elected chairman for a third successive term.
The resolutions adopted by the plenary session called for intensification of efforts to safeguard civil liberties; urged the establishment of a bi-partisan commission to study the government’s security-loyalty program; pledged support for desegregation of the public schools; pledged energetic efforts toward the elimination of all forms of discrimination; called for elimination of the racial origins quota system from American immigration policy; pledged support for the United Nations; commended the President on his opposition to the Bricker Amendment.
The resolutions also called for U.S. ratification of the UN Genocide Convention and U.S. support for human rights conventions; urged the creation of new community relations councils where needed: expressed regret that some Jewish community relations agencies are not cooperating in joint coordinating processes, and pledged to continue to strive for inclusiveness in this process.
Other officers elected: Judge Isaac Pacht of Los Angeles, David L. Ullman of Philadelphia, and Lewis H. Weinstein of Boston, vice-chairmen; Louis Feinmark of New Haven, treasurer; and Julian A. Kiser of Indianapolis, secretary.
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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.
