The New York Board of Rabbis, representing 700 Orthodox, Reform and Conservative rabbis, called on public school authorities last night to eliminate from school programs all sectarian religious materials, pointing out that doctrinal teachings, religious symbols and the like “unnecessarily divide, label and embarrass children.” A resolution to this effect was adopted at the Board’s 78th annual meeting, where Rabbi David I. Golovensky of New Rochelle, N.Y., was elected president for 1959.
The rabbis reiterated their long-standing demand for a fair Sabbath Law which would permit Jewish businessmen who observe the Sabbath by closing their firms to remain open on Sunday. They also expressed support of the Kennedy-Ives Bill to enable the FBI to investigate bombings of religious institutions, schools and private homes, and went on record once again in favor of liberalizing the McCarran-Walter Immigration Act.
On the international scene the Board of Rabbis expressed concern over Arab hostility toward Israel and asked the State Department to develop “a firm and constructive Middle East policy” making clear that Israel’s existence will be defended. At the same time, the rabbis reiterated their protest against United States Government “acquiescence” in Arab states’ discrimination against American Jews. Finally, the Board called on the Soviet Government to facilitate the “full expression of Jewish religious and cultural life in the Soviet Union.”
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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.
